Cursed Earth | Adventuring in a High Fantasy World | OOC and Sign Ups

[ze_kraken]

CURSED EARTH
A High Fantasy RP Set in a Harsh and Unforgiving World

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Once,

there had been peace and prosperity north of the Wall of the Pass. Centuries ago the great Spellweaver Piersym Thrice-Born had conquered all of the lands north of the Raven's Pass, a wide and sprawling country walled in mountains housing a fertile and blessed land. Its inhabitants, the mighty elves, had long ruled their promised land to the north and left the humans, orcs, and dwarves to scrounge through and squabble over the poorer lands to the south. The war lasted years, and when all was said and done, Piersym had emerged victorious.

The great Spellweaver began to offer safe passage through the Raven's Pass for all that would pay the price, either in coin, fealty, or service. But with the once-invulnerable elves no more, so too did the lands north of the Pass lose their sense of invulnerability. The orcs, having long clashed with the humans to the south, turned their attention north and invaded en masse. Fearing defeat, Piersym opened a portal to realms unimagined using forbidden and ancient magics preserved by the elves before their demise. From the portal swelled demons, monsters, and unnatural beings. They swept across the land, spreading corruption wherever they went. With the help of his demonic allies, Piersym pushed back the orcs but in the process lost his soul, becoming the King of Demons.

Fearing corruption, the Nine Kings of the south sealed the Raven's Pass and declared the lands north cursed, forbidding all from crossing into the once-blessed northern lands. Those left north of the Pass consolidated and erected mighty fortresses and villages wherever they could, constantly set upon by the demonic forces of the Demon King. Only the foolish or the brave, the warriors and the rogues, dared venture from the safety of the sparse clusters of civilization still left in the Cursed Lands.

Scattered throughout the Cursed Lands are still the ruins and treasures of old, guarded by powerful monsters and dangerous magics. The Hollow Knights, empty vessels for the Demon King's spirit, roam the countryside for threats, leaving lesser demons to torment and butcher survivors in their homes. It is believed that out there, somewhere, lie ancient weapons used by the elves of old to defeat the Demons haunting the land yet none can know for sure...

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Welcome, brave soul,

to the Cursed Lands. In this RP, you will assume the role of a survivor living north of the Raven's Pass living out his or her days as an adventurer of the Cursed Lands. Whether you seek treasure, fame, fortune, or perhaps for the relics of old to slay the Demon King is up to you. You and your fellow adventurers have taken up refuge in the Hollows, a simple village in the northwestern corner of the Cursed Lands with narrow passageways cutting it off from the dangerous mainland. Your quest for treasures of the old world have led you here, alongside a number of other treasure hunters.

Throughout the course of the adventure, you and your fellow compatriots will be set upon by the plethora of dark and dangerous forces of the Demon King, the wretched and greedy packs of fellow treasure hunters roaming the land, and the harsh and uncompromising wilderness of the Cursed Lands themselves. The world will be steadily unraveled and explored piece by piece as your adventure takes you from place to place, dictated by your own decisions. You will explore ruins of cities whose names have long been lost to history, dwell into dark dungeons crowded with monsters, and venture across the land in service of your goals.

Outlined below are the rules of the RP, guidelines for making a character, and additional world information that might help inspire or guide your character choices.

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Part 1 - Rules for Adventurers

1. The world is unforgiving and terrifying, and actions will have consequences - though character death shall only be enacted with consent of the involved player, the outcomes of your decisions are to be determined by the GM and are binding.

2. Attacks and actions against 'mooks' and low-ranking NPCs will pass and fail at your discretion. If you have a question about what classifies a 'mook', let me know. With this power, though, comes the responsibility that your characters do not succeed all of the times.
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3. There is no strict posting order, but GM posts will mark the meaningful passage of time. I will try to post a GM post once a week/when everyone is caught up, but will communicate with you all if this expectation can not be met for any given week.
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4. There is no posting limitation in terms of length, but what you do write needs to clearly indicate the intention and actions of your character as well as any characters, items, locations, etc. that character is attempting to influence or interact with.

5. If you want to stop your participation, please let me know either in this thread or privately via PM! We can decide what happens with your character and (if at all) when you want to come back.
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6. If you are inactive in the OOC and/or the IC thread for more than 2 weeks I will assume your character is inactive and will assume control of them in a limited capacity as to avoid stagnating the story. If after a month you have not communicated, your character will be retired.
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7. Though it goes without saying, all Iwaku rules apply.

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Part 2 - Adventurers, Scoundrels, and Warriors

Your characters hail from the Cursed Lands and have lived there all their lives as the powerful magics protecting the Wall of the Pass forbid all from crossing. They may have come from small villages dotting mountainous outcroppings in the Cursed Lands, are warriors from one of the various warrior brotherhoods that have erected fortresses around the land, or perhaps even are wanderers born to a life on the road.

