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Dirigible
Guest
Original poster
Welcome to the Changeling Wars RP! We're your GM's @Chile and @Dirigible. We've created an original story inspired by Fae mythology and plenty of dark fantasy, and are excited to share it with you guys!
Check out the tabs below to get a feel for the story and what we have in store for our players, and then get to work on some character sheets!
Also, check out the Codex, it's a pretty hefty info dump for you guys that we'll be adding to as we go along.
Discord | Codex
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Welcome, Changeling, to the Emerald Realm.
You are not so far from home as you might imagine.
The Iron Realm, your home when you were still human, lies just beyond the Lapis Tree. It should look familiar, that great tree. It has another name in your realm. It has a name in every realm, because it exists in every realm. The Lapis Tree, The World Tree, Var'zal Dim, different, but the same.
But this, this is the realm of the Fae, a land of magic, myth, and legend spoken of in every other realm with either reverence or fear. This is your home now. This is where Autumn is not just a season, but a land in and of itself, ruled by a Spider Queen more ancient than immortal memory. This is where Winter once tried to seize control of the whole realm, and nearly tore it asunder in the process. This is where Spring and Summer attempt to regain control of the Blytebog, and yet the Blytebog repels them both, season after season.
This is where Changelings first came to be, where the wily Fox King first stole away a human child, curious what the Lapis Tree would make of the mortal creature. And what the Lapis Tree made was something incredible.
Not quite human, not quite Fae, Changelings are new creations. Once human children, they have been pulled through the in-between of Iron and Emerald, a space outside of time, emerging on the other side stronger, older, and more powerful. But, confused.
Most of them remember little of who and what they were before. Vague recollections of wandering through the branches of your World Tree, a feeling of fear, the memory of being lost, and then a blinding green light and the feeling of being pulled apart.
And then, just as suddenly as that, they're here. Standing beneath the shimmering emerald leaves, the Lapis Tree whispering its own welcome and the eager eyes of the Court Fae waiting to see what wonders this new Changeling will wrought.
Changeling, this you must understand above all else. You are valuable. Likely valuable beyond measure, whatever power you carry in your veins sought after by the rulers of every Court of the Emerald Realm. Since the first Changeling was brought here by the Fox King Godfallow, they have become priceless commodities, revered members of the courts, and devastating weapons. Don't let the idyll of this place fool you. The Courts are devious, scheming viper's nests. Each walks the delicate line between seeking power and keeping the balance of the realm. And when one's thirst for power grows too strong… Well, you'll see the Frost Scar soon enough, and then you'll understand.
You should know what happened before you arrived, you should know where the Changelings stand these days. We can't have you walking in there like a newborn deer.
The Court Fae, those of the seasonal courts, they are always in conflict. They all have their natural opposites, Summer and Winter, Autumn and Spring, Dusk and Dawn. Like the cycle of the seasons in other realms, power cycles through the Courts as well, one court at a time rising in strength for a season of prosperity, seven years of growth. When the Changelings first arrived, they altered that balance. Now, the courts had new sources of power, entirely unlike the magics of the Fae themselves. I'll skip to where it really matters though.
One Changeling in particular arrived, the one known as Thorne. Once of the Spring Court, Thorne craved power of his own. And with his Whisper, that small quiet voice of corruption that wormed its way through the minds of all who heard it, power could be his. Thorne left Spring and made his way to the isolated court of Winter, where his poison could fester and grow and harness the wrath of Winter, just in time for the season of Winter's strength to arrive. And so, the Reign of Winter began. With Thorne always at his side, the Bear King Ubin began to expand the bounds of the Winter Court, swallowing up great swaths of the land in ice and snow. But the Changeling Thorne's influence was not limited to just the Winter Court, it was the Changelings as well who flocked to his side. Thorne offered not just power to the Changelings who joined him, but an opportunity. To return. Thorne promised them the Iron Realm, and the home he insisted they'd been stolen away from. He promised them the chance to go back, to escape the shackles of the Fae, and return to their human lives. This proved a compelling argument, and many Changelings joined him. And so Winter's power grew.
