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Hearthbrin War Effort
THE PLOT
In cold Hearthbrin, northern continent in the world of Noroth, humans and other civilized races have long struggled to establish colonies despite the "barbaric" inhabitants of the chilly land. These colonies are often besieged by enemy war bands, but the rich resources and the ancient relics to be found are often worth the frontier lifestyle. However, recent troubles have required the settlers and the outlying tribes to fight side by side as often as against one another.
Abarad Hessta, a priest of Indulgia, has claimed the warm caves of Hearthbrin as his holy temple and is attempting his own apotheosis. His goal is to become Indulgia's lover, a great god in his own right. He will stop at little to do so and his first offerings were in blood. His next will be the lands and peoples of Hearthbrin itself, subjugated and captive.
But the races of the world are rallying against him, fighting back on great battle fronts. Once meager settlements and tribal areas have become front line arming stations, great walls, and bustling craft cities. While elves and catfiends attempt to keep some nature in the great towns, others push for wartime progress. Most cities belong to one of the many factions, but the city of Ladriva, a walled and magically warmed city just twenty miles back from the front lines and on a fjord coastline, is a melting pot for races and factions. It is here supplies are gathered, councils meet, and the war effort is fueled and plotted. And should the front lines fall, it is here the last stand of Hearthbrin will be held.
This game takes place in the world of Noroth, the same world the Hollow Vale game takes place in. The games are separate but may subtly influence one another. Please check back to this OOC regularly as it will be updated with new information.
Episode One: THE WAR EFFORT NEEDS YOU!
In Ladriva, efforts are being made to gather scrap metal and old belongings to forge new weapons and shells. A great rally is being held, but with all of the varying factions crowding the streets more than normal, tensions are running high. When rumors begin to spread that the Nyshta Skies, a group of ariel mercenaries currently hired by Abarad, are visiting the town to perhaps change sides, those tensions start to mount. Are the guard really going to allow these Skies into town? Are the Skies really just a mercenary group or are they spies or infiltrators?
This session will be a highly social and dramatic session. Future sessions may involve drama and combat, but this session should include only minimal combat. Please make a character you will enjoy playing, as you will likely be playing them again. I do require you to run your character by me before playing so I know how to tailor the plot. You may play someone from any of the various factions and species in the playable list. They must be part of the faction they originate from or a settler group or other political entity. You may not play one of Abarad's standard or special troops. Anyone wishing to play one of the Nyshta Skies must clear it with me and must be available to plot.
Acceptable races:
Humans
These innovative creatures pride themselves on politics and technology. They are especially good at making war. Humans can belong to any faction they choose to ally themselves with, though most will side with Barrivin Kingdom. Humans are tenacious settlers in Hearthbrin and it was they who had the first settlement where Ladriva now stands. They are not built for the cold and thus wear heavy furs and leathers over their armor when leaving Ladriva.
These innovative creatures pride themselves on politics and technology. They are especially good at making war. Humans can belong to any faction they choose to ally themselves with, though most will side with Barrivin Kingdom. Humans are tenacious settlers in Hearthbrin and it was they who had the first settlement where Ladriva now stands. They are not built for the cold and thus wear heavy furs and leathers over their armor when leaving Ladriva.
Elves
Shorter than human by a few inches on average, these delicate creatures are nature loving and proud. They consider themselves the oldest race on Noroth. Some scholars claim they are actually descended from dwarves and fae, though. The elves deny this with their last breath and scowl if it is even mentioned in passing. Elves are allied to the Great Wardenship and take their duty of watching over the world seriously. Sometimes a bit too seriously.
Shorter than human by a few inches on average, these delicate creatures are nature loving and proud. They consider themselves the oldest race on Noroth. Some scholars claim they are actually descended from dwarves and fae, though. The elves deny this with their last breath and scowl if it is even mentioned in passing. Elves are allied to the Great Wardenship and take their duty of watching over the world seriously. Sometimes a bit too seriously.
