- Invitation Status
- Preferred Character Gender
- Genres
- Fantasy is number one. Steampunk, sci-fi, alternate history, and everything else that isn't boringly realistic are also fine by me.
So it's my first time posting on here; forgive me if I do anything that seems as foreign as I am. ^^
I've had this idea bouncing around and I've tried to get it going in a couple of places and I figure I might as well try it out here.
Character roles, at the moment, are already scripted; after the named roles are filled I'm more than open to other characters of any sort but it is rather important to fill these.
Anyways, you probably want to read the plot to know if you actually want to join, don't you?
Once upon a time, the kingdom of Lluvian was a place of joy and prosperity, ruled by the fair and just King Isfrael, who guided his kingdom with benevolence and wisdom. Isfrael had a beautiful Queen named Dinah and two lovely children, Princess Ishbel and Prince Zephaniah, who was twelve years the younger of his sister, but a joy nonetheless.
Now, as not all things in this world can be bright and beautiful, a plague did come upon the kingdom one day and stole away both King and Queen, leaving Princess Ishbel just fourteen years old and Zephaniah just two. Many suitors came to the princess, and many were sent away, but finally she did choose the man she was to marry. He was named Isolden and he was head of the mages' guild, a prestigious title that carried more weight than many noblemen of the blood. There was some whispering, for she was just fourteen and he near forty, but he promised to be a gentle and good husband, to help her grow into her birthright, and they were wed just a fortnight after the king's death with great rejoicing.
For a time all was well in the kingdom, but Isolden always walked the line between genius and madness. He had never been happier than when his young bride became with child; he had never been sadder than when she died in the birthing of it. The line into insanity was crossed, and he plunged into darkness. His arcane experiments grew crueler, his temper unpredictable, and so a group of loyalists spirited the toddling prince away to safety.
As the years passed, Isolden grew only madder and madder. His child did not carry the spark of magic and so he declared that all children with the spark must be given to him to be raised as his own legion of mages. His wife did not live to sit beside him and so he took some of the children for lovers. None of them ever pleased him like his Princess and he discarded them all sooner or later, with varying degrees of rage over their failure.
One of his young apprentices, whose name was Caeca Luma, was a enchantress of great beauty and the strongest of them all. Her magic surpassed even Isolden's in might; her ambition was easily on par with his; her madness tailed just behind. For over a year they were lovers and confidants, the king and his young lover, but one day she grew too proud and powerful. She gathered around her a group of confidants and rebels, and did try to otherthrow Isolden.
She failed.
He wounded her grievously for her insolence, binding much of her magic and mutilating half of her face so all could know her for the two-faced liar that she was. However, she was too wily for him by half so eventually she did escape his grasp, and nurtured a seed of hatred deep within her. She watered it with rage, fertilized it with sorrow, and pruned it with regret. By the time prince Zephaniah tracked down this woman, many years later, her little seed of hate had grown into a hanging tree. He saw her potential and brought her into his rebellion, making her his lover and equal partner- or so she thought.
After many weeks of struggle his ragtag army of supporters stormed the castle and the Mage finally slew the evil king Isolden, getting her revenge at a heavy cost. The flood of magic did rush into her body, nearly destroying her with its power, yet that selfsame power did keep her alive though her body was quite nearly destroyed. So there she lay, comatose, while the world moved around her.
On the first day, everyone kept vigil by her bedside, for everyone was quite sure that she would die from the grievous injuries. On the second day, most wandered away, but a few dared hope that she would pull through. On fourth day, when infection began to set in, only a few stayed true and hoped her soul might yet return to her body. On the fourteenth day, there was no one left in her bed chamber. There were bigger problems still to handle than a mage left in a magically-induced coma until her soul could come to terms with the newfound power.
Newfound power, in fact, was the source of all the issues of the kingdom. Zephaniah claimed the throne for himself, but found that outside the rebellion, his support was quite limited. No one seemed overly thrilled to see him again, much to his shock. Who they did flock to, in fact, was the child of Ishbel and Isolden, who had a claim to the throne nearly as strong, and had gathered supporters around them for their entire life. In order to strengthen his political clout, Zephaniah quickly married the widowed noblewoman Giselle, who had great wealth and beauty, as well as an able hand at politics and many favors owed to her.
Caeca awoke thirty days after the rebellion.
She awoke to find out that they had won, but no one to tell her what they had lost. She awoke to find her lover had married another woman. She awoke to find the mages without a leader. She awoke and immediately decided that, if that was to be the case, she might as well make her own bid for the throne, and get the entire might of the mages' guild behind her.
