# New Roleplay World?



## Nimue (Dec 21, 2014)

Not sure if this is the right place for this, but Sheila suggested that I put something up here.

I was looking at the roleplay board and saw that it's been a while since a new world was started.  I've got an idea, and I'm not really into d20-based rping, so I thought I'd give it a shot.  I know I'm new, but I've GM'd a few roleplays on other forums, and I love doing it.  I would totally understand if there's a minimum rank or activity requirement for starting a new roleplay, thought!

The basic concept is part Skyrim, part LotR, and part Eragon/Dragonriders of Pern.  Derivative?  Absolutely!  But I've found that a) it's often easier for people to write together in a world that feels familiar, and b) roleplaying should be an outlet for those unoriginal but indulgently enjoyable ideas that we try to keep out of our serious writing, right? 

The rp would not involve dice-rolling, but be a more writing-heavy attempt to weave a story together.  It would start out small, atmospheric, and character-focused, and then perhaps sprawl into something more epic.  Here's a summary of the world background:


_YSGARD : THE DRAGONS' CHOSEN_
--​
For two hundred years, the men of Ysgard have been enslaved by the elves of the North.  The elven sorcerers draw unholy magic from ancient souls--dead elves, wizards, and, greatest in magic, the extinct dragons.  With this stolen power, they have created an kingdom of ice and fear, reaching from their homeland of Yvalheim across once-free Ysgard, even into the wood elves' realm of Iridhe and the peaceful valleys of the Ettarlands.

In the midst of this dark winter, a miracle came from the gods.  A young man named Farrun Ramshorn discovered a dragon egg in the hinterland mountains, and the egg woke for him.  Thoros, the first dragon to live in over two hundred years, was born.  This event sparked new hope for the men of Ysgard, and woke the sleeping embers of rebellion.  For a dragonrider is a powerful weapon against sorcery, and a resilient symbol.

The resistance turned to war.  The time was right, for in the east the imperial elves of AuroÃ«, who had sailed from the lands beyond the sea no more than a century ago, were retaking the Ettarlands and challenging the claims of the Yvalhyn in the name of their powerful living gods, whose teachings called for justice and freedom from oppression.  Fighting bitterly with the encroaching AuroÃ«, the Yvalhyn elves lost ground to the rebellion in Ysgard, who were aided by the wood elves to the south.  After eight years of fighting, the free men captured most of the western holds, including the Hintercrown, which in ancient times had been the capital city of Ysgard.  They called these lands the Western Kingdom, and named as their ruler Hala Svora, the Wolf Queen, and her champion was Farrun Dragonrider.

For five years, a stalemate as thin as spring ice has settled over the Western Kingdom.  The weary but battle-hardened fighting army of men still makes forays to free settlements on the border, but the Yvalhyn sorcerers have strengthened their defenses.  Skirmishes are costly.  But throughout the new kingdom, rumors have spread of dragons in the mountains.  Old lore says that it was the Yvalhyn elves' use of dragon souls in their necromantic practices that drove the dragons away and sent their hidden eggs to sleep--and that the presence of a living dragon may revive them.

On the word of this legend, Farrun Dragonrider and his great bronze dragon Thoros have set off to the far western mountains to find if any dragons yet live, or if their eggs can be uncovered.  He brings with him a small group of those loyal to the queen and the free lands--candidates for the lifelong bond of a dragonrider.

--​
That's the initial premise, at any rate.  Where the story goes from there would be worked out collaboratively, although I have a few ideas.  I would be playing a pair of characters, one of who would be Farrun Dragonrider, who would double as a sort of GM's NPC for scene-setting and important business.  

Is anybody else interested?  Would it be worth it to ask for a dedicated subforum?


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## Philster401 (Dec 21, 2014)

I'd do it but I've only ever done a simplified RPG but i'd would love to do another one.


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## Legendary Sidekick (Dec 21, 2014)

We've had some cool RPGs in the past that were done without die-rolling. Two I can think of off the top of my head are _Endless Hunt_ and _Shenoka Shadows._ It happens that everyone who's run an RPG is either a mod now or on the article team now, but I know I'm not the only one here who ran an RPG without mod status.

In other words, no you don't need any kind of "rank" to run an RPG. You just need players. An appropriate thread to start your game in would be *Mythic Archipelago*.


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## Nimue (Dec 21, 2014)

Oh, it's good to know that there've been less dice-y rps in the past.  I'm not sure that what I'm thinking of would be appropriate for the Mythic Archipelago setting, though.  I'm envisioning something more along the lines of a large landmass, with expectations for the lands around it (the Auroe, which are based on the Mongolian Empire, other human cultures in lands to the west), and it would be good to be able to come up with an independent world...

Whether or not this rp gets off the ground (I'll send a message to Black Dragon, who I'm told would need to be involved to set this up?) it might be a good alternative to have a subforum in Mythic Worlds for "Other Roleplay" or something where people could just toss up one- or two-thread roleplay worlds, smaller endeavors, maybe.


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## Philster401 (Dec 21, 2014)

I like that idea. By the way Nimue maybe you could make a map of the world or at least of part if one.


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## Nimue (Dec 21, 2014)

Oh, I think I would, given a bit of time.  My maps tend to be rather wiggly, though: for example.  With bonus sea serpent


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## Legendary Sidekick (Dec 21, 2014)

Yeah, if BD's up for creating a new forum (or sub forum), that's fine too.


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## Devor (Dec 22, 2014)

Starting a new forum is kind of a big ask.  But there's actually a "Groups" section in the site which you could use for projects like this one.

http://mythicscribes.com/forums/group.php

It's a little buried in the navigation, so to pull it off you'll need to promote your project in a thread like this one and in your signature.  And there are other things you can do, like running a challenge, pairing it with one of the existing d20 games as a side project, or starting a more casual thread like the Intergalactic Cantina that used to be a thing.  But if you get a few people on board, the Groups section should have all the tools you need to run a game.


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## Nimue (Dec 22, 2014)

Devor said:


> Starting a new forum is kind of a big ask.  But there's actually a "Groups" section in the site which you could use for projects like this one.


That's how I feel about it too, hence the alternate suggestion for a general rp subforum... The only reason I've asked is because that seems to be the way that rp projects are done around here.

I didn't even realize groups were a thing!  How do you get to them from the forum homepage?  That would be really useful, since it looks like you can do threads within a group...but like you say, it isn't really visible at all.  If the rp was solely in group format, I doubt it would find any new players after it was started...  But it is something to think about.  I'll poke around.


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## Devor (Dec 22, 2014)

I think it used to be easier.  But up at the top, under the main "Forum" tab, there's a row of links beginning with "Activity Stream" and "New Posts."  If you click on "Community," you'll find "Groups" as a drop down.

But the key to making it work would be getting players here in the forum, linking to your group directly in your signature, and getting your players to do the same.


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## Ravana (Dec 25, 2014)

Nimue said:


> The rp would not involve dice-rolling, but be a more writing-heavy attempt to weave a story together.  It would start out small, atmospheric, and character-focused, and then perhaps sprawl into something more epic.



Sounds like an excellent notion. 

One suggestion from experience: you may need to beat prospective participants over the head with the notion that there's no dice-rolling involved. Some people seem to have difficulty reconciling their notion of "game" with a notion of "moderated collective storytelling."

The problem with having an "other" subforum under the existing Worlds forum is that most games tend to run multiple threads (at a minimum, one for in-game action and one for out-of-game discussion), which on the one hand you want to keep all together and on the other you don't want crossing over other games and becoming confusing for participants in every game involved. So even an "other" subforum would require its own child forums in the end.

