Dragon Hunters of Teramagos

Dahrinn (Groucho)

The Wizard
Original poster
LURKER MEMBER
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per week
Writing Levels
  1. Intermediate
  2. Adept
  3. Advanced
  4. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Primarily Prefer Male
Genres
Fantasy, Sci fi, anything in which the world itelf is extremely interesting.
THE DRAGON SLAYERS OF TERAMAGOS
Inspired by such works as Shadow of the Colossus, Monster Hunter, Dishonored, and the Dolls of New Albion

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Introduction
Our story begins on the grand continent of Teramagos, ruled nearly in it's entirety by the Doxan Empire.
Doxapolis, a city of labyrinthian streets and great rising buildings stacked upon each other from centuries of near non-stop innovation and advancement, a city cloaked in brass, shrouded by steam, ever illuminated by the soft chromatic glow of alchemically powered devices of fantastic complexity, where life is lived to the steady song of the machines from the lowest pipe-crossed catacombs to the highest of sunlit towers. Doxa is the home of heroes and villains, of sane minds and madmen, of clandestine syndicates and decadent cults, and those that oppose them. It is here that humanity first rose to strike down their ancient enemy, the great and terrible dragons of Teramagos.

And so Doxapolis lays claim to all Teramagos.
From the breathing primordial jungles of strange and magnificent life-forms lit by the eerie glow of bio-luminescence from beneath it's sun-blotting canopies.
To the snow-blown mountain ranges of twisting stone that scrape the borders between heaven and earth.

To the great and powerful city states and colonial settlements.
To the hidden ruins of an ancient and mysterious civilization that once ruled all Teramagos in eons past.


All of this is under Doxan sway, all of the known world's beauty to hold and cherish for itself. But with all this power, there must be a source. There must be fuel to drive this machine ever forward, ever higher, ever toward the next horizon. That fuel is Ichor, a luminous red oil extracted from the corpses of the mighty dragons and refined into a number of forms through complex chemical processes. It was with the first slaying of the dragon Kur by the revered Saint Alister hundreds of years ago that the secrets of the dragons were first unlocked. It was the technological fruits of this research that allowed Doxapolis to rise to power, conquering men and dragons alike until it held nearly all the world in it's hand.
And so, to this day none are so idolized among the Empire as the Dragon Hunters. As long as brave souls still take to the skies to face the beasts in battle, the heart of the Empire will never stop beating.

CITIES OF TERAMAGOS
On the continent of Teramagos, all "modern" civilization can be found clustered within compact city-states. These are those city-states.
DOXAPOLIS
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-Sinners and saints, honest and deceitful, stalwart and corrupt, rich and poor, the vast tunnels and soaring towers are said to breach the gap between Paradise and Inferno. Welcome to Doxapolis.
-Doxapolis is the seat of the Doxan Empire, and is ruled between an Emperor elected from the Noble families, a council of representatives from remaining Noble families, and elected civilian officials.
-Doxapolis is the center of the dragon-hunting industry, being a hub for "official" Dragonslayers from across the world to maintain their ships, find recruits, and sell dragon corpses.
-A vast and widely un-mapped system of tunnels underneath the city allow all sorts of clandestine factions to lay down their roots, and any faction worth mentioning has eyes and ears in the capital.

LOGOPOLIS
Gothic Steampunk-​
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-Lit by the eerie glow of alchemical lamplight, secret science and mysterious cults thrive in the shadows of the great grey buildings, swaying cathedrals to the gods of innovation. Welcome to Logopolis.
-Logopolis is the first city-state to be taken into the Empire, and as a result is not unlike Doxapolis today. It is governed by a council appointed by the Doxans
-Logopolis is notable for a surplus of research facilities centered around discovering new ways to utilize Ichor, especially in regards to medical application.
-It is home to a plethora of freelance scientists of varying morality and decadent cults of varying fanaticism.

