- 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.
Hello, random stranger, and welcome to mine & the Mistress's humble one on one. If you like what you see, we only ask that you start a private conversation instead of interrupting us. (Free likes/loves are, naturally, perfectly acceptable)
Other than that, enjoy your read. ^^
&&Factions:: With all the people running around, there are really two main groups vying for power, though a few others have made their causes known.
-The Estrian West Imperial Army: the occupying force from the continent, the military has a history of brutality and intolerance that pales in comparison only to their tenacity. In spite of overwhelming odds they have captured most of the major islands and surpressed any large scale insurrection among the slave population.
-The Sleeping Jaguar Rebellion: formed by and around the young prince Makaha Chain-Breaker who claims to be the son of the last Keimiche princess, it has proven itself a surprisingly strong opponent for the imperial army. In spite of keeping to their native roots they are pragmatists who will fight using continental weapons as well as a bit of magic brewed up by their witch doctors.
-The Peaceful Abolitionist Movement: organized only loosely, this group is populated mainly by Gans & freedmen, though anyone is welcome to join. Their influence is primarily political, though there are some radicals who advocate less than peaceful methods.
-The Virnish Underground: Though small, this network is vicious and well-funded. They have supplied arms to the Jaguars in the past, but in the end, they're in it for themselves and for Virn, making them untrustworthy allies at best. They are suspected in a few bombings and several assassinations, though they've been quiet recently.
&&Keim:: A tropical paradise, were it not for the rampant social problems caused by harsh slaves codes, brutal suppression of dissent, and poverty among the natives. There are dozens and dozens of islands that make up Keim as a whole; the largest island is actually named Keim and is the only one with a harbor big enough to admit a full size military or trading ship. It has three active volcanoes, miles and miles of untamed jungle, and a simmering resentment among the native tribes still living freely in the jungle. The people of Keim are known as the Keimiche.
-The Pale Mansion: The home of the governor, Lord Henry Clayy. It is a beautiful building of white limestone, just a few months old, after the past three were knocked down in earthquakes. Having finally learned his lesson, the governor ordered this mansion be just a single story high, and it sprawls out luxuriously over acres of grounds and gardens, protected by a high wall.
-Jaguar Den: The home of the Sleeping Jaguar rebellion. It is snuggled neatly in a valley between two active volcanoes, though on the inactive sides. The sleeping sisters, as they call the volcanoes, keep the continentals away, for the most part. Though they have built some stone ramparts, for the most part the rebellion is housed out of bamboo huts and hammocks slung between fruit trees.
-The Good Fortune: A dubiously respectable inn & tavern located not far from Fort Fairfielde. It has stages for dancing girls, not officially registered a whorehouse. That isn't to say that they won't sleep with customers, just that they aren't required to- and all customers that wish to get a girl for the night are also required to rent a room, which is the house's cut. This prevents widespread sexual relations between patrons and customers and keep the place arguably decent. It has good drinks, better entertainment, and no bad history, which keeps the officers and wealthy townsmen alike coming.
-Fort Fairfielde: Occupying a decent stretch of the harbor and reaching inland to an airfield, Fort Fairfielde appears overly large for the size of the island, but in fact the soldiers, sailors, and airmen are stretched thin keeping an eye over all the continental outposts. It is on the opposite side of town from the Pale Mansion, and every bit as ugly as the other building is beautiful. It is home of the West Imperial Command.
&&The Continent:: The epitome of human civilization, continentals are fiercely superior, but divided into over a dozen smaller countries which causes plenty of infighting. Continentals have pale skin, though their eye and hair color varies greatly from region to region.
-Estria: Estria has the strongest claim to Keim, and has established their governor and Fort Fairfielde. It is a constitutional monarchy, ruled by an emperor and a parliament consisting of three dozen elected individuals. The two ruling bodies often conflict over policy- the throne's belief is that slavery is a just and fair way of dealing with the natives, while the parliament contains several abolitionists.
-Virn: Virn has the second strongest claim to the island, and is rumored to have sold arms to the Sleeping Jaguar rebellion & arranged for several acts of sabotage against Estrian operations. The Virnish speak a different language and their accent is mocked by many. They are also known for having exceptionally fine wine and fashion, as well as being a Tyranny under the control of a territory-hungry despot.
-Ganlund: The Gans produce the finest mechanics and drunks, who are often one and the same. If there's any machine that needs building, fixing, or designing, a Gan will likely be on the project. Their country has no real claim on the island, and as a republic, their congress has specifically forbidden participation in the hostilities between Estria & Virn, as well as aiding the rebels or owning slaves. This makes Gans the most neutral continentals on Keim.
Other than that, enjoy your read. ^^
Anyways, here's the elaborated setting and plot:
So, there's a tropical island. It's remained isolated for over a thousand years, so when a technologically advanced nation finds it, it's just ripe for the picking. They rape & pillage the natives for a while, executing the royal family.
Two decades later, a young Officer and a Dancer from a local pub fall in love/lust/something. Obviously this will never work out, since he's a respectable man from the continental nation and she's just a native slave. Well, a few weeks/months into their relationship, a rebel force that was previously thought of as minor raids the city, burning a good quarter of it to the ground, freeing slaves, and killing soldiers. In the chaos the Dancer is kidnapped, and most of the Officer's superiors perish.
In the aftermath, this turns out pretty sweet for him, as he is suddenly given several promotions and noticed by the governor. Well, the governor has an ambitious Daughter who wants to become the first female governor, and she sees her opportunity in this young Officer. With the help of her father, she convinces the current commander of the island forces that this Officer is the best choice for his successor. He's groomed for the position, and as part of the grooming marries the Daughter. They're a convenient couple as he doesn't mind her ruling the civilian side of things and she doesn't mind him taking over the military edge.
