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 Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:18 pm
&;;status recruiting
&;;setting verenkor
&;;level adv. lit
&;;genre fantasy
&;;rating mature
&;;gamemaster eden
&;;concept eden
&;;graphics eden
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:22 pm
Game Update: Current Time: Late Night, 1st Day of Summer
The Flame has successfully frightened the people of the city with a fireworks display, using the opportunity to kidnap The Companion, a Seeress. Meanwhile, the Double Agent has been giving information to The Concubine--who is now charged by The Oracle for a special task. The Oracle, having realized The Companion was Seeing him, used the opportunity to draw The Scholar into a trap, kidnap his Seeress and send him to The Concubine, and diguise himself as the girl in order to infiltrate The Flame's hideout.
Recruiting: A Game Master. I'm fine being game master but in the interest of fairness to other players, I'd prefer someone who isn't also a player be game master.
OOC: Recruiting.
IC: Upcoming Events
10th Day of Summer - Festival of Lights. To celebrate a supposed holy event generations ago, in which the sun shone at night, the people of Seboet gather on the tenth day of summer every year, displaying firefly lights (the only sort of lights allowed in the city). The lights are carried, hung up, and even floated down the Waterway. The festival is unofficial and spontaneous, with festivities ranging from communal “feasts” for the poorer sections of the city to lavish parties for the wealthy.
14th Day of Summer - Circus of Au. A wealthy man of Au is seeking to expand his business and impress both the Priest-King and the people of Seboet with a parade and circus through Temple Road.
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:24 pm
Fire is heresy here. The Priest-King and the cult of the sun god Loegir rule the city of Seboet with an iron fist, using manipulation, trickery and violence to enforce their rule. The sun is life for all people but here, it is death as well. By banning fire and magic and using mage-furnaces to cook the food for the entire, massive city, the priests maintain a stranglehold on its people. To do anything but bow before Loegir is to be denied home and food.
Few bother to fight this system, instead clawing their way up the long and perilous social, economic and religious ladder. Great starving masses of people live in the slums, dreaming of being awarded a home and fresh food. Most of these will be sent to fight and die for the city in battle against the surrounding pagans. Only a relative handful return, awarded homes and hot meals for their efforts.
It is no surprise that heresy is a risky but popular problem among these poor, but it has been a largely ignored problem as no one dares speak their thoughts to the city officials. But deep within the walls of the grandest temple of the city, The Oracle is watching the heretics gather and plot. All know her by name but only a handful have ever seen her face: her duty has always been to both watch the enemies of Seboet and to seek out those precious mages for use in the Furances. But privately and with deepening concern, she has watched heretics rise across the city and become a serious threat. Doubting the intelligence and competence of her "superiors", she instead began to handpick her own task force, who she instructed to seek and destroy these heretics.
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:31 pm
&;;apply
This is a slot-based character system. Don't feel restricted, you don't have to be that loyal and I may OK big changes. The purpose is balance, that's all.
To play, you'll need to PM me to reserve a character then get in your profile as soon as possible. All this does is give you a week to get it in with a guarantee I'll read yours before making my decision. Multiple people can reserve, it's not first come first serve, I'll choose the best. But anyone who's reserved will be in a waiting line if the spot opens and you can reserve a taken spot in case they leave. You don't have to reserve a spot but if someone applies I may accept them first.
After reserving, get to work on your profile! It needs to include the following information. Format it however you like and send it in a code tag so I can just copy paste into the profile thread. So, please include:
;(Role you're applying to)
;Username
;Character Name
;Character Age, Gender (if allowed)
;Character Photo (Please use a rounded edge--like the banner at the top of this thread--photograph, no anime or paintings please)
;Character Personality
;Character Bio
;Character Goals & Fears
&;;minor characters
All players with characters in the game or who PM me for approval may post as "minor" characters as they please. Minor characters may not assist characters, the sole exception being a philosophical chat. Not assisting includes pep talks, hints and magically making a character who otherwise would not look a certain, crucial direction do so. Use your common sense! This will be revoked if it is abused.
&;;the heretics
Survivors and rebels, the Flame exists in fragments across the city. This division remains the most powerful and threatening one and has managed to attract the attention of someone very high up in the cult. If their identity becomes known they will not be able to walk in the city freely but have the allegiance of the ignored class, the many at the bottom of the cult's ladder. However, all of them are poor and homeless.
[The Scholar] ♂ Taken by Mintea Drops
Obsessed with books, knowledge and science, they make an odd commander but have been around longer than anyone can remember. Many of the soldiers and other leaders of the Flame are getting restless, however, and wondering if they could do the job better. He's survived this long only thanks to his valuable knowledge of simple Wizard tricks. His face and name is on wanted posters across the city. Educated and Wanted.