The Reign of Winter has another name, and this is why you should know this history. It is why Changelings are treated differently than they once were, and why many of the High Fae still look on them with mistrust, even so many years later. It was Changelings, not the Fae, who finally successfully stood against Thorne. The Changeling Wars is what it became, as an opposing faction rose up from their courts, led by Rowan the Weaver, the cherished Changeling prodigy of the Spider Queen Llenolyth.
We don't know what exactly it is that Rowan and her allies did, as they all perished in the process. But we do know what they left behind, and the story that has grown since. They say that Rowan and Thorne met in the heart of the Lapis Tree, as the latter tried to convince her to join him. But Rowan could not be swayed. Even as Thorne tried to weave his dark magic into her and into the Lapis Tree itself, Rowan was un-weaving it, turning away the corruption before it could take root in the heart of the realm and the roots of the Tree. What happened next is the true mystery, as the only thing anyone saw was the Lapis Tree erupting into mercurial silver-blue flame, every branch and leaf flickering in magical fire for what seemed an eternity-- but was in reality no more than mere seconds. Rowan, Thorne and the seven other Changelings of Rowan's coterie who had gathered around the tree were gone. Left on a heartwood altar at the center of the tree were two rings. Each was made of four interwoven bands, one of wood matching every different face of the Lapis Tree and one of glittering crystal, each glowing with a an inner fire of a different color. And now, added to the history etched on the inner walls of the tree itself, was a new story, and a new Season.
The Reign of Winter faded slowly to an end, with Thorne gone his poisonous Whisper faded, and the other three courts were able to push back the ice that had crept so far into their lands. The Changing of the Seasons took place, many years later than it should have, and with it, a new ceremony. The story inscribed in the Lapis tree showed now two seasons in power, the rings left behind by The Weaver held by opposite courts, ensuring that no one court could ever again be so unopposed as Winter had been. Now, with Spring taking their natural turn, a ring of twisted wood on the hand of Godfallow, Autumn found itself flourishing as well, the glittering crystal ring bound to the hand of Llenolyth bringing about an equal and opposite power. And so, a season passed, and the courts in their newly matched strength were able to reclaim the lands that the Bear King had taken.
When Summer took hold of the wooden ring, Winter was their match. The new Queen, Asha the Wolf, held a crystal ring and a new power and every other court looked to her in mistrust. But, wisely, she kept her court quiet, using their unseasonal strength to rebuild what was broken by Thorne and allowing Summer to thrive without interruption. Another seven years, and Autumn found itself flourishing once more, this time in their natural season and with Llenolyth looking down at the wooden ring on her hand with a curious gaze. The ancient queen might have been sad, the ring a memory of the Changeling who died to create it. Or, as some others suggested, surprised, the power infused in the ring showing her something that even she with her vast web of knowledge couldn't have predicted.
But now, Changeling, we have come to an interesting time. The Season of Winter is approaching, the first time Winter has had it's natural season since The Reign. The other courts are on edge, the immortal memories of the Fae not so easily moved to trust by the passage of time. Old Changelings are being kept close, and new Changelings are eagerly snatched up by the courts, their powers cultivated and honed in preparation for… perhaps nothing. Perhaps something. We won't know until it happens, will we?
Good luck Changeling. And welcome, once more, to the Emerald Realm.
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The Emerald Realm
Hello everyone, @Chile here! Since we have a codex in the works and since @Dirigible did a really good job with an intro piece that introduces Changelings to the world, I'm going to go ahead and roughly outline the Emerald Realm, it's various inhabitants, the macro and the micro, etc, etc.
The Emerald Realm is a land where mysterious magic runs rampant and free, home to the immortal beings known as the Fae. At the heart of this great realm is the Lapis Tree, an entity beyond comprehension. So by now you should've gathered that the Emerald Realm is separated into 4 Courts named after their corresponding season. Let's start here with the Courts.
Autumn:
Autumn is the strangest of all the Courts, an almost entirely wooded region, a liminal domain that stands between the vigor of summer, and the sleep of winter. The Mistwood shares a border with the Gamewood of Summer, and the Deadwood of Winter, and on the verge of this sleepy wood is Mistwatch, the palace of the Court Fae of Autumn.