Three races inhabit the Cursed Lands - humans, orcs, and dwarves. The elves have long since been eradicated by Piersym, and later the survivors were purged by the Demon King.


ORCS
Orcs were believed to be made from the combination of elf and human blood even though humans did not arrive to the continent prior to their creation, resulting in a creature with the strength and magical prowess of elves but the brutish nature and shortened lifespan of humans. The Source that orcs pull their magic from is less pure than that of elves, however, and so their magical capability is limited to a sort of exchange. Those orcs capable of performing magic may willingly hamper certain physical characteristics (such as strength) for a length of time and store the energy in jewels, pulling on it later when needed. This storage is extremely inefficient, and for every hour an orc operates at half capacity they may double the capacity of that characteristic for one minute. Orcs were used as slaves by the dwarves and elves, and even by the humans for a time.

Orcs stand over 6 feet (180cm) regardless of sex, and are more muscular than humans. Their faces are largely flat, with pointed ears and teeth that end in points. Their nostrils lie flat against their face in diagonal slits. An orc's skin is a pale green, the darker the skin the larger the orc will grow. The tallest orcs stand just below 8 feet (240cm). Though shunned in society by most humans, their strength and combat prowess make them reliable allies and lend most humans to overlook their long-standing rivalries with orcs on account of their capacity to kill.

HUMANS
Humans came to the world after the elves but before the dwarves, born of a purer Source than dwarves, enabling them to access magic. Unlike the magic utilized by the orcs, human magic is elemental in nature. Humans can manipulate existing elements such as air, water, fire, and earth though only particularly skilled sorcerers can manipulate more than one element. Humans, and magically-inclined humans, are the most numerous race of all. It was their numbers and tendency to have a number of magic users made them more than capable to dispatch the elves when unified behind a common cause, and they are just as numerous in comparison to the other races in the Cursed Lands as further south. Humans arrived in the former promised land north of the Raven's Pass but were relegated to the south after the lands were divided by physical barriers.

Humans by contrast to the other races live relatively shorter lives, standing between 5 feet (150cm) and 6 feet (180cm) tall. Whereas orcs and dwarves have few differences between the sexes besides reproductive organs, human women on average tend to develop muscle mass less readily than human men. That said, men and women are equally capable survivors in the Cursed Lands. To be anything else is to make the short lives of humans even shorter.



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DWARVES
Dwarves came to the world last after the elves and humans, but before the coming of orcs, or so the legends of the humans go. Theirs was the least pure essence from the Source, rendering them unable to use magic. Despite, and perhaps because of, their poor Source, dwarves are rather immune to magics and project a null zone around them that makes magic more difficult to use. Demons seem to be relatively unaffected by this null zone in contrast to other, more mortal races.

Dwarves stand anywhere between 4 feet (120cm) and 5 feet (150cm) with a stocky, muscled build and calloused, tough skin that feels almost leather to the touch. Dwarves have a dulled sensation to pain and a propensity to grow hair; it is not uncommon for dwarves to be covered in arm and chest hair, the men growing large, bushy beards. They live nearly twice as long as humans and are formidable warriors despite their smaller stature, able of carrying many times their weight and fight with heavy weapons as if they were half their weight. They are less numerous than humans, and are valued more than orcs as humans and dwarves have always prospered together.


You'll note a lack of concrete world details upon which to base your character - this is intentional. Feel free to fill in little pockets of the world that suit your character's backstory, fleshing out settlements as you see fit to support their background and how they wound up in the Hollows. If you have any questions or want to run anything by me, post it here in the OOC thread or shoot me a PM! Please limit yourself to one character at this time.

The basic character sheet outline is as follows, and feel free to spice it up as you see fit:

Name:
Titles: If Any
Age:
Race:
Sex:
Appearance: Written required, image optional
Primary Motivation: Treasure, vengeance, adventure, etc.
Brief Backstory: The essentials of who they are and how they got here; save your secrets and more obscure background details to be discovered in-world
Skills: Keep it believable and make sure they are not competent at everything
Inventory: Again, keep it believable and try to tie it to their background. Magic items of any kind are not allowed to starting characters.

