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Plot
There is no real plot, we make up the plot as we go along in our adventures. Your actions affect how the world turns, or something deep like that confused Oh, and btw the the year is 1309, and it changes at the same time as our years (2009=1309, 2010=1310, etc)

How To Play
You start by making a character, and then post your character's profile in the "Characters Forum". Then you go and post in one of the places threads as your character and begin Role Playing. When traveling between cities you must post at least once in every place between you and your destination, that way it will allow the Admins to give you something to do on your journey (if you want to make sure you have something to do, then do not rush your journeys, let your posts sit for a couple hours and then move on, I will try and check as often as I can). It is pretty simple. If you are still confused you can look at some other posts.

NPCs
In this RP you are allowed to make NPCs that you control to interact with your character. These NPCs can be bad guys, your best friend, some hooker you picked up on the street, or someone (or something) else entirely. NPCs don't have to be warriors, or have any skills or spells or anything (stats are still necessary though).I would prefer it if you didn't make too many NPCs, cause, well, that would be really annoying, but if you wanted, technically you can, unless you are borderline godmodding with making your own uber-army of NPCs. Also, NPCs can be pets, if you are into that whole thing.

Goodly Kingdoms
Mordiheim: The Empire of Mordiheim is the largest of the kingdoms of humans. It is separated into several city states, each headed by a count. The city states of the Empire are: Middenland, Reikland, Talabecland, Sylvania, and Ostland. The captial of the overall Empire lies in the great city of Altdorf, also the largest city in the known world. Mordiheim is often times called just simply "The Empire." Mordiheim is very similar to the Holy Roman Empire, where they view the Emperor as a descendant of a god.
Brettonia: The second largest kingdom of humans is the Kingdom of Brettonia. This country lies to the south of Mordiheim, and the Empire has long wished to incorporate it into it's borders, but Brettonia has always been able to defend itself. Even though these two kingdoms have fought before, they are strong allies and when the need arises will march their armies together to meet a dangerous threat. Brettonia is governed by a King, and then his Barons below him. Unlike the Empire, the King does not directly have a large army at his command. Knights form the backbone of the army. These Knights swear loyalty to their Barons, and the Barons swear loyalty to the King. Brettonia is much like the Knights of Camelot. They place a great deal on one's honor and bravery in battle.
Keslev: The smallest of the Human kingdoms. Keslev lies to the north and across the sea from the Empire, and is very loyal ally to Mordiheim, mostly to evade invasion from the hungry Empire, but also for protection from other powers who would seek to destroy Keslev. Keslev is a very cold place, and snow covers the ground there for 3/4 of the year. (Imagine it as Russia before Communism). On a final note Keslev shares much of the same technology and religion as that of the Empire.
Dwarf Empire: The Dwarves do not have any one empire, but their kingdoms are all underground mines, that are interconnected all over the world with long tunnels dug by the Dwarves. Dwarves are a very greedy people and covet gold more than anything in the world. But if you get on good terms with the Dwarves then you will find them to be a very loving people. The Dwarves are on good terms with the Empire, even teaching them how to create gunpowder and guns, but with most other nations they are tolerant at best. They believe the Brettonians and Elves are arrogant. Dwarves do not have many mines over the seas, and thus have few dealings with the Keslevites and Estalians
Ellyrion: The kingdom of the Elves. This island kingdom lies out in the Great Western Ocean, far from any threats. They are strong allies with all other goodly kingdoms (except the Dwarves) but they prefer not to get involved in mainland wars unless they are directly affected. Instead they stay on their island in tranquil safety and try and ignore the rest of the world. All Elves are immortal, and can only die in battle.
The Wood Elves: At one time the Elves of Ellyrion had colonies all over the world, but when the 1000 year war with the Dark Elves began they had to bring home many of their colonists, in that time humans began populating the world, and so they were never able to retake their colonies. But some Elves remained, and these Elves became the Wood Elves. These people have their own type of magic, and live as one with nature. They usually try to stay hidden, and avoid outside politics, but occasionally some adventurous young Elves venture from their forest homes to explore the world.
Estalia: The desert kingdom to the south, and the third largest Human kingdom. This land is rich in spices and gold which is why so many people from around the world travel here to trade. Estalia doesn't have a very powerful army, mostly cause the desert heat keeps away Orcs, the sands make it impossible for Ratmen to burrow beneath them, and they are too far south for the Dark Elves to raid. Instead they keep good relations with their trading partners, and in return they protect the Estalians if they ever need it. If only the Estalians knew how foolish they were. To the south lies the land of the Lizardmen who have been planning for centuries to invade the northern lands. (This country is a lot like Persia and the Middle East).