[The Companion] ♀ Taken by e d e n - s o n g
Nobody knows where she came from, but rumor has it The Companion is a Seer. She simply appeared at The Scholar’s side one day, whispering into his ear and watching everyone very closely. She is in fact a kidnapped priestess and would have become the next Oracle due to her abilities. Innate and Brainwashed.
[The Double Agent] ♂/♀ Taken by Adara Wolf
They’ve worked for The Scholar for years, but he’s never trusted The Double Agent enough to make them his right hand man. Maybe this is why they’ve decided to start selling secrets to the enemy--they're a damn good liar and great at getting around. Sneaky and At Risk.
[The Agnostic] ♂/♀ Open
This doctor really isn't sure what they believe. Unlike the rest of the Flame, they’re open to the idea that Loegir exists, but just doesn’t agree with the god’s followers. Just about everyone in the Flame is a bit suspicious of The Agnostic. Medic and Unsure.
[The Exiled Priest] ♂ Taken by Rixaka the Fallen
Rumor has it this man used to be very wealthy and powerful in Seboet. A mind ahead of his time, he made the mistake of trusting his ambitious relative, The Achiever, with his religious doubts and was outed as a ’heretic’. No one's sure why he's helping the Flame but his knowledge of the cult's ways has proved invaluable. Religious and Hated.
[The Pyromaniac] ♂/♀ Taken by Kolloposa
Being a fire-lover in a city that views fire as heresy is just bad luck. But (the good kind) lucky them, The Pyromaniac was taken in by The Agnostic and given a home at the Flame. Their skills in pyrotechnics certainly come in handy and they're able to acquire torches, matches and fire-powder through the black market. Skilled and Unstable.
&;;the followers
The Faithful, five people handpicked by a mysterious Seer who lies at the heart of the cult's power, have been tasked with the eradication of the heretic threat. Those higher up the ladder in the city are their allies and can act as their eyes and ears, while those further down the ladder may even assist the heretics.
[The Oracle] ♂/♀ Taken by Dust_In_Darkness
Everyone in Seboet knows of them, but few have ever seen The Oracle. Hidden away in the walls of the city's largest temple, their default task is finding new Innates to work as priests or warriors. But the heretic threat them and they have begun secretly organizing a force to fight it. Innate and Brainwashed.
[The Inquisitor] ♂/♀ Taken by Dorian Raker
Handpicked by The Oracle to lead the anti-heretic taskforce, they've fought against Seboet's enemies for countless years and it shows in their loyalty, experience and appearance. Powerful and Fanatic.
[The Concubine] ♀ Taken by Open
A southern import, her beauty is the talk of the town and she was said to be the Priest-King’s favorite mistress. But recently she was practically thrown out and has found herself involved in the Faithful thanks to her way with words and knowledge of the world outside the city. It is unknown why The Oracle finds this necessary. Beautiful and Hated.
[The Achiever] ♂/♀ Open
Young and ambitious, The Achiever worked their way up the social and religious ladder of Seboet since the day they were born. They outed their powerful uncle as a heretic and has since taken his place. The Achiever was picked for their ruthlessness, ability to manage others and, as a priest, to keep morale high. Ruthless and Unstable.
[The Doubter] ♂/♀ Taken by Mintea Drops
The Oracle can See but not everything. The Doubter was picked for the anti-heretic taskforce because of their tactical expertise and experience but may be compromised by their own hesitance. Tactician and Unsure.
[The Noble] ♂/♀ Taken by Adara Wolfe
The Faithful really aren't sure why The Noble is a member of their team. Wealthy, educated and connected, the rest of the group almost likely sees them as useless. But they present a special advantage--one which only The Oracle knows (and must come up with themselves). Wealthy and Hated.
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:35 pm
&Please stay active or I may warn you and then kick you from the game. If something comes up, that's fine.
&Posts must be at least three meaty paragraphs, or more spread out. I don't mind shorter paragraphs, especially when there's a lot going on.
&Respect the players here.
&Avoid cliches, no emotes, no Mary Sues please, and put some effort into it. Being a good writer isn't a must, being a good roleplayer is.
&The Oracle, The Companion, The Concubine, and The Exiled Priest have no fighting skills whatsoever. Please keep this in mind.
&No metagaming. That means using OOC knowledge as if your character knew it. The only exception is to have characters move towards the same area, call it fate--this is only okay because it makes the game playable.
&This is Mature. That means blood and gore. Sex being talked about. Offensive (if you can't handle character debate over the existence of gods, leave now) concepts.