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Part 3 - A World Rife With Struggle and Strife

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Here are some additional notes worth considering when making your characters -

• Human towns and settlements are frequently attacked by demonic creatures and monsters, leading most to settle in mountainous regions with ample natural defenses and access to water​
• Most demons or monsters that a survivor would encounter are comparable in capability to humans, forming the bulk of the Demon King's forces - larger beasts take more men to take down than even the best fighters, so tales of monster slaying heroes are just that: tales​
• Magic users have no means of formal education in the Cursed Lands - any magic users are taught via tradition, their own exploration in trial and error, or find a traveling magic user to learn from​
• Settlements are frequently mixed, containing various races - that said, interspecies coupling is not only impossible to yield a child but highly frowned upon, meaning half-breeds are not an observed phenomenon​
• Orcs reach maturity at 20 years, humans at 16, dwarves at 30 - keep this in mind when setting out expectations for your characters' performance and relative skill​
• Though crops are difficult to tend in the Cursed Lands, the earth itself ripe with corruption from dark magics, it is possible and farming communities still exist​
• The Hollow Knights prowl the land riding large demonic steeds most comparable to dragons of wyverns - few encounter them and live to tell the tale, and they prefer to spend their time searching for artifacts that could prove to undo the Demon King rather than razing villages​
• Ruins of the old world are largely elven-built, with humans having taken them later but some might have been constructed by any of the races in the long and colored history of the Cursed Lands​
• Though many who wander the wastes have stumbled upon the Wall of the Pass along their journeys, none have managed to get within a mile of it, let alone climb it​

Again, if you have any questions please let me know! I'm happy to share details with you and help you make your characters!

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Part 4 - Wrapping Up

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The soft limit on players at this time is 5 - any more and the RP tends to get messy and veer off. I will edit this limit as time goes on and players come (and possibly go). If you're interested, and the OOC thread is marked "Open Signups" then feel free to leave a message below indicating interest or your character sheet for approval. I look forward to running this RP along with you all!

Roster as of 3/7:
- Blanc Oriz'zon 「 Jamaicanbobslayer 」
- Vardis Le'Trasque Steel
- Arianell Oresh Elle Joyner
- Niowyn Pupperr
- Jaxs @Ellion
- Oryn @Morgan

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[Jamaicanbobslayer]

This looks absolutely fantastic, and just the sort of thing I was looking for! Going to start a character sheet very soon. Before I do, though, I have a few questions:

> What sort of powers and strength do the demons possess? Additionally, what is their usual appearance? Or, are they chaotic in nature in the sense that you're unsure what you're going to be up against.

> I see mention of the elves and they're an old race, but they aren't playable. I don't particularly want to play one or anything, but I was wondering if this implies they're currently extinct?

> Is the South paradise in comparison? Like, a safe haven? Or is it just safer, but not too much better in terms of resources. It's fine if you want to hide such info if you think our characters wouldnt know that.

> Finally, will you be using Discord to help out with communication and such? No problem if not! Just checking.

 

[ze_kraken]

> What sort of powers and strength do the demons possess? Additionally, what is their usual appearance? Or, are they chaotic in nature in the sense that you're unsure what you're going to be up against.

A good number of the demons are existing fantasy monsters either reborn into the Cursed Lands (where they were not before) such as trolls, kobolds, etc. The members of the Demon King's army specifically are your more traditional imp-like creatures that range from goblin-sized imps to fully grown beings about as large as orcs with pronounced horns, black scaled armor, and razor-thin swords. The fully grown demons can take on 3-4 fighters quite readily, though are comparatively rare and tend to be officers and bodyguards more than the ones doing all the front line duties.

> I see mention of the elves and they're an old race, but they aren't playable. I don't particularly want to play one or anything, but I was wondering if this implies they're currently extinct?

They are presently believed to be extinct, with no one have sighted an elf in the north or south in over 300 years.

> Is the South paradise in comparison? Like, a safe haven? Or is it just safer, but not too much better in terms of resources. It's fine if you want to hide such info if you think our characters wouldnt know that.

The rumors of what lurks south range from a promised land to just another hell by a different name. Though your characters wouldn't know it, it is more or less what it was before the Wall went up. Yes, demons and monsters aren't roaming about and terrorizing the countryside and crops can grow more readily but it's still a bitter and hard land difficult to come up in and prone to conflicts among the Nine Kings.

> Finally, will you be using Discord to help out with communication and such? No oroblem if not! Just checking.

A Discord server should be up some time on Sunday or Monday. :)

 

[Jamaicanbobslayer]

Excellent, thanks. Character sheet on the way now.

 

[Pupperr]

This looks very cool! I might be interested :) going to keep an eye on it.

 

[Chilli Pepper]

How combat-oriented is this likely to be?

 

[ze_kraken]

How combat-oriented is this likely to be?

Combat will be as frequent as you want it to be. Whenever a challenge is presented, so long as you can hit it (i.e. it isn't something like, say, a locked stone vault or something) you can make the decision to start combat. I want to try and incorporate the preferred style of each player as much as possible and provide multiple routes for you all to take.

 

[Chilli Pepper]

I'm not particularly good at writing combat scenes (in no small part because they're not something that hold much interest for me) so if this was to be a group RP with combat focus then I'd leave it alone. I suppose it depends on the rest of the group - if other people want things to be combat-heavy then I'll leave them to it.