"Groups" may well be a good place to launch it. If it looks like it's going to warrant a child forum in which to gather multiple threads, you can always ask BD to create one then, and move the existing threads to it. (Though check with him first. I can't recall how simple it is to relocate threads with the platform he's using–some make it simple, others highly annoying. He may be happier just creating the subforum up front.) If nothing else, you can use "Groups" to work out a roster of interested parties, even if you don't begin play there.

And, no, the Archipelago is not a gaming forum, so unless one were to use the Archipelago as a game setting (which would not be at all a bad idea…), that would not be the place to locate it.


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## Nimue (Dec 25, 2014)

Haha!  Well, I've had some practice beating people over the head with rping etiquette. ^^ It definitely won't be a game about hitpoints and loot, that's for sure.

The way multithread rping was done on another forum I was part of was to just have an OOC and a Story thread, and all of the worldbuilding would get put up in the first post of the OOC thread, bios linked to from there, etc.  It was easy enough to keep track of just those two threads in a busy rping subforum.  But I do like the idea of the subforum here because you can have more discussion/questions on the worldbuilding threads, start more conversations about the rp, and it would undoubtedly be easier to read.

I've asked Black Dragon about it, and he said he could post an announcements thing and see how much interest there is in the idea, and if there is he'll make a subforum.  So if you are interested, let me know.   I'll try and write up more about the world and how the thread would be run, solidify things a bit.


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## Philster401 (Dec 25, 2014)

I like i said before would love to do one.


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## Nimue (Dec 26, 2014)

Gotcha, but we'll probably need more than two people


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## Philster401 (Dec 26, 2014)

Good point


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## Legendary Sidekick (Dec 28, 2014)

I'm curious about how the game works. I mean, is it one of those deals where you can have combat, but both writers need to have a consensus on the outcome? I normally like to play heroic types in RPGs, so for me personally, I expect some action or some ability to make a difference in the world (which can be accomplished heroically but not necessarily through violence).

Shenoka Shadows and Endless Hunt were both no-dice RPGs that I enjoyed. In Endless Hunt, one player had an army, and his men were being picked off by the enemy. In Shenoka Shadows, my assassin was a decent killer and I was working with the GM (getting permission to kill some "Red Plumes" to get on a major NPC's good side) and another player (whose character made poisons).

Looking back at my Shenoka posts, I appear to be guilty of blatant godmodding. In fact, the other player and I agreed to how our characters would interact, but for decorum it may have been better to let the dialogue exchange slowly play out over a few posts. Or maybe what we did was fine.

I think when you run this game, you might want to let prospective players know how interactions should work. Example:

Only post your own characters words and actions, even if another player agreed to how a conversation would go.
Combat is limited to player-vs.-NPC; no player-vs.-player, please.
When interacting with NPCs, post your attempted actions. The GM will determine whether you succeed or fail.
Player characters don't die, unless the player gives consent.
A player can only control one character.

I'm not suggesting you use those 5 rules (and, in fact, I don't think rule #5 has applied to any RPG on this site–there's always been at least one player with multiple PCs), but what I am saying is stuff like this being clarified up front may be helpful in terms of managing expectations.

I'd definitely like to see a no-dice RPG with emphasis on writing succeed here, so I hope to see more players express interest.


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## Nimue (Dec 28, 2014)

There would definitely be combat involved, and of course god-modding would be an issue.  (Although it also crops up frequently outside of combat as well, often when somebody wants to make sure their character is perceived as impressive or attractive and starts writing that someone else's character was impressed or attracted!  Rather lazy, that.)

I'll have to write up some extensive rules, which would extend into rp etiquette--the central tenet being give as you get, and don't make your fun come at the expense of everyone else's fun.  I've rped for nearly a decade in writing-heavy, non-dice-based settings, and seen, uh, a lot of what can go wrong.  But also seen it done very well!

As for your rules: (Very useful input, thank you!)



> Only post your own characters words and actions, even if another player agreed to how a conversation would go.


Absolutely.  I've bent this rule, but only when the players were already friends and trusted each other implicitly.


> Combat is limited to player-vs.-NPC; no player-vs.-player, please.


This is definitely something you want to avoid unless all of the parties are experienced and communicate well with each other.  However, I think it can be done.  Just carefully, with people you don't know very well.


> When interacting with NPCs, post your attempted actions. The GM will determine whether you succeed or fail.


This is one point where I think the play-styles diverge.  In a writing-based rp (as I've experienced it) the role of the GM is rather reduced.  While permission and discussion should be had about major events, people generally just post what their character is doing IC, without clearing it beforehand.  Then the GM (if it's an NPC/monster/the environment) or the other player if it's their character, posts IC with the result.  If things are contentious, discussion may be had and posts might need to be revised, but that's pretty rare.  Overall, the theme is one of rolling with the punches--write with whatever is given to you.  RPG points or things aren't at stake, so I think you get to be a little more flexible.

Another difference (I think) is that this kind of rp is less about individual characters making interactions in the hopes of getting something out of it, achieving some goal, but it's more about weaving characters together.  In that way, there is no right action, nothing that will get a better outcome out of an NPC or send you down the more rewarding path.  What we're looking for is a good story, and what will get you that is more subtle and harder to grasp...



> Player characters don't die, unless the player gives consent.


Possibly the most important and never-broken rule!  I'd extend that to major injuries and character changes.  In the kind of game I'd be running, even the GM would need to get permission before wounding somebody.  More likely, they wouldn't be wounding anyone, the player would decide that their character gets wounded themselves


> A player can only control one character.


A good starting point, although once things get rolling, particularly if it's a small game, more characters are welcome.  I'd say that players should only be playing as many characters as they can handle, and preferably fewer, since lapses in activity happen. 


Besides all that good stuff, the essential element is players that can all write together--people that are a good fit, that are flexible and creative with the story.  To that end, I would be requiring character profile approvals, to screen for the basic rp problems--characters that are unbelievably heroic and ideal (and essentially don't require any other character to save the day forever, so why are they going to be part of a collaborative story??) or lots of spelling and grammatical errors, or very minimal effort.  We could work on profiles as needed, but there will be an approval or a denial in the end.

The second bit would be a sort of three-strike process for people god-modding or dominating play or replying with one line of text when they were given something paragraphs long and complex... etc.  First or second strike, there would be input about what's going wrong, we could work on it, but if the person still isn't improving, they would be asked to leave the game.  I've seen too many rp threads be ruined by one person being either thoughtless or deliberately contrary. :/


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## Legendary Sidekick (Dec 28, 2014)

I like where you're going with this. I've definitely seen the "unbelievably heroic" in one game. A player wrote his character with anime ninja abilities. He was injured, but managed to wall-jump his way up thirty feet onto "the rafters." …just to be awesome, I guess, since his weapon of choice was a sword. I think he went up there to say something scary to the bad guys then he jumped down and killed them. Oh, and make that _two_ swords. So, no free hand and the injury was in the leg. When reminded of the injury, he edited his post to say he performed that acrobatic feat "with difficulty."

The three strikes rule sounds like a good way to let people know not to do stuff like that. I think you make it pretty clear that you want combat, when it happens, to be interesting. So as the player, I'd know up front my character will survive, but I'd write the struggle and the GM weighs in and may or may not give my PC a challenge or dilemma, or the surprise twist could be a pleasant one, if I understand correctly.


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## Gryphos (Dec 29, 2014)

Sounds interesting. I've been involved with some non-dice RPs in the past and had a load of fun, so If one's starting here you can count me in.


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## Legendary Sidekick (Dec 29, 2014)

My Addison Lane character is a huntress who is interested in beast-riding. I could see her wanting to learn a thing or two from the dragon rider. I'd gladly play this as her, since she's the only one in her group that I haven't played in someone else's RPG.