&Godmodding is unacceptable. Fighting is expected to be rare and handled through pure RP and OOC agreements between players. The OOC goal is not to win, it's to have fun, so you should be giving your character a challenge. Disputes may be settled by the dice system, below.
&Character kills are unacceptable without player permission. All of the fighters can handle themselves well and The Inquisitor is the only one who should have an advantage in melee combat. This is balanced by two mages in the Flame. Captures and crippling should be the "win" objective.
&Have fun, goddammit! Don't be afraid to be silly or forget about the fight for a bit. Have initiative. Invent characters to deal with.
&Dice System: Whenever an action's result is in dispute, or higher magic is attempted, the player must roll in the OOC thread before they make a post with the result (preferrably before they take the action). Explain why you're making the roll. If the action should be very difficult, ask a DM first. As you can see, it's difficult to succeed when you have to roll. This is to encourage you to be realistic with your roleplay and work things out OOC!
20's are complete successes. Anything less is an incomplete success. A clear, important vision, a possibly lethal blow, a fully working device, etc.
15-19 is some success, not ideal but the intended outcome is mostly reached. A muddled but useful vision, good blow (oh god that sounds wrong), fairly well working device, etc.
10-14 is no effect. No vision or nothing useful, miss, device does not work, etc.
2-9 is opposite the intended effect, but mildly. A somewhat inaccurate vision, a miss that leaves you open for an easy hit, a device that does the opposite of what it's intended. Not completely awful but not ideal, either.
1 is the complete opposite of the intended outcome or just something very bad. A grossly inaccurate vision or even passing out, losing a fight completely or missing so bad you hurt yourself in the process, a device that maybe explodes and harms you etc.
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:36 pm
D E A D G O D takes place in a custom setting of mine, Verenkor. While knowledge of the setting itself is not necessary, in order for both teams to work within the city I will place some basic knowledge in this post.
&;;the area
Seboet, as mentioned before, lies in the center of the Bursia region. The area is comparable to the Middle East and the Mediterranean, with rocky landscapes, dry days and freezing nights. Seboet has no access to the sea and is protected by large rocky hills to the south, which keep the sand to that area. On the north side of the city, slanted trees and grass become more dominant.
&;;the people
The people of the city are generally tall, lithe and well tanned, as nearly all of their buildings open to the sunlight. Hair tends to be black and ranges anywhere from tightly coiled to straight. Seboet is the least multicultural of all the cities of Bursia, but foreigners are not unheard of, although foreigners from enemy cities are. Foreigners, then, are exclusively either from the far north (Tyrisia), the far south (Au), or the far west (Kerria). Physically they respectively are: medium height, stouter, fairer; much darker, shorter, weaker; much shorter, a tiny bit fairer, much weaker.
&;;the culture
All of Seboet culture has become focused on its religion. It is comparable to the cultures of Ancient Egypt and Ancient India. With deadly poverty on one side and startling wealth on the other, the city remains a place of extremes. The city itself is carved from rocky hill and built with stone blocks from the northern mountains. All actual buildings are made from this stone, while those not assigned houses are left to "slums"--more accurately, cobbled together sticks and fabric.
Covering yourself from the sun more than you need to is looked down upon, and clothing varies from revealing to moderately conservative. Gold jewelry and piercings, red fabrics (shiny if at all possible), and unique glass creations are popular pieces of attire--for those who can afford them. Although it's government is authoritarian, the city itself is full of life. Taverns, brothels, dancers, musicians are on nearly every possible corner--even more than statues of Loegir.
&;;the battle
Some essential information for the two groups.
The Faithful are acting covertly--no one but themselves and The Oracle are aware of their duty. Mentioning this may draw unwanted attention by incompetent superiors and The Oracle has strictly forbid this.
A major source of the cult's power comes from the Furnaces, great temples located inside and outside the city where Innates are taken to from a young age, indoctrinated and trained to feed fire through special metal piping. This network of metal pipes exists under the city provides heat for food, water and homes.
&;;the city
This section is important: It lists all of the major areas of the city. Don't be afraid to invent places that should be there, but use common sense and try to stay in these areas in general (or the roads between them). The city is circular, with one side of it 'flat' at the end. It is completely surrounded by high, thick walls and has two exits, detailed below. The city's layout is unusual but is designed to keep the cult in command. At the center of the city lies its heart, the seat of all government and religion. Just outside this core lie the wealthiest of the wealthiest, and just outside those, the somewhat less wealthy. This "ring" of wealth and power continues outward, with power and wealth getting smaller the further from the center you get. About halfway through the city, the ring of houses turns into a great mass of fields and slums, then just slums. Services and goods reach the center of the city first and then move outward--heated water cools and becomes dirtier, becoming filthy, freezing and dangerous by the time it reaches the slums. Priests deliver specially-cooked foods to those closest to the center and as the rings move out, deliver to distributors colder and mass-produced food. The layout is perfect for the city as it maintains a status quo.