Evil Kingdoms
Mazdamunda: To the far south lies the tropical land of the Lizardmen. Little is known of these strange creatures. They worship their gods in their massive temples that rise out of the jungle, offering any unfortunate soul to wander to this dangerous land. They often send spies into the northern lands, to learn as much as they can in preparation for their inevitable conquest. Lizardmen refer to themselves as "Slann" as a homage to their god Slanneesh.
Dokkalfur: The evil kingdom of the Dark Elves. These evil creatures were banished from Ellyrion after their leader tried to take control of the throne. He, and all of his followers were forced to leave the island once and for all. They traveled across the sea to the cold north, and found a land there to build their own empire which now rivals that of the Elves of Ellyrion. Some Dark Elves have magically changed the color of their skin to gray, or black in some cases, to better blend in with their surroundings, and to make the final sheding of their High Elf heritage. Once this transformation is done, it cannot be reversed, and is passed on for generations. These creatures pillage coastal communities of all peoples, and then bring them back home for torture, blood sacrifices, slaves, and entertainment. They hate the Elves of Ellyrion with a passion, and so other Elves are always their favorite targets.
Underkingdom: The most numerous creatures in the world are the Ratmen, or sometimes called Skaven. These creatures live beneath all other creatures, even the Dwarves, in massive underground cities. Their numbers are uncountable and grow by thousands daily. One day soon they plot to emerge from their underground kingdom and conquer the world in an endless wave of their legions.
Orcs and Goblins: The Orcs and Goblins are the most dangerous potential threat in the world. Their numbers are second only to the Skaven, Orcs are some of the strongest and most ferocious creatures in the world, while Goblins can be very stealthy. The only thing keeping them from conquering the world is that they spend as much time fighting each other as they do outside races.
Vampires: Vampires originated from beyond the great Kierlak Desert in a land who's name is lost to time. A young queen in this land sold her soul to a dark god to remain young and beautiful forever. She received this gift, and something more. She became a Vampire, and although the need for human blood originally was disturbing for her, she quickly got used to it. She then made more Vampires by letting them drink her blood, and they made more with the same technique. For centuries the Vampires ruled and fed on their own people. When the neighboring kingdoms discovered this secret they marched against the Vampires and their armies of both living and non-living soldiers. They destroyed their evil city and the remaining Vampires fled to the west, where they eventually discovered the fledgling Empire. They at first only lived on the outskirts of society, scared that they might be discovered again if they tried to take over the Empire, until eventually one Vampire married into the ruling family of the province of Sylvania. He eventually took control of this province, and has ruled it for centuries. He and his brethren now rule and feed on their subjects much like they did long ago, biding their time to take over the whole Empire. Other Vampires have formed other small groups, some even quite powerful. One such group is L'ordre des Cruor Draconis, a clan of Blood Knights who travel the land looking for the greatest challenges to test their skills in battle, and add more Vampires to their Order.
The Undead: All around the world people wish to learn the secret to ever lasting life, some try to become a Vampire, while others turn to magic. These people are called Necromancers. They have learned how to make the soul stay, and even return to the body. Powerful Necromancers can create an entire army of the Undead, but most try not to attract so much attention to themselves. Although the soul of a Necromancer may stay, the body is far more difficult to sustain. Eventually their bodies die, and they are trapped in a shell of their former selves. Special balms can slow down the process of decay, but inevitably they succumb to nature and begin to look like the Undead they command. At this point they are called a Liche. Many Liche's go mad at the sight of their own flesh decaying before their eyes and kill themselves, others just go insane and become jealous and hateful of all living creatures. Some Vampires recruit these Necromancers and Liches into their armies as powerful magicians to reanimate legions of the walking dead, while others form their own armies.

Other Factions
Dragons: Dragons are great and powerful creatures, and live for a very long time. They have seen the rise of all other Races, including the Elves. These creatures are unsurpassed in their pride, and their greed for gold. Some Dragons prefer just to stay in their home and ignore the rest of the world. Others interact with the 'lesser' races by helping them to melt down metal, or do business with them. And finally others destroy to add more treasure to their collections. Dragons have also learned how to transform their powerful bodies into those of other races, so that they can walk among them, to be less intimidating.
Angels: Angels are the servants of the gods of good. They serve to protect good people, and stop the machinations of their Demon adversaries. Some of the gods they serve are Sigmar, Helm, The Lady of the Lake, and Feanor.
Demons: These evil creatures serve the gods of evil. Their masters include Lolth, the goddess of the Dark Elves, and Skorne, the god of chaos. Demons hide in the world, and manipulate others to do their bidding. Some Demons used to be fallen angels, like most of those who follow Lolth.

Seasons
Seasons work like the same seasons we are experiencing in the real world. I figured we needed seasons, and this was the easiest way I could think of handling those seasons. Some places are unaffected by climate change (The Kierlak Desert, Estalia, and anything south of Estalia.) Also during winter Keslev cannot be reached (or left) by sea. The waters would be too full of icebergs for it to be doable. You could still pass through the mountains, but that would be dangerous. Um, also, most people stay indoors during the winter, so random attacks from Orcs and Bandits will be decreased.



If you have any questions start a new thread in the main forum about your question.

