INTEREST CHECK Idea for Arranged Marriage RP

M

Murasaki_Sama

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Original poster
So I've seen a couple of group Marriage Rps around on various RP sites, but I always found them to late to join. I would kind of like to be in one, although I might not so much like to run one. Maybe co-run, if I could find another person interested in being a mod.

Anyway, I have an idea for one, and if anyone wants to work with me to flesh out the idea, or mostly take it over and run the RP (with some help from me, but not a ton) that could be cool. Right now, I just want to know if enough people are interested in the RP.

So, idea. Right.

Um. First off, there are 3-5 couples (I've seen those numbers most, I guess?). It will be a standard arrangement marriage RP, where two characters are paired up as fiances before the RP starts. There will be two differences, however. Maybe three? I mean, I am not going to say the pairs have to be male/female or male/male like I've seen some arranged marriage RPs do. The characters can be any gender.

Anyway, first big differences - the pairs are not advertised. So there are like, 6-10 spots for characters. Obviously the pairs are determined in advance. However, none of the players are notified of the pairs until all character sheets are in. So instead of having a chart with the pairings posted in the set-up/ooc thread, we'd just list a few character ideas or slots. People would create characters, and then be told who they would be paired with. This would help to add complication and drama when two straight guys, for example, end up paired together. Of course, the pairings would be decided in advance; they just wouldn't be published.

Second difference - once all the character sheets are in, each player would be given two character names. The first character name they get is for their fiance, the character their character has to marry. The second character name would be for another character they had to develop a relationship with. Now, this is the fun part. The nature of the relationship is entirely up to the two players. They could be best friends, secret lovers, rivals or full out enemies, anything. This would help make sure that players interacted with at least one person other than their fiance (so that it doesn't end up looking like five random 1x1 romances mixed into the same thread).

For setting, I was thinking something a bit steampunk/gearpunk/clockpunkish, rather than traditional fantasy or sci-fi. Maybe Tesla punk mixed with some magic? I mean, I could up with a detailed world setting in a matter of minutes, but I'm not set on any such setting right now.

So...um. Is anyone interested in an arranged marriage RP with the above features? I'd also love to toss in some basic politics/intrigue, war or something...I don't know, something to make it more than people getting married. Ideas? Comments? Anything?

Atanwan, the City of All Souls, is the largest and most famous city in the world. There scholars, artists, warriors, merchants and politicians gather to exchange everything from ideas to gold. It is also the only city-state that does not owe any allegiance to another power, and has managed to remain neutral for nearly 1000 years.

Every fifty years Atanwan stands as host to the Ritual Reconciliation. Every leader in the known world sends one son or daughter to be married to the child of another leader. These marriages are determined and agreed upon decades in advance, and cannot be changed; they often serve as marriage in form only, not in function. Second and third children are preferred over direct Heirs, as not all marriages result in children. The Reconciled must live in together in Atanwan for one year and one day prior to the mass wedding ceremony of the Ritual.

The Year of Reconciliation is upon the land and royal entourages from kingdoms far and wide pour into Atanwan in preparation of the Ritual. The year will be a busy one, as merchants and pilgrims descend upon the city to celebrate. Global politics will be played out in a single city, while nations turn their eyes from war and peace to Reconciliation.
 
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I will tentatively state my interest, depending on the kinds of writers this attracts...

Also, I have a fantasy war setting that could work for this, if you'd like.
 
I played a scenario like this before, but it was a onexone. Curious to see how it would be in a group.

That means, she's interested.
 
Lulu, I am interested in your fantasy war setting. Would you like to elaborate on it? You could PM me and we could talk it over, I could add ideas/feedback, whatever... Or you could just post it here and we could see what it inspires in me by way of ideas.

Ashalia, I played one like this in 1x1 too, and it was alright, but...well, the interactions were limited. Like, prince/princess fiances cannot spend all of their time talking to just each other, but....they were the only characters, soo... That's why I wanna try this. I want to see characters interacting with lots of other characters. Makes things more fun that way.
 
I am on board with this. Been a looong time since I've done arranged marriage. It's not really an awesome one x one setting unless both people are willing to play multiple characters, but this sounds like a great idea. :D
 
I think this sounds like fun! I'd be happy to give it a try.
 
Admittedly, I too had to play multiple characters when I did the 1x1 with my partner a long time ago.

Unfortunately, he only played one and left the whole story development to us.

Which was tiring.

That's why we're curious to see how this would turn out.
 
Awesome! Looks like we have enough interest to move forward with developing the actual rp! Lulu and I are talking setting and plot, and I expect we'll have something soon. Or I'll just make something up randomly. I'm good at that. ehh. Right.

Asha - same thing happened to me. I was playing like 5 characters and she was playing one... it was not fun.
 
Um, I actually came up with a plot just now as I was sitting here. And I'm working on the city/world map which will make the RP work. I figured out how the pairs will work and...yesss...Anyway, updated the first post with the plot idea. I'm still writing/rewriting it a bit. Gonna go work on the map(s) now.

Don't worry, everyone will pretty much be able to make up their own nation, so at least that will be fun.
 
This looks interesting. I've never actually tried my hand at anything romantic (RP wise) before, but if I understand this idea correctly everything is mostly political anyway. Definitely like the idea of being required to form some sort of a relationship with a second character.
 
Yay, more interest!
Falcon, did you read the plot idea? I added that since the last time anyone posted, and I want to know what at least one person thinks of it...

Also, someone stop me. please? I'm making maps.
OF THE CITY. of each complex i just...i .... *sigh* and then there is the world map (which will be horrible undetailed, just a few continents and some nations named "Kingdom One" and "Kingdom Two")
 
Actually your plot idea is mainly why I'm interested :)
Multiple kingdoms represented in a single gathering . . . that practically grantees some political intrigue, spying, maybe a bit of plotting to attempt to get the better of the neighboring lands. In short, the kind of situation that'll make this more then just romantic fluff, at least as far as I'm concerned. Not yet sure what kind of character/s I'll create yet. I am willing to play multiple if needed.
 
Oh, good! I always worry if my random plots sound corny or boring, but if it sounds like political intrigue and spying, then I did good! I also have a brief description of Atanwan written up, but I am not posting it until I get the map(s?) at least half way done. That way I can change stuff if I need to.
 
You could always open a sign-up thread while working on the world.

Don't be impatient.

It was a suggestion.

With less tact in the intent.

Maybe I should've done lobotomy to remove you.

You'd remove yourself too.

...Fine.
 
I thought about that. Unfortunately, one of the things I need to figure out about the world is how many counties we are talking about. Six? Ten? Ten countries means five couples, which is good... but...

That, and I want to make sure that I have all the countries and pairings figured out in advance, so that they truly are random pairings without regard to the gender or sexuality of the characters.

I expect I'll have a sign up thread today though. I made a lot of progress last night, and there isn't much more to do. Just have to draw a few random continents and then divide them into a decent number of countries.
 
Okay, so I have everything (except for a few minor maps) 100% done for the sign up/discussion/ooc thread. Problem is, I now need to post it up and like, format it and such. And I am just too tired for that right now. I will post it all up tomorrow morning/ish sometime. Then I will finish the maps and have them up by tomorrow night. So sometime tomorrow afternoon I will start accepting characters. You could actually get started on them now, if you want. Just think basic, non-magical, fully human children of world leaders, mostly princes and princesses. Any kind of nation, be it influenced by Persian, European, Asian or African cultures, it all works.
 
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