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## Nimue (Dec 29, 2014)

Gryphos said:


> Sounds interesting. I've been involved with some non-dice RPs in the past and had a load of fun, so If one's starting here you can count me in.


Yay!  Good to have you.  Four people's not half bad!



Legendary Sidekick said:


> I like where you're going with this. I've definitely seen the "unbelievably heroic" in one game. A player wrote his character with anime ninja abilities. He was injured, but managed to wall-jump his way up thirty feet onto "the rafters." …just to be awesome, I guess, since his weapon of choice was a sword. I think he went up there to say something scary to the bad guys then he jumped down and killed them. Oh, and make that _two_ swords. So, no free hand and the injury was in the leg. When reminded of the injury, he edited his post to say he performed that acrobatic feat "with difficulty."


Hahahaha!  Perfectly reasonable.  I wrote my share of implausible feats in rps when I was younger, but you gotta learn from it!  I think my favorite moment was this guy who, in the middle of a fairly normal introductory conversation, wrote that his character _dropped dead_ from a spell cast by some unspecified enemy and then had to be revived by another character while his character guided them through it by some kind of astral/psychic projection?  Because that's totally something you can do when your heart has stopped.  Holy drama from nowhere, Batman.



> The three strikes rule sounds like a good way to let people know not to do stuff like that. I think you make it pretty clear that you want combat, when it happens, to be interesting. So as the player, I'd know up front my character will survive, but I'd write the struggle and the GM weighs in and may or may not give my PC a challenge or dilemma, or the surprise twist could be a pleasant one, if I understand correctly.


Yes, that's pretty much it.  An essential part of this is giving the player freedom to write their own outcome, trusting that they'll do something realistic and interesting.  The GM can say, oh, there's this many monsters and bam, that one just jumped for you, but it's the player who writes about narrowly avoiding getting clawed in the face and wrestling for a chokehold on the beast and grabbing their boot dagger just in time to stick it in the thing's eye.  Instead of saving rolls (lol hope I used that right) the player gets to decide what happens, based on what would be in character and whether they want to beat their character up or give them a moment's victory.  Of course, this does depend on the player writing a good scene, but doesn't everything?  I'm hoping that since, hey, this forum is full of writers, we all know when it makes narrative sense for a character to succeed and when they should fail.



Legendary Sidekick said:


> My Addison Lane character is a huntress who is interested in beast-riding. I could see her wanting to learn a thing or two from the dragon rider. I'd gladly play this as her, since she's the only one in her group that I haven't played in someone else's RPG.


Yes, definitely!  You know, I hadn't considered that there would be creatures other than dragons that could be bonded to humans in this world, but why not?  Maybe any magical beast could form a kind of mental bond with those they choose.  Ooh, that adds another dimension to the warhorse-type kirins that I was thinking of having the Auroe elves ride...  The unique thing about dragons, I think, would be that they are powerful reservoirs of magic that their rider shares in, and that they are highly intelligent, and...also that they are huge and scaly and breathe fire.


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## Ravana (Dec 29, 2014)

I might be interested. Have to go back over the setting and see if it sings to me. Probably about time I crawled back out of my cave and became active around here again anyway. 



Legendary Sidekick said:


> 5. A player can only control one character.



Do animal companions count? 

[Admittedly, none of them breathed fire. But they still had their uses.]


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## Ravana (Dec 29, 2014)

Nimue said:


> Oh, I think I would, given a bit of time.  My maps tend to be rather wiggly, though: for example.  With bonus sea serpent



Oh, and if you'd care to allow the collaborative storytelling to extend beyond text posts, I might be able to unwiggle that for ya a bit. In fact, I'd be happy to do it even if I _don't_ play.


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## Legendary Sidekick (Dec 29, 2014)

I'm just trying to picture how that dropping dead RP went.

JOE: "Hi, I'm Joe Ironballs, warrior extraordinai–ack!"

TIM: "Dear lord! Someone call the royal guard! Murder! Evil mag… huh?"

JOE'S GHOST: "Now, Tim. Don't panic. I want you to rip off my shirt. You're going to need the red powder in my belt pouch–not the blue!–and some ink, a quill, and a means of lighting a fire."

TIM: "Won't I look like I'm looting your corpse?"

JOE'S GHOST: "There's no time to worry about that, Tim. Can you sing Tim?"

TIM: "Sing what?!"

JOE'S GHOST: "The Resurrection Song, Tim. I will think the words to you and reveal step-by-step visions of the ritual. Just follow along."

TIM: "♫ Add a pinch of Lazaruz powder / rub it on the chest / ink a magic circle / to prevent eternal rest… ♫"

LADY: "He's looting a corpse in the town square!"

TIM: "Shut up, lady! I'm trying to save his life!"

JOE'S GHOST: "Sing it, Tim! You must sing!"

TIM: "♫ I'm trying to save / his liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiife… ♫"


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## Nimue (Dec 29, 2014)

*grabs Ravana by the collar and drags them out of the cave*  The setting is going to get a lot more detail, so maybe that'll help.  I was going to get some of that written tonight, but Jesus I am tired.

Animal companions don't count towards your initial character count--unless there's like five and your character is some kind of animal companion hoarder.  But if they're intelligent they would require their own little profiles!

Line-straightening services would be greatly appreciated, heh.  Making a map would certainly be a priority, there's a some geography going on here.


Edit: Hahahaha! I wish it had been that hilarious!  It was still pretty hilarious, and actually did include detailed medico-magical instructions, but man... he played it totally serious.


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## Ravana (Dec 31, 2014)

Nimue said:


> Animal companions don't count towards your initial character count--unless there's like five and your character is some kind of animal companion hoarder.  But if they're intelligent they would require their own little profiles!



That line was more for LS's sake… and he got it. 

The character in question was a first-level druid in a d20 setting. Rather than take the traditional "best-combat-critter-you-can-get-at-first-level" companion, she opted for a pair of smaller companions who augmented her "surviving-alone-in-the-wilderness" abilities. One was a raven—doubly appropriate considering her choice of deity. For whom she gave a different name every time she invoked him. The other was a vihmakissa, whatever the hell that is. (That was the full species name—"vihmakissa whatever the hell that is"—as far as anybody in that game knew: that's how it was given every time I mentioned it.) She also had a reindeer, but that wasn't a companion, just a mount. And, yes, she was easily small enough to ride a reindeer comfortably.

All of which I mention because there's a remote chance I might want to revise her to fit your setting. Though I think I have some more appropriate ideas.* Besides, it would be hard for her to get the reindeer on a dragon. 



> Line-straightening services would be greatly appreciated, heh.  Making a map would certainly be a priority, there's a some geography going on here.



Glad to. I make maps for fun. Perfectly happy to make one for actual use. We can work out the details, but my suggestion would be to send me a sketch if you have one, plus any details about what has to go where relative to something else (big difference between separated by 60 and 600 miles… or by 60 miles of prairie versus 60 miles of mountains), any notes on what _can't_ be where (or anywhere), then I'll just flesh it out from there. If you don't have a sketch, the notes will do, as long as you're willing to be surprised by it not looking quite the way you'd envisioned it. But, hey, that's what collaborative is about, eh? Or, if you don't even have a vision beyond the general geography you give in the setting, I can start by roughing that in and we can go from there. Once I've got something, we'll bounce it back and forth to make changes, refinements and expansions as appropriate.

Oh—just in case it matters: 3D topographic maps take longer, and I'm far more reluctant to make major alterations to those, so that will probably have to wait until we have the basics firmed up. 