The Temple Square Gilded stone walls, windows draped with yellow linen and paved walkways mark the beginning of the Temple Square. If it’s important, it’s probably happening in one of these buildings. A large fountain lies in the center of the Square, and the faithful--or those who simply pretend to be so--toss gold coins into the fountain, hoping to gain favor either from Loegir or his priests.
The Grand Temple Here lies the seat of Seboet’s government and religion and is the home of the Priest-King, The Oracle and many high officials. Covered in gold on the inside and out, draped with fine linens and always smelling of incense, this is the holiest place in the city as well as the most heavily guarded--and even the Sol Guards here have gilded armor.
The King’s Room The Priest-King has not been well lately and has not been out of his room for several weeks. Publicly it has been blamed on the sinfulness of the city’s poor--resulting in the more fanatic followers setting fire to shanties--but the Priest-King’s closest men suspect something more sinister.
The Inner Sanctum The Oracle has spent nearly their entire life inside this room, which is just down the hall from the Priest-King. Protected by latticed steal and heavy linen drapery, they are seen only as a shadow behind a veil by those they calls on to serve them--whether it be by bringing her food or heads.
The Cafeterium Nearly all of the food cooked for the city passes through this temple. One of the cult’s most heavily guarded secrets, the Cafeterium is where the lowliest of priests “bless” raw meat, water wheat and other crop and send it out piping hot. The wealthiest of the wealthy--the Priest-King, The Oracle, and their top officials--are given specially cooked meat as well as other food. The food gets colder and poorer quality the further it gets from the city.
The Slums The filthy, starving masses live here, waiting to be sent to war, the fields or some building project. Water here is cold and disgusting, diseases spread like wildfire, crime is rampant and when the food finally arrives it is cold and often whatever wasn't good for anybody else. The slums closest to Temple Road or the Second Gate are the most popular and liveable--with those next to Temple Road being able to buy edible food and water off the street and sell it to those living further away.
Marrus Garvey’s Tavern A popular spot among the city’s poor, located close to Temple Road, for cheap ale, cheap rooms and cheap women, Marrus Garvey is notorious for his friendliness to the seediest in the city, including heretics. He rents out a “storage room”--at a high price--to the Flame.
The Storage Room The Flame sleeps, eats and meets here. A few of the customers have seen them come and go and wondered, but said nothing. While nothing is actually stored here, it’s accessible through a trapdoor on the real storage room, which is on the second story. The troupe pays Garvey top gold for the spot and so far it’s kept him loyal.
The Waterway All of the city’s water flows in these aqueducts, which are always either carved grooves in the street or travel over houses. The water is directed into the Cafeterium, heated, and sent outwards into the city and into homes, getting colder and dirtier as it moves further outward.
The Farms Only the nomads live outside the city, so all farming is done inside the walls. The city’s poor--when they’re not being sent to fight for the glory of Seboet--are sent here to farm and given favor for years of service. Wheat, corn, and chickpeas are the most common crop, while some somewhat corrupted officials have sectioned off small areas for barley, selling it to the slum taverns cheap but at a fantastic profit.
The Garden A tiny and not well-known little hiding place, it is one of many undiscovered jewels of the city. Not far at all from Marrus Garvey’s Tavern, it takes a little effort to find this place--only The Agnostic already knows where it is. Hidden between two low-wealth stone houses that were apparently badly designed, one must climb on top of a set of stone stairs leading to the house’s ceiling andwalk across an aqueduct to another roof. This house has no stairs leading to its roof from the street, but stairs do lead down into a sort of jagged space between houses. The small space--large enough for about four people--also has a door which leads into an empty, spider-filled space large enough for two (if they’re pressed very close together). Apparently the family living in the obviously badly planned house haven’t noticed anything.
The First Gate Foreigners and merchants enter through this gate, which leads into Temple Road.
The Second Gate The longest least pleasant way in and out of the city, no attempts have been made to impress those using this entrance. It leads directly out into a nomad hamlet, and directly into the most packed area of the city and only well guarded area of the slums, making it a popular location among the poor.
Temple Road Extremely wide, paved and surrounded on each side by the front side (or back side, depending on whether you’re a visitor or resident) of temples, the well-guarded road is designed to impress foreigners and keep them from entering the city through its slums. All of the temples on the road are designed to have two front sides and service both foreigners and people at every level of the city.