Dwarves
Dwarves are arguably the true oldest race of the world, fae being from another world entirely. Dwarves are impeccable crafters and have joined the war effort as much to show off their weaponsmithing and armor craft as to protect their mountainous homes. In fact, they dislike being in such an open place, especially with aerial troops nearby. Dwarves prefer their feet on the ground-- and everyone else's there as well. They are generally allied to King Dojoth Stoneheel, no matter where they hail from.
Dwarves are arguably the true oldest race of the world, fae being from another world entirely. Dwarves are impeccable crafters and have joined the war effort as much to show off their weaponsmithing and armor craft as to protect their mountainous homes. In fact, they dislike being in such an open place, especially with aerial troops nearby. Dwarves prefer their feet on the ground-- and everyone else's there as well. They are generally allied to King Dojoth Stoneheel, no matter where they hail from.
Fae
From the Green World, some fae have chosen to live in Noroth. They are all magical but very physically delicate. Despite this, some fae don armor and fight, but the most use magics and stay behind the lines, lobbing spells. Fae are allied to no one in particular. They live for magic, it is their calling, and they will generally pick a group to bond with and stay with that faction unless given good reason to leave. Fae are taller than humans and have long, leaflike wings. They can come in many skintones, from blue to green to red.
From the Green World, some fae have chosen to live in Noroth. They are all magical but very physically delicate. Despite this, some fae don armor and fight, but the most use magics and stay behind the lines, lobbing spells. Fae are allied to no one in particular. They live for magic, it is their calling, and they will generally pick a group to bond with and stay with that faction unless given good reason to leave. Fae are taller than humans and have long, leaflike wings. They can come in many skintones, from blue to green to red.
Gnomes
Shorter even than dwarves, gnomes are even better at technology than humans. Their similar lifespans are believed to be the drive behind building bigger and better things. Whereas humans are good at making war machines, gnomes are particularly good at making other types of useful gear. Some employ fae, whose magic can enchant their goods to become even better. Gnomes are generally allied to the dwarven king Stoneheel or to a trade guild.
Shorter even than dwarves, gnomes are even better at technology than humans. Their similar lifespans are believed to be the drive behind building bigger and better things. Whereas humans are good at making war machines, gnomes are particularly good at making other types of useful gear. Some employ fae, whose magic can enchant their goods to become even better. Gnomes are generally allied to the dwarven king Stoneheel or to a trade guild.
Insectoids
Bipedal with one set of three fingered hands and one set of scything talons, these fierce insects were once a tiny race before magically enlarging themselves. Now standing close to eight feet tall, they are fiercely loyal to those they side with. At the moment, the Insectoids are allied to the Orcish Queen Mashadva. They are exceptional at working with textiles and many are employed to make the banners for the war effort.
Bipedal with one set of three fingered hands and one set of scything talons, these fierce insects were once a tiny race before magically enlarging themselves. Now standing close to eight feet tall, they are fiercely loyal to those they side with. At the moment, the Insectoids are allied to the Orcish Queen Mashadva. They are exceptional at working with textiles and many are employed to make the banners for the war effort.
Goblinoids
Goblinoids are varied races all allied with the orcs. The Orc Queen Mashadva rules with an iron fist, trusting only her closest advisors. Orcs are generally better fighters than mages, but there are exceptions. Goblins are more likely to be mages or thieves and, though the orcs tolerate them, they rarely trust them. The good thing about goblins is they breed quickly. The bad thing about goblins is they breed quickly.
Goblinoids are varied races all allied with the orcs. The Orc Queen Mashadva rules with an iron fist, trusting only her closest advisors. Orcs are generally better fighters than mages, but there are exceptions. Goblins are more likely to be mages or thieves and, though the orcs tolerate them, they rarely trust them. The good thing about goblins is they breed quickly. The bad thing about goblins is they breed quickly.
Centaurs
Centaurs are generally tribal, though some have allied with the elves in stewardship of the world. Great archers and wonderful foresters, they are fleet of foot but not at home in cities. Contrary to what one might think, they are absolutely fine with horses being used as work animals (there are a few extreme exceptions like Kirkus Vanifey, who believes all hoofed creatures should be free). Centaurs are exceptional makers of wooden weapons and are surprisingly skilled lapidaries.