Mistwatch is an eerie palace that almost blends into its surroundings, but once it is found, it is seen as place of severe splendor. The halls of Mistwatch are labyrinthian and not getting lost is a privilege for the Court Fae alone. But those that wander aimlessly are gently guided to the Loom, the Spider Queen's great hall, a latticework of woven web.
Spring:
Spring is robust and full of life. The creatures that call Spring home lead idyllic lives nestled in the beds of great valleys where anything can, and will, grow. It is the closest any of the seasons will get to what life may be like in the Iron Realm, with quaint halfling and gnome villages spending the Season in mirth and laughter, drinking and feasting their nights away.
Despite this, Spring is caught precariously between the Court of Winter and the Outlands beyond the western mountain range aptly named the Spring Shield Mountains. When the Reign of Winter came upon them, Spring could do nothing, helpless against the onslaught of the Blackguard, of the Bear King Ubin in his feral form, and a legion of Changelings.
Wilend is the palace of Spring, home of the Fox King Godfallow. Godfallow is the most quirky of all his Court Fae brethren, choosing to make his palace a hearth more than a throne. He keeps the company of other Court Fae, instead choosing to spend his time drinking with his master of brews, feasting with his master of pantries, or trading riddles with the famous Gwiddn' Doors.
Summer:
Summer is the land of the storm, of the hunt, and of endless days running towards the horizon. The Court Fae of Summer are some of the most powerful, capable of taking on great bestial forms. Summer is also the main home of the elves, a race that migrated from the Summer Isles countless years ago.
Where Summer and Spring meet in the far west, the Spring Shield Mountains taper, giving passageway to the unsavory creatures of the outlands. Summer once had once maintained a vigilant watch, keeping the outlands out. But the Reign of Winter changed that, and the Blytebog has become home to evil Fae once again.
Empyridon is the palace of Summer, characterized by great open halls and silk ceilings, overlooking a giant shimmering lake, and set atop a great hill among the vast rolling plains. At the top of this terraced palace is the great hall for the Court Fae and the Elephant King Din, a Fae of great stature and measured temperament.
Winter:
The backdrop to Winter and the entire Emerald Realm is Neveryn's Reach, a mountain range that spikes beyond the clouds, their peaks unknown to all except the strangest of beings. Below Neveryn are frosted tundras and boreal vistas, home of enduring woods that can weather the eternal winter.
Winter is a place of isolation and solitude, its denizens often misunderstood by the rest of the realm. But in that solitude is a blanketed serene, a simple kind of purity. The score of dwarves that live in the mountains are simple creatures, content with tunneling and digging out their homes. The drow prefer their caves to the open air, and freely cohabitate with the alien creatures that scuttle and crawl through their cavernous domain.
Spearfall, the Winter palace high in Neveryn's reach, is easily the most beautiful of all the palaces. Made from gemstone, geode, crystals and marble, Spearfall evokes a sense of wonder in those who dwell in it, as if the palace was wished into existence by some otherworldly being. The Wolf Queen Asha spends her days among crystal trees in meditation, wondering how she can move Winter forward, away from stigma her predecessor had earned them.
The Fae:
So we have decided that in this setting, not all Fae are equal, and not all of them are immortal. The Court Fae are immortal. These are the powerful Fae who rule the seasons, take on elemental and animal form, and are all around a bigger mystery than the lesser--but still important!-- Wyld Fae.
The Wyld Fae are your pixies, satyrs, dryads, gnomes, fairies, treants--ect. There is a lot of wiggle room here for the creation of new Fae, so if you're working an NPC into the story, go for, but run your idea by us first.
Then there are the Blyte Fae. More of a plague rather than a subset of different creatures, the Blyte Fae corrupt the land underneath them. These include your hags, mephits, skinwalkers, shamblers, displacer beasts--you get the picture. These are bad bad dogs.
The Other Races:
The Emerald Realm is home to more than just Fae. For instance, Elves are not Fae in this setting. We have a reason for that. Dwarves too. They are their own people with their own birthplace in the Emerald Realm, histories, cultures ect., and they make their homes in the courts that suit them best. For Elves, it's mostly Summer, Autumn and Spring. For halflings, almost entirely Spring, with a few in Autumn. Centaurs exclusively populate Summer, Dwarves live in Spring and Winter, and the dark drow live almost entirely in Winter. There are others of course that I'm probably forgetting, but that's what the info dumb/codex is for.