 

[Jamaicanbobslayer]

B l a n c . O r i z ' z o n
< 31, ♀, Orc >​

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A p p e a r a n c e

Blanc is an intimidating presence to the average citizen, standing at 6'2" and every bit of her body demonstrating strict and ruthless muscle training. Usually accompanied by a huge crescent axe either held over her shoulder or strapped to her back, people tend to avoid interaction with her unless she has an actual reason.

Very well-maintained in her appearance for what you'd assume is an average brute, Blanc's snowy white cloak patterned with black decals is clean and sways slowly over her body. Her hair is a reddish-brown, well brushed and usually done up in a convenient bun or ponytail, a long wisp of her trailing down the side of her face.

Her facial structure is relatively tough and masculine, but her well-set jaw and nose gives her a somewhat attractive appearance. She has a long horizontal scar across the middle of her face; she has around 3 different stories of how she got it. Her left eye is a reddish-brown whilst her other eye is hollow white, likely afflicted by some sort of disease or growth.

She walks with a stoic stride and a slight limp. Often looking down on others with a harsh or expressionless frown, Blanc isn't the most approachable of people.

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P r i m a r y . M o t i v a t i o n

"Wherever my family may trace, at some point they left us out here. Deserted us. Now I have nothing to fight for but fools."

"In these harsh lands, countless who can't fight are ripped apart. I've seen good people die; bastards that deserve it... but it's preventable. Closing that damned gate doomed so many those bastards!"

"..."

"Someone must pay for this act of cowardice. But I will not act blindly out of rage; it is what takes the lives of most of my kin. I will find a way to access the South, and let them have their say."

For various reasons, Blanc wishes to find some way to access the Southern lands. Primarily, she believes many deaths in the hollow north could be prevented if a better system was in place. Secondarily, her family has always kept old heirlooms that are of no Northern craft, implying that Blanc's family line originates from the South somehow.

Willing to listen to reason, however, Blanc is not on a blind quest of vengeance, and she certainly doesn't look to raise an army. She just wants the truth, and from there she'll act.

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B a c k s t o r y - B r i e f

Blanc has seen her fair share of shitty jobs and more prestigious jobs in her lifetime. She started life as a mere miner in her teenage years, but one who had a reputation for getting into a lot of fights and her brute strength. As this reputation was spread, she was soon given an offer to defend the entrance of her home.

Spending a few years in training and then serving as part of the guard for a while, Blanc has experience with a few fights against demons, but never anything major. Because her appearance and favor with an axe often gave people chills, crime began to rise in her home and she was instead given an offer of carrying the title of executioner, serving to uphold the law and instill fear in the criminal population instead.

Blanc's job as an executioner (for officially staged executions) was the job she stuck with for the longest. Not because she enjoyed the gritty work, but because it paid the best, and generally got people to leave her alone. Her work stopped, however, when she performed an execution that haunts her and she refuses to discuss to this day.

After this, she stepped down from her position entirely, looking to leave her cesspool of a home and fight for her own beliefs rather than the word of someone else. Always dreaming and angrily stewing about the fact that her family probably originated from the South, Blanc finally made the preparations to act on it. Preparing some supplies, Blanc heard rumors of treasure and well-paying work from the Hollows. As it was close by, that rumor was all she needed to get moving.

Amaz'ranth - Hometown
Blanc lived in the Hollow Tunnels of Amaz'ranth, a small cavernous town that was built on the foundation of old elven ruins built into the side of a mountain around the Northwest. Founded by a dwavern couple of explorers, it used to serve as an outpost for soldiers and mercenaries. As the ruins were further explored and dug into, however, some treasures and rare gems and ores were discovered, giving the tunnels enough of an economy to support themselves with trade. As architects were hired, Amaz'ranth became a very secure place to live, and many came in hopes of safety.

Nowadays, Amaz'ranth is cramped and barely has enough food to support its inhabitants. Crime is also a severe problem, which is why people like Blanc were hired.

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S k i l l s

Combat Training - Axe
Blanc knows how to effectively conserve your energy during a fight, when to dodge and defend, and when to strike. She isn't a stranger to battle, and her fighting stance - whilst no combat master - makes that quite clear. Competent with a variety of axe techniques, and wielding axes of various sizes and designs, Blanc is a reliable and durable combatant. Her specialization lays mostly with axes, however - particularly big ones. Whilst she could crudely swing around a sword, hammer, or polearm, she would be nowhere near as likely to succeed if she lost her trusty axe.

Cavern / Mountain Navigation
Decently well traveled around mountainous regions and the caves that present themselves within them - particularly around the Northwest - Blanc knows enough astrology, geography, and geology to be pretty reliable when it comes to getting around and surviving in those areas. She knows where to find wild mushrooms and herbs, and which ones will kill you upon eating.