•••

* You remember the _other_ characters I've played recently, right, LS? Though I might have a hard time choosing between them; may have to negotiate bringing them both along. It wouldn't be necessary, but I've kinda come to think of them as a set. And it sounds like those swords might come in handy.…


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## Philster401 (Dec 31, 2014)

That sounds like it was amazing and hilarious I would have loved to see it  in person. By the way how long do you think it will take before the RPG  would be up or at least starting to be a WIP, Nimue?


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## Philster401 (Dec 31, 2014)

Yeah topographic do take longer I had to make one last year for science it took a while not as long as my friend did though his made mine look like childs plays btw my topographic map is in portfolio never bottom of my map.


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## Ravana (Dec 31, 2014)

Philster401 said:


> Yeah topographic do take longer



Yep… though more to the point, I use SketchUp for those. It isn't too hard to _create_ topo features, but it's a real pain to _remove_ them without hosing up everything around them.… 

I don't figure we really need that level of detail. Might do a couple of narrow-scope ones for important terrain features at some point, but for the general action, I'm sure a much more basic map will suffice.

Speaking of which: I already have a sketch based on the description to date. No idea if it corresponds with Nimue's vision of things; just made it in case she didn't have one yet. Like I said: I do these for fun. 

---

[In case anyone wants to see what happens when I get bored and feel like doing geography/architecture:

http://mythicscribes.com/gallery/g524-city-of-kilvikasa.html

One of the (few) advantages to SketchUp: it's a pretty easy 3D modeler to use, and once you have the model, you can view it from any angle and distance. As witness. (I assume this is true of any 3D modeler, if you have the patience to learn them and the money to obtain them–the biggest advantage of SketchUp is its free download version is complete enough for most people's needs.)]


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## Philster401 (Dec 31, 2014)

I already looked at some of the pictures in your gallery, I looked at them when you mentioned you drew maps.


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## Philster401 (Dec 31, 2014)

They were quite good.


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## Legendary Sidekick (Dec 31, 2014)

I'd love to see more of Hiljikki on reindeerback! But if you go with the prince-and-huntress couple, they're fun too.

I think Addison Lane will be my first physically-average character in an RPG. So far, they've either been powerful brutes, pixyish huntresses, or even more pixyish tiny winged women.


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## Legendary Sidekick (Dec 31, 2014)

Philster401 said:


> That sounds like it was amazing and hilarious I would have loved to see it  in person. By the way how long do you think it will take before the RPG  would be up or at least starting to be a WIP, Nimue?


I know what you mean. I'm psyched about RP'ing a character who I've already written in a couple of short stories. It'll be fun meeting each other's characters, and I'm actually glad Nimue is aiming for third-person POV. I use first-person in Dragon's Egg, so I feel like I'll be more well-rounded this way. (Hmm… maybe I should GM Flat Earth in second-person.)


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## Philster401 (Dec 31, 2014)

Well depending on if steerpike gets back on or Nimue gets back on first. This will be my second RPG


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## Philster401 (Dec 31, 2014)

And my first one through the internet, unless you count d&d online


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## Ravana (Jan 1, 2015)

Philster401: Thank you.

-



Legendary Sidekick said:


> I'd love to see more of Hiljikki on reindeerback! But if you go with the prince-and-huntress couple, they're fun too.



Either is possible. (Not sure how well Heverik would fare in this setting… the main reason I'd be inclined to bring only his fair lady. Unless we feel the need for unrelieved comic relief… heh.) Hiljikki popped into my mind mainly because of the names already in use in the setting.

Or someone completely different: all of those were new when they first appeared here. Algernon's been my only rerun so far. (And he's not coming to this shindig.) So history suggests I'm more likely to produce a fresh one–my wealth of old characters notwithstanding. Though I have no objections to running retreads: I only have one old character I know I'll never play again–and that's because I'm forbidden to. By everyone who ever met him. (He wouldn't've been setting-appropriate anyway, so no loss there.)


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## Legendary Sidekick (Jan 1, 2015)

Well, whoever you bring in, I look forward to having Addison interact with her (or him).


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## Philster401 (Jan 1, 2015)

How long you does it normally take to get an RPG going?


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## Legendary Sidekick (Jan 1, 2015)

Depends on what's going on in the GM's life. Flat Earth is on Christmas vacation because of 4 birthdays (23rd, 27th, 28th, 29th), Christmas, and today's party.

I think once that first post is up, we can keep things going as players.

Do you have a character yet? If you're dying to RP him/her, feel free to start a thread in Q&A, or create a bio or even a "flash fic" piece for the character.

My character is Addison Lane. If you click the link in my sig, you can read some GM-approved character history. (The breel may not exist in this game's world, but still, Addy took on a large flying beast.)


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## Philster401 (Jan 1, 2015)

Thanks I  read your character history. I want to do something with video games as a career but I'm not that good of a writer or artist especially compared to some kids/friends a my school that's why I joined the forum to see other writers and hope they could give me some perspective and that it might help my writing.


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## Ravana (Jan 1, 2015)

@Nimue: I now have the beginnings of a map, based solely upon your description of the setting thus far. It may be nothing like what you had in mind, but it's a starting point. It's also a bit bulky to be uploading here for something that's just a draft. If you want me to e-mail it to you, send me an address in a PM.


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## Nimue (Jan 2, 2015)

Sorry about the pause there, New Year's was a bit rough.  What I'm waiting on right now is Black Dragon's decision on the subforum, but I also meant to write up some extended lore today and post it here--it can always get sorted into a different thread later.

Absolutely, Ravana, email me!  I'll send a PM.  I have some vague brainscapes for the realm already, so we can work on that together.  I'm thinking of adding a few more peoples and cultures to the mix.


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## Legendary Sidekick (Jan 2, 2015)

@BD, I'm happy to help manage the game if any mod-stuff is required… that is, if you do open a sub forum under Mythic Worlds. (I'm sure Ravana would help out as well.)

Nimue, I only want to be a player. What I mean is, if you need a mod to edit/delete/move a post or something like that, I'm happy to oblige if BD opens a forum for your game.


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## Nimue (Jan 2, 2015)

Yeah, that would be really useful!  Hopefully we won't have any flubbed posts that need to be fixed or moved, but you never know, and it's good to have that just in case.


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## Philster401 (Jan 3, 2015)

@BD what's happening about this new  RPG?


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## Ravana (Jan 3, 2015)

Map sent.* 

Yes, I'd be willing to assist with any modding required.

*(Along with lengthy explanation. Get used to that from me. Ask anyone… I have a reputation. Heh.)


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## Nimue (Jan 3, 2015)

Hehe, lengthy indeed!  I'm going to try to write up more of the land and do a bit of a sketch before I get back to you, but I love some of your ideas and the general shape of thing!  Oh dear, that's not a proper response, but I will get to in at length, I promise. P:

I don't think it matters too much that Black Dragon responds at once, because there is a lot of writing that I need to do before we're ready to start, or even before you guys can write up character profiles...  Speaking of that, I did start on the general world lore, and thought I'd post it here to help people start to think about their characters.  Next up will be the different nationalities/cultures of men, elves, and dwarves.




WORLD

Ysgard lies on the Northern continent of Aerde.  To the west are distant, warm lands known as the Helcarae, from which came the ancestors of the Dunmen, and sometimes travelers, and to the east are lands that are even farther from familiar shores.  The men of Ysgard call them the Lands Beyond, and among them is the homeland of the AuroÃ«.  Off the western shore of Aerde is the Sea of Vassar, after the Ysgardian king who first crossed it, and the eastern sea is the Elfwyne.  To the south is the Glass Ocean, beyond which is nothing.  

This lore is written from the perspective and the knowledge of the men of Ysgard, and so is narrow in scope, and may be incorrect on the details of the wider world.  Names are in the common tongue of Aerde, while names in italics are in Old Ysgardur, which only wizards and scholars speak, and is closely related to the elven tongue of Yvaldri.