TIMIPOLIS
Clockpunk-​
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From high atop a tower, the sound of a violin plays in tune with the flowing water and ticking clockworks. Brass-trimmed boats with wind-up propellers speed jovially through the man-made canals, and masked nobles compete against the colorful aristocrats in feuds as old as the Empire itself. Welcome to Timipolis.
-Timipolis joined the Empire with little resistance after seeing how easily Logopolis was overrun, and as a result was changed little. Today, however, there is much political strife between the original Noble families of Timipolis and the Aristocrats rising from the countless industries of the Empire.
-Timipolis is in high demand for Ichor to allow the creation and running of new and exciting gadgets and frivolous technologies. The ambition of businessmen and the whims of Nobility mean there is always a market for aspiring inventors and artists.
-Mercenary factions often dot the city for when the rich folk get desperate in their political games.

NOUPOLIS
Dieselpunk-
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Deep underground, engines rumble and vents hiss, lights flicker and great suspended vessels carry bubbling molten metal to and from monstrous factories and howling mines. There was a melancholy feeling in the air... yet just as the smog and darkness is cut by the buzzing glow of a nearby lamp, so too can the sound of a wild piano pierce the gloom. Welcome to Noupolis.
-Noupolis was the third city under Doxan rule, and was taken with little resistance due to only having a meager population at first. Since then, it has been completely reworked from the ground down, and now surges with folks whose lineage can be traced back to all over the Empire. Inevitably, countless people work in the mines and factories to supply the Empire with the raw materials it needs to keep advancing, and Doxan government holds a tight grip over it's affair and organization.
-It naturally requires very large amounts of Ichor as fuel for the giant mining machines, countless lights, sprawling ventilation systems, and other miscellaneous reasons.
-It is home many competing and cooperating cultural movements, as well as the infamous "Regulation Party."

KAIROPOLIS
Whalepunk-
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Chains clatter and men shout, anchors swing, leviathans of metal drift past slowly, sparks fly and patrons revel in the countless taverns and inns scattered haphazardly through the bustling harbor city, where there's always a fight to be fought, a drink to be had, and a story to be told. Welcome to Kairopolis.
-The last of the city-states to be swallowed, Kairopolis was notable for it's tooth-and-nail resistance to the Doxan Empire, which resulted in it's original government system being swept away completely. Today, it is ruled by a governor chosen by it's citizens and approved by Doxan representatives. Despite this, Kairopolis has been stalwart in it's maintaining of it's nautical culture, and contributes greatly to the Hunting of Dragons as a replacement for it's previous economic reliance on whaling, trading sea for sky and harpoon for lance.
-Also being a hub for Dragon Hunting, Kairopolis specializes in converting a Dragon's corpse right back into resources to be used for hunting the next.
-Pirates and rebels often make their base of operations here, as there is no shortage of places where the Empire's fingers can't reach even today.​
SETTLEMENTS
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Scattered throughout every corner of the Empire are countless settlements of varying levels of advancement and connection, and it most often these places and the people within them who truly need the help of the Dragon Hunters

DRAGON CULTS
In the deepest depths of the wilderness of Teramagos, there exists mysterious and reclusive tribes from before the founding of the modern city-states. Little is known about them save for what those integrated into Doxan society will reveal, though they tend to worship Dragons as gods and demons, and as a result often attempt to hinder Dragonslayers with varying degrees of severity. The highest concentration of these exist in a region known as the Far North, a frigid and inhospitable rock replete with mysterious ruins and strange phenomena.

PRECURSOR CIVILIZATION
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Scattered across all of Teramagos are large and mysterious ruins of a civilization only ever known as the Precursors. Stories of these ruins have gone back since the dawn of recorded history. Any and all scripts upon the walls are indecipherable, and it's hard to tell what purpose these complexes may have held. The stone used in making them is unnaturally smooth, barely weathered, and extremely durable. What's more is that falling asleep in one can result in wild and fantastic visions and nightmares, which archaeologists have often tried and failed to interpret. Dragons have a tendency to guard eggs in these chambers, though for what reason eludes scientists.