Orcish Magic - Strength Storage/Release
Blanc has practiced with Orcish Magic, and whilst she is by far from the best in the art, she can still use it effectively in combat. Able to store her strength in gems, she can release it in a burst that gives her great strength for around a minute. This mixes particularly well with her giant axe, as it allows her to proficiently wield the oversized weapon for a bit, usually with brutal results.

Orcish Magic - Perception Storage/Release
Blanc is able to store her perceptive ability into gems for later use. She usually drains the sight from one of her eyes (which is why one of her eyes looks diseased), and empowers the other when needed. When her perception is empowered, she can see at longer distances, see far better in the dark, and make out details better for a short while.

Southern Lore
Always asking about the condition of the South and getting old tales of the Nine Kings whenever she can, Blanc knows a fair few stories about the South and the Nine Kings. Whether those stories are actually true or not is up for debate. As for reading stories, Blanc can indeed read, and do so with decent proficiency, though she often misspells or misreads complicated words.

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I n v e n t o r y

Item Name	Amount​	Description​
Crescent Axe	1	A massive mixture of axe and polearm that no normal fighter could effectively wield. Infamously used for executions around the hollow tunnels. This one, whilst looking well-decorated and of great quality, is actually just made of bronze.
Handaxe	1	A small, mundane lightweight axe designed for quick access and throwing in battle.
Mundane Darkgem	3	A small, black gem mined from the hollow tunnels. Orcs can use this to store their power and use it later in one explosive bursts. It becomes progressively whiter when filled with power. Blanc usually uses it to store her strength or perception.
Hand Pick	1	A small pickaxe not intended for use in combat, but for civilian use in the hollow tunnels.
Breastplate / Cloak	1	A cobbled-together mixture of bronze and iron shoulderpads, knee pads, and a breastplate. The cloak and outer clothing of the outfit is actually kept in quite good condition; a snowy white mixed with sweeping black patterns.
Torches	2	Some torches with small straps to affix to walls if needed. ​
Travel Pack	1	A pack designed for short to medium distance journeys. Contains a tinderbox, candles, rope, a bedroll, a hefty water canteen, a sewing kit, some pitons, a knife, a small mallet, some wrought nails, and some furs for harsh Northern nights. ​
Personal Effects	- -	Blanc has a variety of small heirlooms and decorations on her person, including: > A bronze, crescent-shaped badge usually pinned to her cloak. > A duo of small necklaces made of a mixture of silver and pig iron. One depicts a black sun, the other depicts a white full moon. Not worth much. > A stuffed rabbit toy of low quality. Will insist it doesn't take up too much space in her pack.

 

[Jamaicanbobslayer]

There we go! Let me know if there are any lore consistencies of anything you want changed with that.

Thought I'd keep the black/white general theme of your pictures, because a e s t h e t i c.

 

[ze_kraken]

There we go! Let me know if there are any lore consistencies of anything you want changed with that.

Thought I'd keep the black/white general theme of your pictures, because a e s t h e t i c.

Looks great! She's been added to the roster. :)

Quite a nasty fighter lol.

 

[Jamaicanbobslayer]

Looks great! She's been added to the roster. :)

Quite a nasty fighter lol.

Yeah, haha. Certainly not a delicate fighter or anything. I haven't played a typical 'fighter' type character in a while, so I thought I'd fit into that role for our squad. And also be the 'gruff/unapproachable' type, who (hopefully) opens up through the course of the RP.

I really liked the flavor of orcs / orcish magic so far as well, so I thought I'd play into it without getting too complicated. I bet orcish magic could accomplish all sorts of crazy stuff, at a price, of course.

 

[Steel]

V a r d i s . L e ' T r a s q u e
L o r d . o f . L a r e n d e l
< 27, ♂, Human >​

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The valiant knights of old are all but forgotten North of the Pass. Resplendent fabrics and practised etiquette might take one far in the kingdoms of men; but these lands belong to the demons now. To this tune, one might assume that the ways of chivalry are dead. They would be wrong.

Vardis marks a stark juxtaposition against the bleak and lifeless wastes of the Cursed Lands. Clad in polished plate and flapping tabbard; decorated in golden thread and lofting an oversized greatsword - it would only be normal to assume that the man is something from a fairytale. Some heroic figure come to bring light to the darkness.

Unfortunately, assumptions rarely yield much in the way of truth. On closer inspection - the plate is worn and scratched beneath its polish. The fabrics are faded and stained, despite passionate attempts at maintenance. His jolly, baritone voice hides worry-stricken notes of loss and emptiness. To those perceptive and knowledgeable, Vardis might seem only half a legend - a sad imitation of something truly great.

To the masses, however, Vardis' wields the words, actions, and style of a valiant warrior; and in practice, he does not disappoint either. After all, one does not typically wield a zweihander for show - much less, wield one single-handedly with relative ease.