PEOPLES

 Men - _Fyrdar_
The most numerous, diverse, and adaptable of the races.  Magical talent is rare among men, and must be trained with years of study.  They live to be 60-80 years old, although witches and wizards can live as long as 200 years.  

Elves - _Alfar_
Slender and slightly taller than men, with pointed ears and angled features.  Almost all elves possess the capability to use magic, though some are far more powerful than the rest.  There are fewer differences between male and female elves, as male elves cannot grow beards.  Resistant to disease, they need to eat and rest less often, but are more susceptible to poison and toxins, and strongly affected by magic, both harming and healing.  They have children rarely.  Elves live to be 250-300 years old, and those strongest in magic can live as long as 450 years.

Dwarves - _Dvergar_
The least numerous of the races.  Very short, stocky, and muscular, with long hair and beards.  Resistant to magic, poison, and physical injury.  There are greater differences between male and female dwarves than with the other races--dwarf women are shorter, curvier, and much less hirsute.  Magical talent is extremely rare among the dwarves and may never get trained in those who have it.

Halfbreeds 
Elves and dwarves cannot have children together.  Half-elves, half-men take most after the human blood, save for a tapered point to their ears, and an increased likelihood for magical talent.  Roughly a third of half-elves can cast magic.  They do not inherit the full swiftness of their elven parents, and tend to be more susceptible to sickness and spells.  Half-dwarves, half-men, often called halflings, take most after their dwarven blood, and are almost as short as dwarfs, but less stocky and without their hairiness.  They are hardy and somewhat resistant to magic, but are disparaged by dwarves for their perceived weakness.


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## Legendary Sidekick (Jan 3, 2015)

Nimue said:


> I did start on the general world lore, and thought I'd post it here to help people start to think about their characters.  Next up will be the different nationalities/cultures of men, elves, and dwarves.


This is good. Even though I know who I'm going to play, I like to know about the world before I toss her into it. This is good reading material while we wait to start playing the game!


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## Philster401 (Jan 3, 2015)

I agree this lor is quite good but one question/statement you didn't mention how long the dwarves live, how long do they live?


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## Ireth (Jan 3, 2015)

This looks like fun. I might join in once I can decide on a character.


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## Nimue (Jan 3, 2015)

Yay, another person, and an rper too! 

Shoot, I forgot to put that in about the dwarves.  I'd say roughly 100 to 140 years for them, up to 250 for dwarven wizards (which are, again, so rare as to be extinct).  I'll also add some lifespan values for the halfbreeds!


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## Philster401 (Jan 3, 2015)

Thanks! and yay we have another player.


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## Legendary Sidekick (Jan 4, 2015)

Good to see you're joining this, Ireth!


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## Ravana (Jan 4, 2015)

Nimue said:


> Hehe, lengthy indeed!  I'm going to try to write up more of the land and do a bit of a sketch before I get back to you, but I love some of your ideas and the general shape of thing!



Thank you. 

I was fairly confident the general shape would be acceptable, or I would've stopped early on. Still plenty of empty space for additional development/detail, even if nothing already on it gets moved. Speaking of which.…

There was one thing I forgot to mention: I may have the Ettarlands running too close to Yvalheim… I realized at some point during the process that your intro makes it sound like there should be at least some portion of Ysgard between the two. (Of course, the Ettarlands don't need to go all the way up even if the terrain I put in for them does.) I already moved their "border" once, anyway, so moving it again would present no difficulties.



> To the west are distant, warm lands known as the Helcarae, from which came the ancestors of the Dunmen, and sometimes travelers, and to the east are lands that are even farther from familiar shores.  The men of Ysgard call them the Lands Beyond, and among them is the homeland of the AuroÃ«.  Off the western shore of Aerde is the Sea of Vassar, after the Ysgardian king who first crossed it, and the eastern sea is the Elfwyne.  To the south is the Glass Ocean, beyond which is nothing.



All of which are known amongst the wise as "Lands Off the Edge of the First Map." 



> Names are in the common tongue of Aerde, while names in italics are in Old Ysgardur, which only wizards and scholars speak, and is closely related to the elven tongue of Yvaldri.



Not to mention Old Norse.  

Which is as good a choice as any for a model, and it beats hell out of trying to invent your own. Which I also do for fun. (Well, for myself: unlike the maps, if anyone else wants me to do those, I charge. Albeit not near what anyone else would–after all, they're fun.)


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## Black Dragon (Jan 6, 2015)

Nimue,

It looks like there is sufficient interest to make this work.  Write up some introductory documents and rules, and share them with Legendary Sidekick and Ravana to look over.  Once these are ready, I'll create the new forum for the game.


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## Nimue (Jan 7, 2015)

Thank you!  I'll get to work on more information.  Here's what's on my list:



Introduction, Rules and Guidelines
Countries and Peoples
Magic
Creatures
Dragonriding

I'll update this thread as soon as I've got one of those done!


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## Ravana (Jan 7, 2015)

Add "Religion." It seems likely to play a fairly important role (or at least have the potential to) from what you've given thus far.


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## Legendary Sidekick (Jan 8, 2015)

A question on religion…

Any particular pantheon you have in mind? In one of my Addision Lane stories, I have her complain and say, "Oh, for the love o' the virgin goddess!" It's a reference to the Greek goddess of the hunt, Artemis, though I never use her name.

That said, if you have a Celtic area in the game, that might be a good fit. I get the feeling too many of the Greek gods are too well-known to be interesting in an RPG. And they're too well known for abusing their power to be likable.


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## Legendary Sidekick (Jan 8, 2015)

Here's a link with Celtic deities. It seems to be a thorough list. Be warned: a few nude illustrations. Nothing offensive, unless the Sistine Chapel offends you.

Based on this list, I'd have Addy follow Artio (whose name is strikingly similar to Artemis). She has a three-word description: "Celtic wildlife goddess."



That said, I don't know anything of your world outside of the Etterlands being the Celtic area—which I agree is Addy's homeland!

If you have a Norse-based area, maybe those from the Norse-based should follow a Norse pantheon; those from Etterlands, Celtic; maybe Greek/Roman for an imperial area, if one happens to be based on Ancient Rome.

And… you could simply link the pantheons as I did with the Celtic, so all you'd need to do in your write-up is tie each in-game pantheon to a given area, and maybe include a short list of who most people worship. (For the record, Artio is likely NOT on the short list. Given her minimal description, my guess is Artio can count her followers on her fingers and still have a finger free to point to the counting fingers.)


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## Nimue (Jan 8, 2015)

Yes, I'll absolutely add some info about religion--it'll probably be wrapped up into the Peoples & Countries section, because different gods are worshiped in different regions.  I have some god names left over from an old iteration of this world, but in general I will be making up gods and assigning them attributes/domains.  More time with name dictionaries/generators for me!  But if you'd like to bring Artio in you are more than welcome to, she would definitely be fitting!  The name isn't as obviously "real-world" as the Greek gods, for sure.


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## Legendary Sidekick (Jan 8, 2015)

I'll most likely choose from the ones you invent for the game, since you're already doing that. A hunting/wilderness goddess is pretty much someone Addy would follow, so if you've already got someone who is like Artio/Artemis, I wouldn't feel the need to pick "none of the above." (Although, I kinda hope your Etterlands hunting goddess has a name that starts with an "Arty" sound, since there seems to be a pattern.)


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## Legendary Sidekick (Jan 8, 2015)

I'm working on an Addison Lane pic now, so I thought I'd use her head as my avatar. Now you can put a face to the name.