DRAGONS OF TERAMAGOS
Mightiest of all the world's creatures, Dragons alone produce the ichor that the Empire needs.
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A Dragon is best classified as a large reptilian creature most often possessing four limbs, two wings, a serpentine body, various bone or keratin growths, and the ability to utilize it's body's supply of Ichor for it's own "magical" abilities such as elemental breath and gravitational manipulation. They also possess an incredibly strong healing ability, able to regrow entire limbs in mere months, and the peculiar power of self-mutation, in which a Dragon experiencing a hard time adapting to an environment can and will mutate into a more capable form. Not only that, but they can only be effectively harmed with either powerful modern weaponry or alchemically treated blades. They possess sufficient intelligence to figure out simple puzzles and develop hunting strategies, but their highly territorial and solitary nature render taming impossible, and a Dragon in captivity will never stop attempting escape. They are unique in their biology, and no explanation for their evolution has been found. Oddly, their numbers have seemingly not dwindled over the hundreds of years of hunting, and there have been reports of odd behavior in the past few decades, such as increased aggression, a higher willingness to tolerate other Dragons, and a more deliberate targeting of human constructs.

ICHOR
One third of a Dragon's ichor can be found in it's blood, while another third can be found in the biomass of the central and peripheral nervous system, and the remaining third is scattered roughly evenly throughout all tissue. In it's extracted form, it is a phosphorescent oil of thin consistency, possessing a color corresponding to the element the dragon utilized. It's applications are nearly countless and are still being discovered.
DRAGON SLAYERS OF TERAMAGOS
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The brave, the mad, and the desperate. The Heroes and Heroines of the Doxan Empire. Beggars and Aristocrats, Nobles and Commoners, Dragon Slayers come from all walks of life to face the fire aboard a Dragon Hunting Vessel, which is often abbreviated to DHV in terms of naming. Due to the extremely dangerous nature of Dragon Hunting, any attempts at regulating it would only drive away volunteers, and as a result the Dragon Hunters have gone free and unchecked, and as such any individual looking to reap the rewards of the profession have the ability to pursue it assuming they can join a crew or find one.
FINAL NOTE ON LORE
If you have any questions or suggestions about lore, adding lore, specifying on lore, ect... Don't hesitate to ask or suggest! If there's one thing I like it's world building, and having more than one head in the game makes it all the better!
(O)-}-}-------(O)(O)(O)-------{-{-(O)

PLOTS
Players will be Dragonslayers (or possibly non-combat roles if you really want) aboard the esteemed DHV Beowulf, where they will fight under the command of the successful Captain John Caine and his mysterious first-mate Enki. Their goal will be simple, to travel the skies hunting the most fearsome of Draconic threats. However, as the Doxan Empire is entering an age of strife and unrest, the crew may find themselves hindered by any number of threats both in the sky, in the wild, or wandering the streets. Additionally, John Caine has a "white whale" in the form of a black dragon. This beast given the name "Daggerfoot" is an exceptionally intelligent and deadly specimen, to the point where countless dragon hunting parties have set off to slay it, only to never be seen again. As such, the events of the RP can vary greatly depending on the actions and backstories of the characters present.​
And of course, questions and suggestions are welcomed and encouraged!
 
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Hunting Dragons across the skies? Absolutely yes, yes, and yes again.
 
This looks very interesting..
 
This looks stellar.
 
This looks wonderful, I'm super interested!
 
  • Love
Reactions: Nav
It's good to see that this is picking up steam!
*Ba Dum Tss*

Are there any aspects of lore or rules that anyone would like clarification or discussion on?
 
  • Bucket of Rainbows
Reactions: Nav and Greenie
Technology wise, what is there to use? Weapons and vehicles and such.

Also, if an Emperor is elected by noble vote, does he stay for life? Is it possible if rare for a female to be Empress?

Only humans in this rp then to be as?
 
Technology resembles that of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, though on a far larger scale and made more advanced through the use of alchemical processes achieved by the use of ichor. Of course, being a steampunk derived setting, complex gadgets from the minds of deranged tinkerers pop up every now and then. Perhaps the most advanced technological field is the use of ichor to graft technology directly onto the nervous system of a human, which is mostly used to create robotic limb replacements, as controlling larger machinery can cause one to risk brain damage. While these miraculous machines have the ability to receive nerve impulses to direct it's movement, they also have the tendency to, for unknown reasons, send back signals, mostly manifesting in strange and surreal nightmares comparable to ones experienced while in Precursor ruins. As a result most individuals remove these before going to bed.

Once voted in, the Emperor maintains his/her seat of power until the moment of death. As it stands, any individual confirmed to be of noble blood can run for Emperor, be they man or woman.