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A p p e a r a n c e

Slightly taller than the average human at 5'11", Vardis bears not only the accoutrements of a knight, but a figure and posture to match. While well-built and hardened, it might strike you as slightly odd that the man is not more muscular - considering his weapon of choice. In fact, it seems that his body is more lithe and flexible than the average person; much as an acrobat, or a dancer.

His apparel of choice consists of a finely-made set of polished but worn full-plate, of relatively light build. While not particularly decorated, it is still obvious that such a suit must have cost a near-fortune - and it seems as if Vardis has gotten as much use out of it as possible, considering its many dents and scratches. This armour features an abnormally abundant mixture of decorative fabrics of patterned navy, ochre and white - apparently all placed with the intention of inducing the most flowing of motion in synchronicity with Vardis' movements.

Topping the knight's cloaked head is an eccentric crest-like figure wrought from polished brass - and a shimmering golden plume to match. Perhaps more interestingly, however, is the mask that typically covers Vardis' face. A gleaming thing of flawless white porcelain and soft blue patterning, it is both expressionless and featureless; though flanked on either side by matching faces of darkened brass - one twisted in an uncanny smile, the other in a downturned grimace. It would be easy to assume that the mask has a sort of ritualistic significance - to some, of malice; to others, of duty.

In an exceedingly unusual display of arms, Vardis slings an incredulously-large sword over his waist - large even for a zweihander, yet thin and somewhat flexible. Sharp-eyed individuals might spot a soft shimmering that can be seen warping the air around the blade on occasion, causing its metal to flex and glint unnaturally in the light.

Accompanying Vardis at all times is a palpable air of jovial enthusiasm. Whether it is clear from the spring in his step, or the unseen grin behind his mask, or the uncaring chuckle at the end of a sentence - with Vardis' presence, there seems to come a sort of hope. For those that know him, the knight's low, rumbling voice can be both enthusing and reassuring.

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P r i m a r y . M o t i v a t i o n

"Hmh... Oh, my motivations you ask? Ha-hah~! Of course, it is no worry, friend."

"These lands were once a paradise. A haven for the good people of this world - a place of safety, joy, and prosperity; founded on the back of a human - just like you or me. Can you believe that? Huah~!"

"Well, now. That Spellweaver, Piersym, was both the best and the worst thing to happen to the North. The corruption he brought here cannot be forgiven, but it can be destroyed."

"Perhaps not in our life-time, friend, but one day... A person as glorious and as powerful as Piersym will rise again, and they will cleanse these lands~!"

"Oh? HAH~! You flatter me, but no. It is not I who will rise - not at all. It is my duty to seek those with potential, and protect them with my life."

Vardis comes from a long line of knights loyal to Piersym, and to the North. This partnership ended, however, as soon as the wizard discarded the mantle of Spellweaver and donned the crown of King of Demons. Whilst the house's previous purpose was to serve Piersym, it now serves to destroy him by way of both finding and protecting the magical savants of the Cursed Lands. This, in turn, is Vardis' primary motivation - as the youngest and final living member of his bloodline.

In a similar manner, Vardis wishes to restore House Le'Trasque to its former glory - as it has fallen from glory in recent decades. In addition, his family's traditions and purpose will cease to exist if he meets his end, and thus he desires new initiates, as well as an heir.

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B a c k s t o r y - B r i e f

House Le'Trasque's roots go deep into the history of mankind. Once a thriving noble household under the Nine Kings, they left northwards in fealty to the Spellweaver - joining in battle for the Northern Lands, and forging their alliances in blood and steel. Afterwards, in times of relative peace, they settled happily under their new liege. Their labours and services to Piersym had rewarded them with the fruit of Larendel - a sweeping and beautiful holding to call their own.

As expected, all of this came crashing down when the orcs invaded, and their liege discarded his humanity in hopes of clinging onto his newfound power. With the tragedies that followed, House Le'Trasque removed themselves from the service of Piersym - or as he had now come to be know, the King of Demons. Instead, the nobles turned their attention to the destruction of him instead - a betrayal as he had betrayed them. As they had once believed in the powerful spellcaster, they would now believe in others like him - in a desperate attempt to cultivate another omnipotent prodigy that could slay the corrupted Spellweaver and restore prosperity to these lands.

Throughout the years, the Le'Trasques have taken many promising magic-users under their wing. Nurtured them, protected them, provided for them - even as their settlement crumbled, the wildlife withered and died, and the very earth itself became barren. With great wealth, reputation, and ancient traditions aiding them in their task, it seemed certain that they would succeed eventually. Today, the house is but a faint shadow of its former glory. Larendel is all but gone. Castle Le'Trasque is a shattered ruin. The bloodline teeters on the edge of extinction.