We have a map! And it'll be done soon.
Other Courts:
Whatt!?? There are more than four Courts you say! Yes. Yes there are more than four, in fact, there are more than six. Crazy right. I'll go right ahead and introduce you to three more courts.
Dusk/Dawn:
Dusk and Dawn are roughly aligned with the other Courts but are more mediator than ally. Dawn is the spokesman for Summer and Spring, and Dusk is an advocate for Winter and Autumn. Their role is to preserve the balance and help resolve conflicts between Courts, although they are not always successful. They make their home around the Lapis Tree, at the center of the Emerald Realm, right on the crossroads between all the seasons. More than Fae you'll find collaboration between a diverse range of creatures, making the Lapis Tree and the Dusk and Dawn Court a melting pot of beauty.
The Forge Court:
Every Changeling has heard the whispers of the Forge Court, normally from a Court Fae who is looking at said Changeling suspiciously. The Forge Court is composed almost entirely of rogue Changelings who operate a mobile fortress that always remains out of reach of the Fae. What's most troubling about their existence is that they produce iron, a deadly substance for the Fae. And that brings me on to my next topic:
Conventions:
What conventions have we kept about the Fae and how they're typically depicted? Not many. They quarrel and squabble still, and are weak against Iron. We ditched elves being Fae creatures and we have our reasons. Also, Changelings aren't tricksters left behind in the world of man, they are instead our powered protagonists who have had their original lives stolen, and by some unfathomable design, have come to reside in the Emerald Realm.
Magic
Some clarifying info regarding magic and how it's used in the Emerald Realm. The Realm is a highly magical place, and while magic on its own is loose and freeform, the abilities of those who can use it are not necessarily. The magical system is very soft, meaning much of the time we will do some hand-waving in the narrative when magic is used by the Fae. But Changeling abilities are limited in scope, none of them will have open-ended magical potential. But it's their specificity in something singular that can make them pretty potent.
The Fae are tied to the land and/or their Court, and their magic is an intrinsic part of that relationship. Changelings are more diverse, with abilities that go beyond the typically nature-based powers of the Fae. Changeling magic is not Fae magic. They are definitely two distinctly different categories of magic within the Emerald Realm.
That being said, Changelings don't arrive in the Emerald Realm with an innate knowledge of how to use their power. It's as new to them as they are to the Emerald Realm, and like any new ability or skill, it requires practice and training to use effectively. Changelings who have been in the Fae lands for longer (i.e. hundreds of years) may have honed their skills to the point of expanding upon them, but for those of you who have been there for a much shorter length of time, you should consider your powers to be limited.
We would suggest two key ways of devising your character's power. First, you could choose a role you play within the court that claimed you and come up with a power that would assist you in fulfilling that role. Second, and perhaps more interesting for us, think of a power and how it could be useful narratively. In this way it doesn't necessarily need to be tied to a role, and a power with darker influences (decay, corruption, etc) may make that Changeling an outcast, which would be an interesting aspect of their character. The Courts may try to cultivate a dangerous power (see the "Welcome" narrative re: Rowan and Thorne) or discourage its use or even lock it up, keeping it away from other Fae, or simply contained for their own use.
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Story Beets
This RP is going to begin with a ceremony, an opportunity and an excuse to have you all in one place together. We'll be starting with the Changing of the Seasons, and an especially tense one at that. This marks the first time that Winter has had their true season since The Reign, and the other courts are all understandably tense. What you'll get to interact with is a multitude of Court Fae, the monarchs of each court (your courts!) and the Changelings that accompany them (each other!). You'll witness the exchanging of The Loden Rings from the Spring and Autumn Courts into the hands of Winter and Summer. From there, here's an idea of the conflicts that you'll begin to catch wind of.
The fledgeling Forge Court is a topic of concern for many Fae. Composed largely of Changelings who absconded from their original courts and formed a court of their own, they are the only organized group in the Emerald Realm armed with iron. This is, understandably, viewed as a problem by many of the Court Fae. But getting anyone into the well-defended and constantly moving fortress of the Forge Court has proven difficult for the Fae.