Honor and justice have no place here. It's a house of wolves. The weak are meat and the strong do eat.
Lluvian:
A mountainous, Northern kingdom soaked in rain and snow more often than not, it has an ancient history filled with magic and mystery and beauty and darkness. It is home to hardy people who are used to the harshness of both man and nature. They speak the Old Tongue of man, but in cities it is encouraged to learn also the Common Tongue of trade. While nonhumans are not banned in Lluvian, there are no settlements of their kind for a thousand leagues and few have any desire to live there.
The Misty Keep | The King's own palace, it is a cold place made of solid stone with three wings- the Spike, the Finger, and the Loft. The latter is residence of the king and other nobles that reside there permanently; it is the second highest tower. The Finger is where business is done and is home to most of the meeting chambers and other important offices are located. The Spike is half-crumbled and supposedly abandoned, but nevertheless several rooms are maintained for ulterior purposes.
The Citadel | Home of the Mages' Guild, the Citadel is located only thirty leagues from the Misty Keep. It is a beautiful place, walled off from the rest of the world and containing a gorgeous waterfall, lake, and many libraries and storage rooms filled with incredible treasures.
Niev | Capital city, so to speak, of Lluvian. It is the largest city and still not all that big; it has a sizeable harbor that tends to ice over for a month or two, though storms prevent trade for most of the spring and winter. It is a dark, depressing city rife with poverty after the witch-king's harsh taxes bled its poor citizens dry.
Characters, Deceased:
Isolden Vatrix: Leader of the mages' guild; married and loved Princess Ishbel. Shattered by her loss; became a mad despot, taking all children with magical talent to be trained as Mages. Also known as the mage-king, snake-king, and usurper. Killed by Caeca Luma.
King Isfrael: Previous King of Lluvian, who was kind and fair. Father of Zephaniah and Ishbel. Killed by plague.
Queen Dinah: Previous Queen of Lluvia, also kind and fair. Mother of Zephaniah and Ishbel. Killedby plague.
Princess Ishbel: Oldest child of Isfrael & Dinah, twelve years older than Zephaniah. Married and loved Isolden, but died giving birth to their first and only child.
Characters, Living:
28 | Archmage Caeca Luma: Ex-lover of Isolden. Attempted to overthrow him and received terrible facial mutilations for her attempt. Later became lover of Zephaniah and successfully overthrew Isolden. Sent into a coma due to his magic entering her body. Awoke and made her own bid for the throne based on her killing of Isolden and magical prowess. (played by myself)
30-48 | Prince Zephaniah: Only two when his parents died and only three when taken away from the castle to be raised in secret, he spent most of his childhood preparing for the rebellion and very little for what would come after. Married to Giselle for political reasons.
27-29 | Prince/ss _____: First and only child of Isolden & Ishbel. Does not have magical ability and was rejected by father for that reason. Brought up as a ruler, has made a claim to the throne based on being the firstborn child of the deceased Queen. Currently having a whirlwind romance with the Lieutenant.
40-55 | Lady Giselle: Made a wealthy widow by an arranged marriage at twelve, she remarried again at sixteen just days after her prior husband's death, this time to a man she hated. After years of abuse he mysteriously passed away, leaving her bitter, jaded, and unwilling to marry again. She's a strong woman, fiercely protective of her son and very good with politics, a good match for Zephaniah.
16-26 | Lordling ____: Son of Giselle and her second husband, he was coddled by his mother and never intended to inherit her position as head of household. Nevertheless, with two strong parents, he surely can't be as weak as she treats him- or can he? Currently having a secret relationship with Ferox.
26 | Magi Ferox Luma: Younger brother of Caeca. He was raised as a mage by Isolden, and quickly rose through the ranks. He tentaively supports his sister's bid for the throne, but worries more for the other mages, especially the children. Currently he is the clandestine lover of Giselle's son, but knows that as a commoner if he is discovered that it will likely end in death or other serious punishment for him. (played by myself)
21-59 | Lieutenant ____: was the second in command under Zephaniah during the rebellion. Very capable and talented, good with battle but unfamiliar with politics. Having a somewhat-secret affair with the prince/ss which has put him/her in a tough spot.
21 - 70 | Spymaster _____: S/he's had his/her position since Isolden's reign, trusting no one and trusted by no one. No one knows who s/he supports, but the suspicion is that whoever this shadowy figure throws their support behind will win the race for the throne.
Right now I'd just like everyone to claim one role; once people have their first choice and recruitment slows down doubling will open up. I also apologize for the hypocrisy of playing two characters but they work so well with each other that it seems cruel to play one without the other. ^^