This is where Vardis enters. As the last of the Le'Trasque family, he upholds every value and tradition that they represent to this day - despite his family name being all but worthless. He is the last spark of hope for his ancestors' dream. Having left his home many years ago, he merely travels now - seeking those capable of impressive feats of magic, and serving them as best he can.

It is a humble life. A difficult life. Many might say that his task is foolish and impossible.

Vardis simply chuckles, and cheerfully states that a knight cannot merely concede when the enemy has more pieces on the board.

Despite this, it is clear that Vardis carries his fair share of burdens. Seven straight marks scratched into the base of his sword-blade represent the duties he has undertaken so far. This will be his eighth.

Larendel - Holding of House Le'Trasque.
Larendel was a beautiful place before the fall of Piersym - a great swathe of land up in the mountains, with magnificent rolling hills of verdant grass, majestic fjords and crystal-clear alpine rivers. These days, it is nought but a blur of barren grey earth, twisted black rocks and withered, long-dead trees.

Atop a steep mountain-ridge, and backed by sheer cliff-face, lies the once-imposing and beautiful castle Le'Trasque. Constructed from huge blocks of Marble and Granite, its remnants are now stained black - its towers and steeples having long collapsed, and a chill wind blowing through its damp hallways. Though it is in severe disrepair, when Vardis visited several years ago, a small group of once-servants still resided there - keeping squatters and lesser demons from roaming within its walls.

Below the castle lies the once-happy settlement of Larendel. At its prime, hosting several thousand people - it might have been called a town. Those days are ancient history, now. Up in the mountains, food was always a dire issue - and so Larendel began bleeding peasantry almost immediately after the downfall. When Vardis was a young child, Larendel became a dead town - whether the last of the villagers left, or died. Now, it is completely empty. Eerily intact buildings line dirty, cobbled streets that once bustled with life many, many years ago. The inaccessibility of the settlement, up in the mountains, is likely the only thing that has kept the place from becoming a nest of demon activity.

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S k i l l s

Le'Trasque Combat Training
The Le'Trasques have always had a unique way of fighting that enables them to strike with incredible speed, range and strength - though with no small amount of training; and a very small window for error. Utilising a combination of large, heavy weaponry and air magic, the technique involves cushioning the user's weapon with a constantly-flowing pocket of air - pushing the weapon upwards and making it near weightless for the warrior using it. This enables the fighter to swing huge weapons with seeming ease - in an odd 'dance' of flowing motions that direct the weapon into sweeping arcs of devastating power. The technique requires one hand to be free, and the other to hold the weapon - and requires no small amount of unbroken concentration for obvious reasons. In addition, a missed swing can make the user incredibly vulnerable to counter-attack.

In a similar manner to his use with weaponry, Vardis also uses air magic to lighten the load of his full-plate, which is additionally designed to offer as much maneuverability as possible. When in combat, Vardis moves using oddly fluid-like motions, as if following the flow of air itself. These movements make it hard to predict Vardis' intentions as he tumbles, dashes and dances around the battlefield in a display that one could very well call a 'dance' of sorts.

Human Magic - Air
The use of air magic is essential to any knight of House Le'Trasque - and as such, Vardis has honed his use of it to a fine point. While his control over such powers are, perhaps, not nearly as powerful as one might expect - they are precise and quick. Vardis tends not to display his skill with this magic, besides his swordplay, but those watching him might catch him levitating objects towards himself and so-forth.

Etiquette
Despite its dwindling significance in Northern life, Vardis was brought up with intense lessons on etiquette, manners, traditions and behaviours - and those lessons have certainly left their imprint upon him. Not only does he interweave them with his own actions, but on occasion he finds it easier to please and offer respect to people that might not otherwise take to him - particularly those with a more traditional background.

Magic Lore
Vardis and his bloodline have always been fascinated and engrossed with the practitioners of magical arts. As such, it is only natural that Vardis would have been taught a near-complete history of great magical figures and practices; as well as the laws and theories behind these. While Vardis might often seem obtuse and distracted, it might come as a surprise to know that he as a rather in-depth knowledge of magical rituals, artifacts and the like; as they are innately linked with his purpose.

Will of the Ancestors
Coming from a long, unbroken line of those performing the same duties as himself, it is easier to understand why Vardis seems all but unbreakable in stride. Practically nothing seems to set the man back, and he does not allow himself to break under any circumstances. Remarkably few people have seen Vardis show any emotion other than jolly enthusiasm - though perhaps he merely hides it all behind that mask of his.