On a more celebratory note, the Summer Court will be preparing for their games, held in the vast colosseum known as the Etemachy. Normally held only during Summer's true season, this is the first time that Summer has experienced the true power of the crystal counterpart of the Loden Rings. Finding themselves unseasonably prosperous and equal to the Winter Court in their strength, King Din of Summer has made the unprecedented decision to host the Summer Games for a second time, and during Winter's Season. This will ruffle some feathers, but to everyone's surprise, the Wolf Queen Asha will give her blessing to the Games.
Every resident of the Emerald Realm is aware of the threat of the Blytebog. Summer and Spring are the primary combatants against the bog's influence, and it has been an unusually difficult task of late. In what some are, quietly, calling an act of desperation, a force of Changelings is being assembled to try to tackle the corruption of the Blytebog. Accompanied by members of the Summer Court and the Greenguard, the Court Fae are hoping that perhaps with the right Changelings, the Blytebog might be tamed. For a time, at least…
Your task as a player is just to let us know if one of these jumps out to you more than the others, and if you have any additional ideas to add to these plot seeds. We want to take the story in a direction that you guys are interested in, and there are enough of you that we could easily tackle more than one, so no pressure for all of you to agree on one thing.
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Rules
Player Criteria:
This is what we expect from potential members who want to join the RP, and players who have already had their characters accepted.
1. Embrace the narrative and setting.
2. Collaborate to make things fun and interesting.
3. Treat your writing with care and consideration knowing that the other players will be your audience. Bring your A game and be open to constructive criticism.
4. Unsolicited criticism becomes less constructive. Respect other players' boundaries.
5. Be thoughtful with your characters. There is a reason why people don't like straight edge-lords - they haven't been thought through.
6. We are all responsible for the quality of the roleplay. Keep that in mind while making an application, and after it's been accepted.
7. Work with us and we'll work with you.
8. This isn't an exhaustive list of our criteria. If we don't want you in the roleplay, well… c'est la vie.
General Rules:
- Refer to us when in doubt. Our aim is to be fair.
- We reserve the right to kick anyone out of the roleplay.
- You gotta have Discord.
- Be mindful of your fellow players.
- Be active in the OOC/ Discord
- No drama in the Discord, please.
Roleplay Rules:
- Must it even be said? No godmodding.
- Do you best to stay true to your characters. Roleplayers often default to what they, the in real life person, would do. Well that's not roleplaying, right? What Would my Character Do? This is your mantra.
- Fade-to-black for 18+.
- Posting expectations is set at a 2-3 paragraph minimum. Two paragraphs for when you're firing off back and forth, as needed. Three paragraphs and more when the pace slows down.
- Proofread what you write, at least once.
- Post at least once a week. Other than that, obey the flow of traffic. If posting naturally picks up pace and everyone is keeping up, kosher. But if people are getting left behind, I'll step in and put the brakes down.
- Collaborative roleplaying done together in google docs or something else is totally recommended. It's a super fun way to roleplay if people can work it into their schedules.
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Character Sheet
Your character sheet is an application, which means whether we accept it or not determines your status in the roleplay. We view character sheets like arguments for why you should be accepted, just as if you were applying for a job, an interview is your time to prove why you deserve a job. If you look at Player Criteria, you'll see what we look for in a player.
Changeling Name: (Changelings don't have conventional names; for example, a major NPC of the history was Rowan the Weaver, another was Thorne)
Appearance: (Character description. Changelings mostly resemble humans but may have some features that make them stand out.)
Court: (Which Court are they a part of?)
Emerald Realm Age: (When did you become a Changeling? No more than 5 years.)
Changeling Power: (See "Magic" in the Lore Section)
Temperament: (How do they act?)
Morality: (What ideals do they try to hold themselves to?)
Loyalty: (How loyal are to their court? Do they feel like a prisoner, a guest, or perhaps a valued member?)
Writing Sample: (Include a 3+ paragraph piece about your character, in character.)
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As Character Sheets are accepted, we'll start an index of them here for everyone's reference.
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