Meanwhile, at the rebel camp, the Dancer is revealed by a mystic to have royal blood. Only a drop, but royal blood nonetheless. The only other person with royal blood is a purported Prince, son of a princess who escaped the massacre of the royal family. He obviously wants to take the Dancer as a wife to continue the royal line, but she's totally uninterested. Unfortunately for her, the witch doctors have a solution- they'll use her body as a conduit to summon the spirit of one of her ancestors, a warrior princess who will be much more useful. Well, the spiritual possession only halfway works, and long story short there are now two souls in the Dancer's body and neither one of them like each other or the Prince.
Well, the rebels decide to strike while the iron is hot, and mount another attack about a month later. It doesn't go as well as they plan as reinforcements from the continent suddenly arrive in the middle of the fray, and everyone is separated. When the dust settles, the Prince is caught in the Governor's mansion and taken hostage by the army. Unfortunately for them, their beloved Officer has also been made a captive when he found himself surrounded by retreating rebels.
Long story short, the Prince is held at the governor's mansion to prevent him from rallying other prisoners, and the governor's Daughter becomes quite enamored of him. Meanwhile, back at the camp, the Dancer is now reluctantly in charge, with the Officer as her hostage. Romance blossoms. What happens from there, well, that's up to us.
&&Factions:: With all the people running around, there are really two main groups vying for power, though a few others have made their causes known.
-The Estrian West Imperial Army: the occupying force from the continent, the military has a history of brutality and intolerance that pales in comparison only to their tenacity. In spite of overwhelming odds they have captured most of the major islands and surpressed any large scale insurrection among the slave population.
-The Sleeping Jaguar Rebellion: formed by and around the young prince Makaha Chain-Breaker who claims to be the son of the last Keimiche princess, it has proven itself a surprisingly strong opponent for the imperial army. In spite of keeping to their native roots they are pragmatists who will fight using continental weapons as well as a bit of magic brewed up by their witch doctors.
-The Peaceful Abolitionist Movement: organized only loosely, this group is populated mainly by Gans & freedmen, though anyone is welcome to join. Their influence is primarily political, though there are some radicals who advocate less than peaceful methods.
-The Virnish Underground: Though small, this network is vicious and well-funded. They have supplied arms to the Jaguars in the past, but in the end, they're in it for themselves and for Virn, making them untrustworthy allies at best. They are suspected in a few bombings and several assassinations, though they've been quiet recently.
&&Keim:: A tropical paradise, were it not for the rampant social problems caused by harsh slaves codes, brutal suppression of dissent, and poverty among the natives. There are dozens and dozens of islands that make up Keim as a whole; the largest island is actually named Keim and is the only one with a harbor big enough to admit a full size military or trading ship. It has three active volcanoes, miles and miles of untamed jungle, and a simmering resentment among the native tribes still living freely in the jungle. The people of Keim are known as the Keimiche.
-The Pale Mansion: The home of the governor, Lord Henry Clayy. It is a beautiful building of white limestone, just a few months old, after the past three were knocked down in earthquakes. Having finally learned his lesson, the governor ordered this mansion be just a single story high, and it sprawls out luxuriously over acres of grounds and gardens, protected by a high wall.
-Jaguar Den: The home of the Sleeping Jaguar rebellion. It is snuggled neatly in a valley between two active volcanoes, though on the inactive sides. The sleeping sisters, as they call the volcanoes, keep the continentals away, for the most part. Though they have built some stone ramparts, for the most part the rebellion is housed out of bamboo huts and hammocks slung between fruit trees.
-The Good Fortune: A dubiously respectable inn & tavern located not far from Fort Fairfielde. It has stages for dancing girls, not officially registered a whorehouse. That isn't to say that they won't sleep with customers, just that they aren't required to- and all customers that wish to get a girl for the night are also required to rent a room, which is the house's cut. This prevents widespread sexual relations between patrons and customers and keep the place arguably decent. It has good drinks, better entertainment, and no bad history, which keeps the officers and wealthy townsmen alike coming.
-Fort Fairfielde: Occupying a decent stretch of the harbor and reaching inland to an airfield, Fort Fairfielde appears overly large for the size of the island, but in fact the soldiers, sailors, and airmen are stretched thin keeping an eye over all the continental outposts. It is on the opposite side of town from the Pale Mansion, and every bit as ugly as the other building is beautiful. It is home of the West Imperial Command.
&&The Continent:: The epitome of human civilization, continentals are fiercely superior, but divided into over a dozen smaller countries which causes plenty of infighting. Continentals have pale skin, though their eye and hair color varies greatly from region to region.
-Estria: Estria has the strongest claim to Keim, and has established their governor and Fort Fairfielde. It is a constitutional monarchy, ruled by an emperor and a parliament consisting of three dozen elected individuals. The two ruling bodies often conflict over policy- the throne's belief is that slavery is a just and fair way of dealing with the natives, while the parliament contains several abolitionists.
-Virn: Virn has the second strongest claim to the island, and is rumored to have sold arms to the Sleeping Jaguar rebellion & arranged for several acts of sabotage against Estrian operations. The Virnish speak a different language and their accent is mocked by many. They are also known for having exceptionally fine wine and fashion, as well as being a Tyranny under the control of a territory-hungry despot.
-Ganlund: The Gans produce the finest mechanics and drunks, who are often one and the same. If there's any machine that needs building, fixing, or designing, a Gan will likely be on the project. Their country has no real claim on the island, and as a republic, their congress has specifically forbidden participation in the hostilities between Estria & Virn, as well as aiding the rebels or owning slaves. This makes Gans the most neutral continentals on Keim.