Centaurs are generally tribal, though some have allied with the elves in stewardship of the world. Great archers and wonderful foresters, they are fleet of foot but not at home in cities. Contrary to what one might think, they are absolutely fine with horses being used as work animals (there are a few extreme exceptions like Kirkus Vanifey, who believes all hoofed creatures should be free). Centaurs are exceptional makers of wooden weapons and are surprisingly skilled lapidaries.
Kobolds
Small, scaled, and chittering, kobolds aren't on anyone's list of immediate friends. However, their skill as trapmasters, spies, and thieves has earned them a place in the war effort. They are unfortunately rather racist and tend to work only with other kobolds. This very fact has prompted the quick rise through the ranks of a very tactical (and surprisingly diplomatic) kobold leader named K'thish. He is a general in the war effort and his advice on the council is invaluable. He also ensures, both through other kobolds and handpicked subordinates of other races, that the kobolds do their jobs with minimal griping or stealing.
Small, scaled, and chittering, kobolds aren't on anyone's list of immediate friends. However, their skill as trapmasters, spies, and thieves has earned them a place in the war effort. They are unfortunately rather racist and tend to work only with other kobolds. This very fact has prompted the quick rise through the ranks of a very tactical (and surprisingly diplomatic) kobold leader named K'thish. He is a general in the war effort and his advice on the council is invaluable. He also ensures, both through other kobolds and handpicked subordinates of other races, that the kobolds do their jobs with minimal griping or stealing.
Catfiends
Somewhere between a komodo dragon and a large cat, the bipedal catfiends are heavily furred on most of their body. However, the skin beneath the fur is actually scaled, leading scholars to believe that the catfiends arose via odd experiment or chaos magic at the beginnings of their existence. Whatever they once were, they are now tribal, reverent of spirits, and make amazing shamans. Despite a fierce appearance and very independent natures, they will listen to others if those others aren't trying to steal their land. Unfortunately, Ladriva itself is built on one of their ceremonial huntgrounds and they help the war effort only with the understanding that someday they will get their land back. There are two schools of thought developing, a more colonial acceptance in some of the younger generation and a fierce adherence to the old ways, the latter being wider spread. Those catfiends in Ladriva answer to War Leader Anfos Firepaw, a member of the council.
Somewhere between a komodo dragon and a large cat, the bipedal catfiends are heavily furred on most of their body. However, the skin beneath the fur is actually scaled, leading scholars to believe that the catfiends arose via odd experiment or chaos magic at the beginnings of their existence. Whatever they once were, they are now tribal, reverent of spirits, and make amazing shamans. Despite a fierce appearance and very independent natures, they will listen to others if those others aren't trying to steal their land. Unfortunately, Ladriva itself is built on one of their ceremonial huntgrounds and they help the war effort only with the understanding that someday they will get their land back. There are two schools of thought developing, a more colonial acceptance in some of the younger generation and a fierce adherence to the old ways, the latter being wider spread. Those catfiends in Ladriva answer to War Leader Anfos Firepaw, a member of the council.
Noroth World Details
Summary:
The world of Noroth is an intricate place, full of many peoples trying to live in various states of war and harmony. Four major continents and a handful of large islands dominate the world along with five oceans.
Geography and inhabitants
The four major continents of Noroth are:
Barrivin- Home to humans, elves, dwarves, "good" fae, gnomes, and werecreatures. This mountainous continent has many coastal inlets and steep valleys. The peoples here are more political, though they will declare war if needed. It is situated in the northeast portion of the map.
Irrishkin- Home to insectoids, goblins of various sorts, humans, centaurs, and giants. This continent is varied, going from heavy plains to swamps to steep mountains and sheer cliffs. The peoples here range from warlords to tribal. It is situated on the southwest portion of the map.
Hearthbrin- Home to gnolls, kobolds, owlbears, Catfiends, and merfolk just off the shores. This continent is cool, with long, hard winters and mild summers. It is situated on the extreme northwest portion of the map. This wild northern wilderness is difficult to survive in. The merfolk care little for ground dwellers except as a chance meal, gnolls, kobolds, and owlbears tend toward violence, and the tribal Catfiends (who look like a cross between a cougar and a komodo dragon) dislike anyone intruding upon them in the name of progress.