In terms of non-human races, I first of all must say that I can neither confirm nor deny the humanity of the Precursor race.
In terms of the living folk, the humans of Doxa are a strange and diverse people, and I have been considering the addition of three playable "subspecies" in addition to average folk. If I were to implement them, they would be as follows:
Cthonians- An Albino race mutated by life in the deepest reaches of the Doxan tunnels, they would have the ability to sense things like thermal radiation and electrical impulses, but at the cost of being vulnerable to sunlight and surface bacteria.
Chimerans- A race of catlike folk resembling humans save for the addition of feline ears, tails, fangs, and slit pupils. They are believed to have adapted from isolated humans in the jungles of far-off islands.
Ceteans- A race of fishlike folk resembling humans save for the addition of webbed hands, feet, shark-like teeth, and other vaguely piscine features. They are believed to have adapted along isolated coastal regions.
Of course, if I were to implement these, I'd also have concepts for their cultures and cultural impact within the Empire.
 
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Reactions: Greenie
This is wonderful! Do you have any set ideas about the Precursors? Are any alive?? If not, then is there set lore for the people of the far north? Something that perhaps you'd wish to keep secret from the other players? In this sort of world I feel inclined to be the opposition to the dragon hunters, and I prefer the cold so perfect fit!
 
Oh man, the fish folk give me all kind of ideas, the cogs are spinning, and not just because it's steampunk.

What about religion? Is there dominance in terms of faith, or is there variance?
 
On the case of the Precursors, I do have various ideas of their role and legacy in the setting, though whether they are significant to this particular story depends on the actions and decisions made by the players. It probably wouldn't be a bad guess to say that they have some sort of connection to Dragons and ichor.

For the Far North, I personally visualized Steampunk Vikings in terms of basic design. Their homeland is one of scarce resources, vicious animals, deadly terrain, ice storms, and a surplus of Dragons. These factors add up to a land nearly impossible for a foreign military to gain a foothold in, and as a result the Empire is very hesitant to send in soldiers. However, the surplus of Dragons and Precursor sites make it an enticing destination for Dragonslayers and treasure hunters, some never returning. The Far Northerners themselves, or at least the ones who oppose The Empire, often arm themselves with scavenged or stolen technology to create ramshackle dirigibles able to ambush other airships, more often than not attempting to board the targeted vessel as to take it in as good condition as possible.

As for religion, Teramagos is home to a great deal of faiths. The state religion in the Doxan Empire is a semi-monotheistic belief based around the idea of a Benevolent God with a host of Angels and Saints directly opposing a Malevolent God with a host of Demons. (For simplicity, I may simply have these referred to as God and the Devil.)
Then there are the Old World Cults, various religions, usually polytheistic and holding Dragons as significant creatures within the order of the world.
Then the New World Cults, which have sprung up within the Empire and are generally unpredictable in terms of belief or doctrine, many but not all are adapted versions of Old World Cults.
 
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I would suggest not having too many people in the rp as it tends to slow things down.

So, how would we go about starting this? Other discussion stuff?
 
I'm thinking four more people at the most, unless anyone thinks it should be lower or higher?

I think a good place to start would be everyone boarding the ship and meeting eachother, and then a time skip to the morning they fight the first dragon of the voyage.

As for other things, I suppose settling how combat would function is in order, the possibility of character death, ect.

I should also probably ask, how much blood, gore, and other unpleasentries is everyone okay with?
 
I’m open to anything. I am willing to deal with as much gore and blood as you’re willing to throw, but I’m also more than happy to dial it back.
 
I'm okay with anything personally ^^ I mean in the gore/blood/violence department.

I'm assuming that's what other unpleasantries means XD
 
Yo. I'm so down for this if you still have the room.

EDIT: Also I'm pretty sure I joined an older version of this at one point sometime last year, can't remember exactly though.
 
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I'm good for whatever. Be it cuts or blood bath.

I also really suggest about this being the limit of people participating. Even if say Discord is used, always so many people make things more complicated, even if it does allow for more possibilities.
 
I'm okay with quite a bit of violence, although I'd be happy to not see excessive amounts for no reason. Overall, I don't really mind it either way.
 
Well I have a friend who's interested... I'll tag them here in case @SkittlesAndSpike
 
So many colorful bar titles under your name.