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## Nimue (Jan 11, 2015)

Sorry for the break, but I finally got some stuff written.  This is the Lands & Peoples section, but only for the North--I'll finish with Tol Auroan, the Ettarlands, the Wood of Iridhe, and Caern.  Hopefully this detail helps with character inspiration!




YSGARD
Ysgard is a wide, mountainous country that stretches across most of Northern Aerde, stopping short of the eastern plains.  It encompasses the jagged coast of the Sea of Vassar in the west, the Dragonbone Mountains, and into the tundra and wilderness of the north, before the borders of Yvalheim.  Within Ysgard's bounds are forests of tall pines, storm-swept moorlands, and more temperate valleys carved by rivers, chief among them the River Valemorn.

Villages cluster about the rivers and the arable land, but isolated settlements can be found even into the forbidding hinterlands, as can crumbling ruins of watchtowers and fortresses from the scarred history of the land.  Mysteries lie in long-forgotten keeps, in catacombs, and the caverns that riddle the great mountains.  Time and winter bury everything in Ysgard.

Folk - The most common people of Ysgard.  They are tall, broad men, tending towards long faces and chiseled features.  Their coloring is fair: their hair ranges from blond to middling brown, with some reddish hues, and their skin from pale to weather-beaten tan.  They have grey, blue, or brown eyes, most commonly.  The great majority of the Folk are still under the rule of the Yvalhyn.  As slaves, they work the farms, raise sheep and cattle, and cut timber.  Most live in villages, with thatched cottages and longhouses.  Their culture is one of legends and ballads, told by firelight.

Dun - The Dunmen live throughout Ysgard, but are most numerous in the valleys of the Dragonbone Mountains and on the western coast, as their origins were in ancient colonies of the Empire of the Helcarae, which fell centuries ago.  They tend to be leaner than the Folk, more broad of face and fine of feature.  Their skin is darker, ranging from very dark brown to fawn tan, their hair most often black or brunet and thick, and their eyes in shades of brown, or sometimes hazel or green.  Under the rule of the Yvalhyn, the Dun worked cutting timber, fishing, and also in the mountains mining for coal, copper, and iron, under dangerous conditions.  However, after the rebellion, over half of the Dunmen are now free in the West Kingdom.  They can now remember their old customs, of bright cloth and festivals, and stories of the ancient Empire of their forefathers.

Redbeards - These dwarves live in the western mountains, and of all the peoples of the north had been most independent of Yvalhyn rule.  They fought with the rebellion and are now part of the West Kingdom, but govern themselves.  They live deep in the caves and valleys of the Dragonbone Mountains, in cities of stone.  None can match their smithing and metalwork.  As their name suggests, they often have great red or brunet beards, and craggy features.

Clan Hoarfrost - Dwarves of the north, once part of a great clan, but now few in number.  They are almost all under the rule of the Yvalhyn, forced into work in mines and quarries.  They tend to be less ruddy in coloring, with blond beards and light-colored eyes.  It is a little more likely that a Hoarfrost dwarf be capable of magic than other dwarves.


THE WEST KINGDOM
Called in full the West Kingdom of Ysgard, this realm was born of the rebellion and is ruled by Hala Svora, the warrior queen.  It stretches from the shore of the Sea of Vassar through almost a third of the width of Ysgard, stopping short of the snowy tundra of Yvalheim.  The border is at a standoff, but the hope of the people is to reclaim all of Ysgard from the elves.  But now, while an uneasy peace holds, they must rebuild what was lost in the wars of rebellion.  Castles that were once ruled by elven overlords must be given to elected men.  There is much work to be done, and over it looms the shadow of another war, the stain of sorcery and bloodshed.


YVALHEIM
The realm of the northern elves is a harsh, cold place, of mountains and glaciers and rolling tundra.  The scarce resources of this land drive the Yvalhyn to conquer other countries--and what they lack in riches, they hold in powerful magic.  Now, fed by slave labor and trade, Yvalheim extends across Ysgard and into the south.  The elves have built cities of stone, ice, and magic, with spires that challenge the mountains' beauty, and have carved the peaks into their castles.

Yvalhyn -  The Yvalhyn elves are few in number, but great in magic.  They are tall and thin, regal in bearing, with narrow, sharp features.  Their pointed ears are longer than other elves'.  Their skin is so pale as to be white, although in the wastes of the far north, the Yvalhyn have skin that is a bluish-grey.  Some think that Yvalhyn blood is blue, but it is red--only darker in color.  Their hair is commonly white, silver, or pale blond, though for some it may be a darker grey.  Their eyes are bright colors--blue, green, and grey, but also silver, gold, and violet.  Some may have very dark grey or blue eyes.  Their society is a proud and hierarchical one, focused on military and magical prowess.  They believe that elvenkind is superior, and intended by the gods to rule the other peoples.  They maintain purity of blood, and kill half-elves when they are born.

Clan Volgrim - One clan of dwarves is allied with the Yvalhyn.  They are a warlike people who have pledged their service as mercenaries to escape the dominion of Yvalheim.  They are fierce, brutal fighters and skilled metalsmiths.  They have similar blood to Clan Hoarfrost, though their hair and beards are darker and their build stockier.


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## Legendary Sidekick (Jan 11, 2015)

I didn't realize the Etterlands and Caern were two different places. Well, I'll have to wait until next post to see where Addison comes from! In Earth-terms, her ethnicity is Celtic/Irish; physically, she's an average-sized red-headed emerald-eyed freckle-face. So whatever people in your world best fit this description, they're Addy's peeps.

(First time I ever used "peeps" to mean "people." And probably the last.)



EDIT - Addy would not be too crazy about this:


> They maintain purity of blood, and kill half-elves when they are born.


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## Nimue (Jan 11, 2015)

Caern is going to be the Celtic-analogue country, and definitely full of cute red-headed freckle-faces! 

Yeah, the purity of blood is a particularly nasty part of Yvalhyn culture.  The second character I'm thinking of playing (besides Farrun Dragonrider, who's Dun and 100% human) is a half-Auroe, half-Yvalhyn elf, and that turned out for her about as well as you might expect.  I started a thread playing her in Character Q&A because I'm impatient, but might change bits of her character before we start up this rp P:


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## Gryphos (Jan 12, 2015)

Interesting stuff. At the moment I'm thinking my character will probably be a Dunman from the West Kingdom. Maybe a discrete agent of the Queen or something like that.


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## Ravana (Jan 13, 2015)

Ooh… more hints for the map. 

I'll go slap a little more detail on, though I probably won't bother sending a revised draft at least until you say a bit about the remaining areas you mention. Gonna have to stretch the western mountains out–but I'd already guessed as much. 

One quick question for you to address in the next section: how large do you envision the Wood of Iridhe being? The blob I put on the first draft was mostly to represent roughly where it was relative to everything else. Didn't know if you wanted it to be a reasonably compact area (a la LÃ³rien) or a sprawling primeval forest occupying a quarter of the continent.


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## Nimue (Jan 13, 2015)

Gryphos said:


> Interesting stuff. At the moment I'm thinking my character will probably be a Dunman from the West Kingdom. Maybe a discrete agent of the Queen or something like that.



I like that idea!  It'd make sense to have some of the queen's men along.



Ravana said:


> Ooh… more hints for the map.
> 
> I'll go slap a little more detail on, though I probably won't bother sending a revised draft at least until you say a bit about the remaining areas you mention. Gonna have to stretch the western mountains out—but I'd already guessed as much.
> 
> One quick question for you to address in the next section: how large do you envision the Wood of Iridhe being? The blob I put on the first draft was mostly to represent roughly where it was relative to everything else. Didn't know if you wanted it to be a reasonably compact area (a la LÃ³rien) or a sprawling primeval forest occupying a quarter of the continent.