The Market The alleys and sides of Temple Road are packed with merchants both from in and outside the city. It is the only place in which people from all over the city mingle. Closest to the city core, where the wealthy live, the finest of goods are displayed: gold, fine linen, olives, jewelry, glass, paint, pottery, and much more. Imported and more expensive foods are sold close to this area while quality and price decreases closer to the wall. Interspersed throughout the food stalls are goods which also decrease in quality and price--always matching the status of those closest.
&;;the npcs
The Priest-King The man's name has long since passed from the city's collective memory, aside from a few dusty old priests, as speaking the name of the avatar of Loegir is beyond heresy and disrespect. The imposing, huge man is beginning to show signs of middle age, grey hairs finding their way into his curling black hair. He has ruled Seboet for nearly twenty years since he was very young, and is so much like his father that few who know him can remember any difference. Others remember a time when purges were regular and the man's fanatical beliefs left the city terrified. Now, as age is beginning to find him and sickness has recently gripped him, the city enjoys a relative time of peace as it has become mostly ruled by bureaucrats and lowlier priests.
Marrus Garvey Having fought in one battle before becoming crippled, Marrus nevertheless has returned home with the small amount of money he won and started a successful tavern. He's a man who enjoys life with a hedonistic worldview--though by a hedonist's standards he isn't doing too well. He has a way with women and ale and regularly uses both at his tavern.
The Jackal The name given to the mysterious thief that has begun stealing from some of the more wealthy homes. The people of the slums have begun to idolize this mystery thief.
Isabella Ro One of the many cheap whores/waitresses of Marrus Garvey's, she is also one of the very few number of people in the city from a rival city. Her occupation means nobody ever asks, and she looks enough like a far northerner to pass by unnoticed. She, on the other hand, has begun to notice something fishy going on in Marrus Garvey's.
Old Rossen The head cook of the Cafeterium,
Pek One of the countless orphaned street rats in the slums, he has lasted longer than most and is beginning to make some wonder how.
Junau and Fran The two servant girls of Makeeda, who were kicked out along with her.
Guard Imir A friendly and well-known guard in the area around Marrus Garvey's, he is known to be at least a little sympathetic to the people of the slums and disapproves of their oppression.
The Queen The king's third wife, she is regal, ambitious and cold. She was able to depose not only the last Queen but the last of the king's concubines, Makeeda thanks to her beauty and manipulation (the last Queen had managed to kick out the rest of them after giving birth to a son). However, she has so far not been able to produce a child and her position is becoming increasingly precarious.
The Priest-King's Children
Amir The oldest son, by the king's first wife. He has been practically cast aside since he was born with club foot. He still lives in the Grand Temple but is practically invisible. The young man is intelligent and perceptive, however, and knows more about the going-ons in the Temple than even the king himself.
Abbas The presumed heir, by the king's first wife, his stupidity and almost heretical disinterest in Loegir is testing this.
Nahlah Ambitious, intelligent and jealous of her older brother's status, she is the last of the children of the king's first wife. She intends to take the throne for herself and has been seeking Amir's help.
Ruqaya First child of the king's second wife, she was her mother's favorite and has proven to be spoiled and happy to do as she's told.
Yafiah Second child of the king's second wife, she has been a difficult, wild and uncooperative girl. Most worrying of all, she has repeatedly refused to worship Loegir.
Kep The toddler is the only male child of the king's second wife, and is a favorite of visiting dignitaries.
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:38 pm
Only three characters in the game have access to any form of magic: The Scholar, The Oracle and The Companion. The best attempt at balance has been made, and so anyone playing these three characters should be aware of these guidelines:
;Magic in this setting works, to put it shortly, as strong wills manipulating reality in small ways. Traditional notions of magic should be cast aside.
;The Companion and The Oracle are capable only of fire and Seeing magic. The Scholar is capable of more broad magic but is far less specialized and cannot See.
;Magic progresses as tricks, minor magic and major magic. Fire magic progresses as moving heat around, creating heat, then creating fire. Seeing progresses as fragmented and mostly useless visions, fragmented and hard to understand useful visions, and easily understood useful visions. General magic progresses more, well, generally--tricks, effects and major magic. For example, mending a garment, changing the garment itself, enchanting the garment.
;Anything above a trick must use the dice system, which is detailed in the rules. Major magic must have DM-approval. Tricks can be used at will.
;Don't feel too barred by this. Just roleplay. If you're in doubt or there's a dispute, this is here as a guide for you.
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