The Empire Expanded
I realized there is just so much more to this world that I have not conveyed. You see, I am a crazy person with many different imaginary worlds all floating around in my head, and I want this one to be very detailed, so I need to convey as much as possible. I try to not be too constricting on your role playing experience with this, but there are certain things that need to be said.

Religion:
The people of the Empire were once very nomadic. The forested-ness of Mordiheim made it hard to make a permanent settlement because Orcs at this time were still roaming free through the forests. Then a man came on the scene called Sigmar. He was a great warrior, and slayer of Orcs. He befriended the Dwarves who gave to him a mighty solid gold warhammer. He united the tribes of the north into one nation, and then led them to push the Orcs into the mountains. He then founded the city of Altdorf, and was the father of the Empire. The people of the Empire believe that when Sigmar died he became a god, because moments after his death there was an eclipse that blacked out the sun, and during the eclipse a great comet shot across the sky. His descendants still rule the Empire, and the people believe his descendants are the sons of a god. (There has never been an Empress of Mordiheim in command). The main symbol of Sigmar is a warhammer, another symbol is a comet and an eclipsed sun. There are many roles people can play in the church of Sigmar. Fighting paladins may lead troops into battle (these people always carry a warhammer as at least one weapon). Clerics may serve as healers in both towns and battlefields. Monks and Priests may preach about Sigmar to their congregations or travel the world converting people. There are some people who believe that the Empire has the divine right to rule (they would say "protect") all humans in the world, and to unite all of mankind like Sigmar did of the tribes of the north.

Technology:
The Empire was taught how to use gunpowder by the Dwarves many years ago. They have cannons, mortars, and matchlock musket rifles and pistols. Their ships are primarily Galleons, sporting cannons on their sides. Otherwise their technology is still medieval. A fairly new invention is the mechanical clock. It is becoming quite common for the upper class to carry a pocket watch, and some richer towns and cities have built large clock towers for the people.

Warfare:
All grounds troops of the Empire wear plate armor all over their bodies, with leather armor beneath it. They carry all sorts of weapons from swords, spears, halberds, muskets, bows, crossbows, axes, and maces. Cavalry consists of light cavalry who usually wear some plate armor on the chests and they use rapiers and pistols. Heavy Cavalry are fully armored Knights in plate armor and chainmail. They mainly use swords and lances. Artillary usually consists of cannons and mortars, but they still sometims use catapults and other less advanced forms of artillery. Artillery crews usually don't wear armor. Battle wizards and paladins often accompany units of troops into battle. And finally there is town militia. These people are towns folk who rally together to defend their homes, so they usually don't have armor, and their weapons are usually swords, spears, or bows, although some do own muskets as well.

Politics:
The Empire is ruled by the Emperor, who appoints his own successor, usually his son, or the oldest male in his immediate family. The territories of the Empire are ruled by Counts (and occasionally a Countesses) and a council of both elected and not elected senators from the surrounding country side, and in the capital city itself. Each city state has a different color representing it. Sylvania is Maroon, Reikland Red, Talabecland Purple, Ostland Light Blue, and Middenland Navy Blue. Men are the dominate figures in this culture, but women are improving their standings in both religion and politics, albeit minimal. Women are still not allowed to serve in the army, or as paladins, but they are allowed to serve as battle mages and clerics.

Brettonia Expanded

Religion:
Brettonians worship the gods Helm and The Lady of the Lake. Helm is pictured as a valiant Knight in shining armor. His liege, the Lady, is a beautiful queen who, legends has it, lives in the lake in the center of the capital Arborlon. She is said to appear to Knights on their quests sometimes, and gives them a divine task to accomplish.

Technology:
Brettonia's location in the world gives it access to a wide range of technologies, but the Brettonian's consider most of the mechanical and industrialized weapons of the Dwarves and the Empire dishonoroable, and so guns and the like are very rare in Brettonia. Their ships are also quite primitive compared to those of the Empire. They mainly rely on Galleys with armored prows that allot them to ram ships. Other weapons that they sometimes have on these ships are catapults and bolt throwers.

Warfare:
Brettonian warfare is mostly based on their mounted armored Knights. They do not like to fight in sieges because this takes away their main advantage of mounted combat. Their favorite tactic is to engage in the enemy in a massive and thunderous charge. The plains landscape of Brettonia makes this very easy to do. When this tactic does fail though they usually gather together their peasant armies and dig themselves in a fortified position with catapults and trebuchets, and send out their knights in hit and run tactics.

Politics:
Brettonia is ruled by a central King in the capital of Arborlon. Beneath him are his Barons whom swear loyalty to him. And beneath them are the Knights that swear loyalty to the Barons. The King has his own Knights, but in times of war he relies on his Barons to provide most of the soldiers. Women do not usually have prominent positions in politics, and are completely forbidden from the military (even as spellcasters), but there are some cases where a Baron dies, leaving either his wife or daughter in charge, but usually that Baroness is expected to marry within a couple years.