Merchant Families in a Mediterranean-inspired fantasy world

[Chapatrap]

It is formally decreed, that in the year 1212, that merchants from the Embden League, representing all major powers of the continent Embden, including the Kingdom of the Francs, the Anglish Kingdom, The Kingdom of Castalano, The Most Serene Republic of Vinova and the Republic of Maurek, will have full access to the Eastern city ports across the Eastern Sea, while merchants, soldiers and subjects of each of these city ports will be returned to their homelands unharmed and trade between both parties will continue. -Embden-Amharic Trade Treaty (1212)
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The basic premise of this RP is relatively simple - you, the player, shall be playing a family of merchants (and their affiliates) or an independent merchant in a fantasy world that bears several similarities to our own. Your goal as a merchant is to spread your influence to the isolated continent while also trying to maintain your place at the top at home. Also, you're merchants, you want that top dollah' and you'll use any dirty trick to get it. You can do almost anything to achieve these goals, whether it be GoT-like politics or Assassins Creed-style takeovers from within.

The RP will be set on two continents - Embden and Amhara - which both draw influence from Europe and North Africa respectively (I'll be drawing up maps for both continents). The technology level will roughly be equal to Renaissance Europe with a few magical influences. The level of fantasy will be relatively low, by the way - I'm not looking for Elf Mages who shoot blue fire from their hands but I'm giving you all a bit of creative license when it comes to the local wildlife and the Eastern magical runestones (or whatever). Most magic flows from Amhara, so if you want magic, send a few lads east.

I'm expecting the gameplay to be free form. Instead of the RP taking place from the point of view from one character, it'll be of the characters affiliated with your family/faction. All while you're off setting up trade routes and killing each other, wider events (orchestrated by me and mostly spurred off by the actions of the players) shall be happening in the world that will effect your factions/families in different ways. These events can range from wars among nations to natural disasters to the deaths of important figures. As citizens within the nations (which will be largely NPC or in exceptional cases, controlled by members of your faction), our factions/families will be effected.

I guess that's it in it's barest form. I'm leaving a lot open to discussion and I encourage your criticisms, questions and comments. Thanks!​

 

[Razilin]

interested. i would play a family head or one of captains of the ships setting up a shipping lane.

 

[Heyitsjiwon]

Interested as well.

 

[Ray]

Sounds interesting. I'd like to know more about the extent and limitations of magic though, since the level of it is relatively low in this universe.

 

[Chapatrap]

interested. i would play a family head or one of captains of the ships setting up a shipping lane.

You can play both, if you'd like. I'd only ask for a faction app and you can play anyone affiliated with that faction, whether it be the head of a rich family or the captain of a ship.

Interested as well.

Thank you, kind roleplayer.

Sounds interesting. I'd like to know more about the extent and limitations of magic though, since the level of it is relatively low in this universe.

My idea for magic comes in the form of magical items, scrolls, stones, runes, etc that all come from Amhara and can be used by anyone who can decipher them with unknown results. In order to use them, scholarsrs/monks from Amhara hired or even kidnapped to decipher the magical items for various factions and discover what they do and how effective they are. This could lead into an interesting arc in which different factions are sent on expeditions into Amhara to find magical items or the aftermath of a magical item devastating an area.

 

[Ray]

So monks and scholars that are hired or kidnapped will be the only ones who are able to decipher these magical items? How powerful are these magical items?

 

[Chapatrap]

So monks and scholars that are hired or kidnapped will be the only ones who are able to decipher these magical items? How powerful are these magical items?

That depends on the item, seeing as they all have random effects on them. Perhaps one item could have a power as simple as mind control while another could do untold amounts of damage to a city or people around you. I'll put a rule on the power and commodity of such an item to stop game-breaking events from happening every second post but items that provide cheap little party tricks will probably be found in markets across the world and will bring the surge in interest of magical items.

But yeah, in general, Amharic scholars and other people who have isolated themselves for years to study these items will be the only people to know what they mean. Merchants in Amhara will have a vague idea or lie as to what such items do.