Yeah, I'm still working out my vague ideas of the map!  You should definitely work on it, and I'll come up with a bit of a sketch when it's all together.  I can say that the Wood of Iridhe is definitely not a quarter of the continent, but maybe a little larger than the area you had on your map draft.  A little longer east-west?  I'm envisioning it being the southern border of Ysgard, essentially.  Still pretty compact, though.


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## Lunaairis (Jan 15, 2015)

I really want to join this. Still thinking up a character. Probably going to be a half folk-half Yvalhyn.  I kind of want to play an illusionist, maybe of the religious sort, with magical melodies. I think that would be pretty cool. Of course I want to find out more of this world to see who I should play.


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## Ireth (Jan 15, 2015)

Half Folk, half Yvalhyn? But aren't halfbreeds killed on sight? Your character would be insanely lucky just to be alive.


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## Nimue (Jan 15, 2015)

Yes, that would have to be an extremely fortunate half-elf, probably born to a human mother somewhere in the backwaters... But I always say, write a good enough back-story and you can play whatever you want.   Although, if it isn't essential to your conception of the character that they be half-Yvalhyn and not, say, half-Iridheen, it might be better to take a more probable route.

I will be writing up a bit on the magic system, but it'll be something very flexible, as with most rp settings.  Pretty much what you'd expect.  I got the Auroe elves written today--sorry this is taking me so long, this week has been much busier than usual. ^^;;


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## Lunaairis (Jan 16, 2015)

I thought my character could be a one of those bastards left living in the Western Kingdom after the rebellion. She looked/acted far too human so no one really knew, although she had a knack for magic. After her human mother died, she began to travel the kingdom playing music on a Lyre she saved all her pennys for as a kid. 

anyway if that's not okay then I don't mind changing it the only reason I wanted to play a half-Yvalhyn was because they sounded like snow elves and I really like snow elves. 

who are the Iridheen?  this thread is really jumbled so finding information is difficult.


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## Legendary Sidekick (Jan 16, 2015)

Nimue said:
			
		

> This is the Lands & Peoples section, but only for the North--I'll finish with Tol Auroan, the Ettarlands, the Wood of Iridhe, and Caern.


We're still waiting for info on the people above.

I'm looking forward to learning about the CÃ¦rn. That's where my character comes from–the one you can see for now, though I'm note sure how long that avatar will last. I'm afraid if I keep it there, people might wonder why a guy would have an avatar that's a


> cute red-headed freckle-face


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## Nimue (Jan 19, 2015)

Here's the rather belated rest of that Lands & Peoples section!  I'm thinking of switching tack next and writing up the rules and information, so we can go ahead and set up a subforum while I work on fleshing out the rest of the lore.  I'm still adding things I forgot to earlier pieces, heh.  Sound like a good idea?


AUROÃ‹
The territory claimed by the AuroÃ« elves lies along the eastern coast, and extends west and north into the Thaw: land exposed by retreating glaciers that were once part of Yvalheim.  The country is tundra and rolling grasslands, divided by the wide, flat River Khirune.  Their king, Morhian, rules from the capital city of Tol Auroan beside the sea.  The settlements of the AuroÃ« are made of intricately carved stone and elegantly painted wood, proud towers and storied temples.

AuroÃ« Elves - These elves come from across the eastern sea, and have brought their own ancient language and culture.  They are leaner than other elves and broader of feature, with high cheekbones and angled eyes.  Their skin ranges from pale to rich, golden tan, and their hair is dark, most often black or mahogany brown.  Their eyes are also dark, black or very deep grey or green, though less common are jewel-tones like amber, sapphire, or emerald.  They are the strongest and most agile of the elves and are highly skilled in warfare, most of all horsemanship and archery.  Their religion dictates a strong code of morality and honor, and they attribute their magic directly to the gods' favor.  

ETTARLANDS
The most temperate and fertile country in Aerde, the Ettarlands are a rolling, green heartland of farming and herding.  They are governed by wealthy, idiosyncratic barons; attempts to unite the baronies come once in a generation, and are rarely successful for long.  There is too much independence and self-sufficiency built into the history of the Ettarlands.  Villages dot most of the landscape

Ettarlanders - The vast majority of the population of the Ettarlands is human.  They are shorter, broader men, softer of feature and quick of hand.  Their hair, often wavy or curly, ranges from auburn to dark brown, and their skin from freckled fair in the north to swarthy tan by the coasts.  Their eye color runs the gamut of ordinary hues.  They are skilled at farming and crafting, and indeed, almost anything they put their mind to.


WOOD OF IRIDHE
At the southern border of Ysgard lies a vast forest, untouched by men.  The trees are tall and ancient, and beneath them run dark streams and mossy glades where strange flowers bloom.  In the depths of the wood are the cities of the Iridheen elves, wrought from the living wood into grand halls roofed with golden leaves.  Their bowers lie in the crown of the trees, their temples by the deepest moonlit pools.  This realm is ruled by lords and ladies of the Threefold Council.

Iridheen Elves - The wood elves were once as common as men in the forests and wildernesses of Aerde, but their numbers have dwindled.  They guard the secrets of their magic closely.  Slender and graceful, with aquiline features, they are fair-skinned and have gold, red, or dark-brown hair.  Their eyes are most often deep green, hazel, or amber.  They work in harmony with the wood, and know all her secrets.  Iridheen druids are renowned for their wisdom, and craftsmen for the beauty of their art.


CAERN
This small land lies between the Forest of Iridhe and the Glass Ocean.  It is full of hills and moors, and the coast is craggy and storm-swept.  It is a proud but isolated kingdom, ruled by King Barranoch.  Human druids can be found there, working their art among the ruins and stone circles of a bygone elven age.  

Caernishmen - These folk were once Ettarlanders, and resemble them in build and feature, but they have an unusual abundance of red hair as well as brown and gold, fair and freckled skin, and light eyes, most often green or grey.  They are known for their fierce tempers and courage in battle, and though they are a small kingdom their lore is rich.  Of all men, it is more likely for a Caernishman to be capable of wizardry or druidry.


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## Legendary Sidekick (Jan 19, 2015)

Nimue said:


> Here's the rather belated rest of that Lands & Peoples section!  I'm thinking of switching tack next and writing up the rules and information, so we can go ahead and set up a subforum while I work on fleshing out the rest of the lore.  I'm still adding things I forgot to earlier pieces, heh.  Sound like a good idea?


Yeah, that is a good idea. I think some of the lore could always come up in-game, as long as the rules + people is enough to get us started. I think knowing who we are and what we can do is enough for "go time" for the kind of game you're running.

Once you have the forum, we'll want to copy the info on people into a sticky thread there, and the rules as well.



On a selfish note, I think Addy needs to wear a "Kiss Me I'm CÃ¦rnish" button on St. Patrick's Day. I like the description of the land, especially "Glass Ocean." The connection to druids and capability of magic is interesting. I never thought of Addy as a wizard type, but she does use magic weapons and weapons with mechanical features in the few stories I've written her in.


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## Nimue (Jan 26, 2015)

Hey guys, sorry this is taking longer than expected.  Ever since Christmas, I've been dealing with some family issues, so... this month has not been the greatest.  But I am working on the rules and a character bio template as we speak!


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## Legendary Sidekick (Jan 26, 2015)

No problem. Real life comes first.

Looking forward to checking out this bio template, whenever your ready to show it.


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## Nimue (Jan 29, 2015)

Finally, here's the rp-administrative side of things.  Thanks a bunch to LS for that discussion about rules earlier, and also for the phrasing of some of these rules.  If the mods and everybody else can look over these and let me know if I've missed anything, I think the next thing we'll do is ask BD for a subforum!