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I n v e n t o r y

Item Name	Amount​	Description​
Le'Trasque Zweihander	1	An obscenely-large sword wrought from flexible folded steel. It is slightly thinner than a typical example of this sword, and the cross-guard is much larger as well. Vardis is rarely seen without it on his person. A small phoenix crest is engraved at the base of the blade, alongside seven straight marks, scratched deep into the metal.
Fine Dagger	1	A standard, if somewhat fancy dagger - for general-purpose tasks, and perhaps even combat in the direst of situations.
Porcelain-Brass Mask	1	A mask of gleaming, flawless white porcelain - marked with blue. Two matching faces flank either side of the mask, facing away from the sides of Vardis' head - wrought from brass. The front face is featureless and expressionless; the right face is twisted into an uncanny smile; the left face is downturned into an unpleasant grimace. It seems to be some sort of traditional piece, but its meaning is unknown to all except Vardis, currently.
Full-Plate	1	A suit of relatively lightweight full-plate armour, designed to allow maximum mobility. Quality workmanship and fine steel, but not overly decorated. Likely cost a large sum of money, and has been well-worn and well-maintained in kind. It has been embellished with a gaudy tabbard and fabrics of blue, yellow and white - the colours of House Le'Trasque.
Utility Pouches	1	Pouches of miscellaneous travelling, camping and survival tools line lower chest - featuring items such as a tinderbox, basic herbal medicines, a roll of bandage-linen, a needle and thread - etc.
Lantern	1	A small, hooded black iron lantern that takes oil or pitch. When not being held in-hand, it usually hangs off of the back of Vardis' belt.
Travelling Supplies	1	A knapsack that Vardis slings over a shoulder as he travels. It contains all-purpose, long-term travelling equipment; including a very small pitch-tent, a compact set of cooking utensils, a bundle of string and a coil of rope, candles, pitons - and a bedroll is strapped to the outside, along with some warm furs.
Personal Effects	- -	Vardis a scarce few personal items on his person, including: > A small, brass crest featuring the Le'Trasque phoenix. > A picture-locket with the same crest, and his initials embossed beneath it. Hangs on a chain. > Three travel-size books, repeatedly read - one on chivalry, one on magic, and one of fairytales. > A faded hand-puppet in the shape of an orange bird, wearing a knight's helmet and wielding a sword -poorly stitched from a large tear along its side.

 

[Steel]

Alright! Phew, that took a while to write out.

Hope everything looks alright with this fella - let me know if it doesn't match up with the lore, or if something needs to be changed.

I really love the sound of the setting. Sounds like a lot of fun to explore and expand!

 

[ze_kraken]

Alright! Phew, that took a while to write out.

Hope everything looks alright with this fella - let me know if it doesn't match up with the lore, or if something needs to be changed.

I really love the sound of the setting. Sounds like a lot of fun to explore and expand!

Everything looks great! Added to the roster. :) I really like the CS template you guys used honestly lol! The use of air magic to help swing a greatsword around was a neat application of the magic system as well.

 

[Pupperr]

Oh no! My idea was actually a warrior that used air magic to aid her in battle as well.. I am much too slow

 

[ze_kraken]

Discord link is live! Let me know if it works.

Join the Cursed Earth Discord Server!

 

[Steel]

Everything looks great! Added to the roster. :) I really like the CS template you guys used honestly lol! The use of air magic to help swing a greatsword around was a neat application of the magic system as well.

Good stuff! I've played a ton of tabletop, but this forum-based RP is brand-new to me. I'm looking forward to it!

Oh no! My idea was actually a warrior that used air magic to aid her in battle as well.. I am much too slow

Mission failed, we'll get 'em next time.

In all seriousness though, feel free to keep using air magic if you want to! >:^)

 

[Pupperr]

Everything looks great! Added to the roster. :) I really like the CS template you guys used honestly lol! The use of air magic to help swing a greatsword around was a neat application of the magic system as well.

Good stuff! I've played a ton of tabletop, but this forum-based RP is brand-new to me. I'm looking forward to it!

Oh no! My idea was actually a warrior that used air magic to aid her in battle as well.. I am much too slow

Mission failed, we'll get 'em next time.

In all seriousness though, feel free to keep using air magic if you want to! >:^)

Hahaha.. my whole concept was actually for a spear wielder to use air magic to make her attacks and movements faster and lighter, so... Back to the drawing board!

 

[ze_kraken]

Everything looks great! Added to the roster. :) I really like the CS template you guys used honestly lol! The use of air magic to help swing a greatsword around was a neat application of the magic system as well.

Good stuff! I've played a ton of tabletop, but this forum-based RP is brand-new to me. I'm looking forward to it!

Oh no! My idea was actually a warrior that used air magic to aid her in battle as well.. I am much too slow

Mission failed, we'll get 'em next time.

In all seriousness though, feel free to keep using air magic if you want to! >:^)

Hahaha.. my whole concept was actually for a spear wielder to use air magic to make her attacks and movements faster and lighter, so... Back to the drawing board!

Well, that is rather distinct from someone using it for melee attacks. Wind magic's use in archery and spear-throwing was the most natural use I had come up with when I was designing the magic system, so I think that's still a safe avenue for a character concept.