Dashkos- Home to fae, elves, and centaurs. This continent is pleasantly tropical with volcanic ranges and black sand beaches. It is in the extreme east just south of the equator. Each of the peoples who have moved to this paradise live by their own rules, common towns for nonnative species being cutthroat and often controlled by the black market and pirates.
Magic
Magic is varied, anything from light and life magic to necromancy. There are so many schools of magic that they will be detailed in sections where they are most prevalent. The biggest schools of magic are Fae Sorcery, Life Magic, and the Holy Arts.
Religion
The dominant religion of Noroth is that of the Sun Lord and the Moon Maiden. Hailing from the Gold World, the Sun Lord and Moon Maiden are great dragon gods who have taken on the burden of caring for the mortal world. While there are many other dragon gods, only a few deal specifically with the races of Noroth. The Sun Lord and Moon Maiden are the masters of Light and the Tides. Dealing directly with them or even one of their mortal dragon emissaries is dangerous and as likely to land you on a deadly mission as it is to grant you a boon.
There are many other demigods and tribal deities that interact with the species of Noroth; these will be discussed in the various regions and peoples sections.
Politics
Politics vary by region. The world is in a constant state of change with borders being rewritten by geographic shifts, war, intrigue, marriage, and betrayal.
The world of Noroth is an intricate place, full of many peoples trying to live in various states of war and harmony. Four major continents and a handful of large islands dominate the world along with five oceans.
Geography and inhabitants
The four major continents of Noroth are:
Barrivin- Home to humans, elves, dwarves, "good" fae, gnomes, and werecreatures. This mountainous continent has many coastal inlets and steep valleys. The peoples here are more political, though they will declare war if needed. It is situated in the northeast portion of the map.
Irrishkin- Home to insectoids, goblins of various sorts, humans, centaurs, and giants. This continent is varied, going from heavy plains to swamps to steep mountains and sheer cliffs. The peoples here range from warlords to tribal. It is situated on the southwest portion of the map.
Hearthbrin- Home to gnolls, kobolds, owlbears, Catfiends, and merfolk just off the shores. This continent is cool, with long, hard winters and mild summers. It is situated on the extreme northwest portion of the map. This wild northern wilderness is difficult to survive in. The merfolk care little for ground dwellers except as a chance meal, gnolls, kobolds, and owlbears tend toward violence, and the tribal Catfiends (who look like a cross between a cougar and a komodo dragon) dislike anyone intruding upon them in the name of progress.
Dashkos- Home to fae, elves, and centaurs. This continent is pleasantly tropical with volcanic ranges and black sand beaches. It is in the extreme east just south of the equator. Each of the peoples who have moved to this paradise live by their own rules, common towns for nonnative species being cutthroat and often controlled by the black market and pirates.
Magic
Magic is varied, anything from light and life magic to necromancy. There are so many schools of magic that they will be detailed in sections where they are most prevalent. The biggest schools of magic are Fae Sorcery, Life Magic, and the Holy Arts.
Religion
The dominant religion of Noroth is that of the Sun Lord and the Moon Maiden. Hailing from the Gold World, the Sun Lord and Moon Maiden are great dragon gods who have taken on the burden of caring for the mortal world. While there are many other dragon gods, only a few deal specifically with the races of Noroth. The Sun Lord and Moon Maiden are the masters of Light and the Tides. Dealing directly with them or even one of their mortal dragon emissaries is dangerous and as likely to land you on a deadly mission as it is to grant you a boon.
There are many other demigods and tribal deities that interact with the species of Noroth; these will be discussed in the various regions and peoples sections.
Politics
Politics vary by region. The world is in a constant state of change with borders being rewritten by geographic shifts, war, intrigue, marriage, and betrayal.
THE OTHER WORLDS (You will not be playing in these, but your magic is drawn from them)
The black world- A parallel world of shadows that is a warped reflection of Noroth and used by practitioners of shadow and stealth magic. Home to the Demigod Veil. It is not an evil world, just one of stealth, subtlety, and whispered songs. Thieves and shadow mages both draw their magics from here. Invisibility is an oft bestowed power from this realm with shadow walking being rarer. Other powers include shadow form (ephemeral form), evasive shadows (harder to hit), and Fleeting Shadows (quicker than usual at casting or fighting).