On a related note: the name of the rp/subforum.  I was thinking The Winds of Ysgard, maybe?  It's symbolic and stuff.  Another option would be Ysgard: the Dragons' Chosen, but I also don't want to confuse it with the Dragon's Egg RPG.  Any preferences there, or other suggestions?



*Info*

The Winds of Ysgard is a narrative rp.  This means that you don't need to roll dice, and you don't need to consult the GM for all of your character's actions.  Write what's in character, and within reason.  React to what other people write, and interact with other characters as much as possible.  Be creative--you can introduce your own subplots and decide your own character arcs, although it is always a good idea to check with the GM.  The GM's responsibility is to shape the overall plot, control the pace of the story, and make sure that everyone is as involved as they can be.  They act more like an editor than a narrator.  Your goal is to help create a story that is as interesting and fluid as possible, and to have fun doing it!


*Rules*


 *No god-modding.*  Only post your own character's words and actions; don't make other people's characters do anything in your post unless they have agreed to it explicitly beforehand.  This extends to assumptions about other character's reactions, like writing that everyone in the room was surprised or afraid.

 *Player characters cannot be killed unless the player gives consent.*  This extends to things like major injuries or life changes--lifting a curse someone had since birth, etc.  Player agreement is essential for anything that will have a lasting effect on their character.

 *The GM must approve of all major plot events before they are introduced to the story.*  It would be awesome to get everyone contributing to the plot, but we don't want chaos.  Check in before introducing subplots, new enemies, new NPCs, etc.

 *Be reasonable about your character's abilities.*  What your character does needs to be consistent with what was approved in their bio, and the rules of the world around them.

 *The GM has the final word.*  Discussion and player plotting is encouraged, but to keep things simple, what the GM decides about the world and the story is how it goes.

Breaking any of these rules, or badly violating the guidelines below, will result in a strike.  After one or two strikes, the GM and other players will work with you about what went wrong IC or OOC.  If you're willing to learn and change that behavior, the strikes can be removed.  If not, a third strike will result in you being asked to leave the game.

*Inactivity*

If you are inactive for a week or more, your character may be moved along by the GM, depending on the speed of the action and if your character is holding up anything.  If you are inactive for a month or more, your character may be removed from play (separated from the group, decides to stay at a location while the group moves on, missing presumed dead, etc).  Conclusively killing off inactive characters would be done only when absolutely necessary to the story and after a long absence, or with the player's consent.

If you anticipate being unable to reply to the rp for any reason, please tell the GM so in-character arrangements can be made, and you can choose how your character is handled for the duration.  If you choose, you can even entrust your character to another player to move them along while you are gone.

As a note, there is no set posting order for this rp.  Players may post as often as they are able, although the plot should not be advanced too far without all of the active players being caught up.


*Guidelines & RP Ettiquette*

Because people are going to have varying levels of familiarity with this type of rping, here are some guidelines that might be a little more subtle.  A lot of this is common sense, but it's good to have written down!


*Give what you get.*  There are definitely no minimum wordcount rules for this rp, because length doesn't necessarily equal quality of writing, and short posts are often completely necessary for dialogue.  But a good rule of thumb is that you should be trying to match what others are giving you in terms of effort.  Don't sweat this too much, though: people have different styles.

*You are not your character.* A character might be negative towards your character IC, but that doesn't mean their player dislikes you!  On the flipside, don't let OOC disagreements turn IC.

*Communicate with other players; when in doubt, ask permission.*  Like talking to the GM about plot points, you should talk to other players if you want something to happen between your characters, like romance or rivalry.  This can depend on play styles, as many people prefer to have character relationships develop completely naturally, but it doesn't hurt to bring things up as a possibility.  For sure, if you're dead set on something happening with another character and would be disappointed if it didn't, let the other player know what you're thinking.

*Your fun shouldn't come at the expense of someone else's fun.*  Rping is a collaborative effort, not competitive; don't set out to overshadow other players, solve every problem yourself, or insist that things be done one way and one way only.  It works best when everyone is trying to help the story and all the characters in it, rather than only their own character. 

*Roll with the story.*  Even if the story doesn't seem to be going your way, you might be surprised by the new possibilities that come up when things don't go as planned.  The fun (and often also challenging) thing about rping is reacting in-character to ideas that come from someone's else's imagination.  Ignoring actions or dialogue that don't benefit your character, or are difficult to react to, is wasting some  of that potential.

*Character Profile Template*

Please put a good amount of detail into your profile--at least a paragraph for each of the main sections.  If you'd like to keep something a secret from the other players--part of your character's backstory, a magical power, an enchanted possession, etc--you can omit it from your profile, but pm the details to the GM so it can be approved.  If you come up with something during play that you want to add, pm the GM and once it's approved, a moderator can add it to your profile.  If a significant power or backstory aspect isn't in your profile, it can't be brought into the story.  (The exception is personality traits, since writing with a character can definitely change how you see them, and hopefully character development will alter them further.)


```
[b]Name:[/b] 
[b]Gender:[/b] 
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Race:[/b] (Human, Elf, Dwarf, or Dragon)
[b]People:[/b] (Folk, Dun, Redbeard, Iridheen, etc)

[b]Appearance:[/b] 

[b]Clothing and Possessions:[/b]

[b]Personality:[/b] 

[b]Skills:[/b]

[b]Magic:[/b]

[b]History:[/b]
```


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## Legendary Sidekick (Jan 29, 2015)

I like the Winds of Ysgard, just so it doesn't sound to Dragon's Egg-like. Once you have the name decided, I think we've got enough to create the forum. We could have a thread for rules and another for character profiles, and of course OOC discussion and most importantly, the game itself!


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## Philster401 (Jan 29, 2015)

This role play looks like it is getting good I have a few questions 
1) You can play a Dragon?
2) What do you mean by magic  are you talking elemental, manipulation, healing, or something else?
3) When you begin the game do you think you will give more leeway on the rules when players begin?
4) Finally are you doing better, you mentioned you were having problems?


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## Nimue (Jan 30, 2015)

Philster401 said:


> 1) You can play a Dragon?


Yes, either as part of a dragon-rider pair, or a wild dragon.  However, I'm going to have to see a really good bio before that would be approved, if for no other reason than dragons are supposed to be very scarce, like near-extinct.  I'd be more comfortable approving a dragon as a second character, once I'm more familiar with everyone's play styles. I'm going to add a note to that effect in the write-up on dragons.

Dang, that's something I should have put in the rules: You can play more than one character, but only as many characters as you can post regularly with!  A hard limit would probably be four.  I'll have to add that when the thread goes up.


> 2) What do you mean by magic  are you talking elemental, manipulation, healing, or something else?


I haven't written anything about magic yet, but that's next.  I can tell you that there won't be any elemental divisions, though--any powers are accessible to any wizard, should he be able to learn them.


> 3) When you begin the game do you think you will give more leeway on the rules when players begin?


I'm not entirely sure what you mean by this--the guidelines are just guidelines, don't worry too much about them, but the rules aren't something we can compromise on, they're pretty essential to a functioning rp.  If you're worrying about strikes as a beginning rper, I would definitely be lenient towards people who haven't done this before, but a key point is that they have to be willing to learn.  Repeated violations of something spelled out in the rules is definitely something that will earn a strike.

Part of the goal of the rules and approval system is finding a group of players who work well together.  If you're willing to be flexible and communicate with other players, then there shouldn't be much to worry about.


> 4) Finally are you doing better, you mentioned you were having problems?


Yes, thanks for asking, things are going better.  It's an ongoing process, but I'm feeling a lot less stressed out.


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