The grey world- The world of the dead, ghosts, spirits, and necromantic magic. Used both by shamans doing ancestral work and necromancers raising the dead. It is a neutrally aligned world and is a place to go before reincarnation. Home to the Demigod Shroud. This world is dangerous as the lure of peace can captivate the spirit worker and pull her in if she is not careful, causing dangerous illness or death.
The green world- A parallel world of fae and wild magic used by those who practice sorcery or faerie magics. Home to the demigoddess Blaze and the demigod Ash. This world is a lush and magical paradise and almost every action is magical. Fae who choose to leave give up the majority of their powers while in Noroth or other realms and only regain them upon returning for a full 24 hours. Sorcery, wizardry, and bardsong draw their powers from this realm.
The blue world- A parallel world of questions and answers along with dreams and prophecy. Using the blue world can lead to madness if overdone. Home to the divine prophet Argaras, who was once a seer of great skill as a mortal before his apotheosis. Any magic to do with prophecy, pre or retro cognition, dreaming and prophecy comes from this world. Many wizards work both with green and blue magic.
The gold world- A parallel world of dragons, light and blessings, beautiful but dangerous as the energies tend to burn through one if overused. Used to a lesser degree by clerics and those who channel holy magic, to a greater degree by those who use straight life magic. Home to the Sun Lord and Moon Maiden and the Dragon Council. This world's magic can be addicting and beautiful and deadly even as it heals.
The violet world- a parallel world of excess, where debauchery, pestilence, gluttony, disease, and indulgence run wild. This magic must be harnessed very carefully so as to only gain the boosts one wishes. Used by divine whores, blight doctors, vermin masters, etc. Home to the demigoddess Indulgia, this world is a constant temptation for sinners and the weak willed. It is not evil, however, and some such as divine whores provide a great service with its magic.
The red world- a parallel world of ingenuity and war and darker creatures such as demons and will sprites as well as divine protectors who war constantly with the darker influences. Used by battle mages and clerics as well as both holy and unholy leaders alike. It is also a world of invention and the better war machine. Home to the demon prince Varin and the archangel Victoria. Magic of the red world is damaging and warlike. Some wizards even embrace this magic and become war sorcerers or the like.
Your magic may overlap several worlds. Even those with no magic sometimes have allegiance. There are theories that berserkers draw strength from the red world, for instance. A thief bard will have black and green magic. Items can be imbued with other worldly magic, as well, so keep that in mind.
THE RULES
1) No godmodding.
2) Keep fights fair. If you don't know how to do turn based chat fighting, let me know. I will run over it before the game starts.
3) You are welcome to make powerful characters within reason. I have final say of what is too powerful. You don't have to be of the same level as other characters, but you shouldn't be able to do everything, either.
4) This goes for skills, too. You cannot be a master of all trades.
5) Those who are going to play must also remain in an OOC chat. This is so that we can facilitate smooth gameplay and handle any disputes or questions.
6) Do not try to break or distract from the storyline. It's there for a reason.
7) Each episode will focus on different people. Everyone will get to play, but don't be surprised if you have to wait a while to bring your full storyline in.
8) I will provide teasers for each new episode. In cases where there are time skips, feel free to RP or write about what your character does between episodes.
9) Character sheets must be filled out by your second session.
10) I am the GM. That means I am god for this. I will be playing powerful NPCs, messing your characters up, and doing what is necessary to move the story along. If you cannot handle this, don't play. That said, I won't kill characters unless it is either exceedingly necessary or I've talked to you about it OOC and you've okayed it.
THE CHARACTER SHEET
You may use this sheet or come up with one of your own.
Name:
Age:
Appearance:
Occupation:
History:
Talents and Gifts:
Personality:
Secret:
Rumors:
Important Gear:
Unformatted version
Name:
Age:
Appearance:
Occupation:
History:
Talents and Gifts:
Personality:
Secret:
Rumors:
Important Gear:
