The Elder Scrolls: Blades in the Night OOC + Sign-

[Poeta Perdido]

The Elder Scrolls: Blades in the Night

OOC | IC​

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The World-Eater is fallen and the schism claiming countless lives within Skyrim has drawn ever nearer to a close. Ulfric Stormcloak is dead, his head claimed only hours ago by General Tullius on the steps of the Palace of the Kings. Seeing the rebel leader fall, the Champion of the Stormcloaks, the Dragonborn herself dropped her blade. After days of siege warfare countless bodies litter the streets of Windhelm, leaving the city a picture of as its people pray for the coming dawn. Mere hours after Windhelm has grown silent the prisoners within the dungeon awaken to a thunderous sound and strange figures. For these prisoners, so chosen by fate, the night is young.​

Welcome to The Elder Scrolls: Blades in the Night. Prepare yourself for an exploration into a world facing the aftermath of a war between two ideologies. This game takes place hours after the events of Skyrim's Civil War before the nation learns of its conclusion. Players will find themselves facing challenges rising from the ashes of the war as well as from a great and mystical threat no one could have expected. You will find this is a world full of mystery, magic, and many working in the shadows to set in motion a future for Skyrim and perhaps all of Tamriel.

Canon:​

• Blades in the Night takes place on 4E 202, 1st of Morning Star​
• The Siege of Windhelm lasted days and ended hours prior to our beginning​
• The Empire has Won, Ulfric Stormcloak is Dead, the Dragonborn is Imprisoned​
• News of the Siege of Windhelm has not yet spread beyond the city​
• The Dragon Crisis ended months prior to the present​
• The Blades are led by Grandmaster Delphine and have grown with the help of the Dragonborn​
• The College of Winterhold is flourishing and possess the Eye of Magnus​
• Emperor Titus Mede II was assassinated by the Dark Brotherhood during the Civil War​
• The Dark Brotherhood of Falkreath was destroyed after the death of Titus Mede II​
• Surviving members of the Dark Brotherhood of Falkreath are unaware of Dawnstar​
• A new Dark Brotherhood was founded in Dawnstar by the Dragonborn​
• The Companions of Jorrvaskr are largely intact and remain in Whiterun​
• The Thieves Guild of Skyrim is alive, but quiet since the Empire seized Riften​
• Honningbrew Mead may be gone, but it remains the best damned mead in Skyrim​

Characters

@Pellegrino | Ealgian Parkh Another Godsdamned Poet
@Artorias | Varus Molspus A Soldier of Sorts
@caligari | Loïc Druadach Vampire Hunter from the Reach
@The_J | Jorkul An Orc both Lovable and Formidable
@derelict_lilyflower | Logan ey Ravensbourne A Bandit By Any Other Name
@Applo | Victoria Gunnarsdotter Hunter from the Rift
@Munchkin | Eralane Dornshade Thalmor Butcher


NPCs

• To Be Filled

The World Choice Characters Equipment Magic It Hurts Quests

• If the rest of Tamriel did not take the events in Skyrim seriously before, they do today. The reappearance of dragons earned disbelief from many, yet the attention of all. Stories spread quickly of sightings and the great destruction in their wake and the hero who brought it all to end. Yet, though the great threat subsided, Tamriel's attention lingered. Skyrim returned to a battleground between ideologies with watching curiously to see if this would be the next transformation of the northern province. The Siege of Windhelm has ended, but only just, and agents sent from across Tamriel are scrambling to bring word of the victors to their benefactors. A great many nations all with the same question -- will the world soon return to war?
• Blades in the Night is a game built on choice. Along the way we will encounter decisions big and small, some between compassion and apathy, and others acts of charity or selfishness. How the characters choose to proceed will effect the path ahead. Characters will be pushed to decide how to continue and it's likely their personal codes will be challenged along the way. The gods are not so transparent as to reward all good actions and punish all bad ones. Worse still, some choices will not bare fruit for some time and when they do, the effects may be felt immediately. My advice is to truly dig into the mind of your character, build relationships, and remember... Carpe Diem.
• Blades in the Night begins with a group of prisoners in the Windhelm dungeon. Aside from the starting location, the rest of your character's story is entirely open. As the GM and a fellow player I will state a strong preference for believable characters that are compelling without becoming absurd. Have fun with who your character is and how they came to be that person, but do not give us another Sue or action flick lead. I would also like to call your attention to the Dragonborn. After banishing Alduin, slaying dragons, and besting countless draugr and bandits and legionaries, she dropped her sword during the Siege of Windhelm. No character is without weakness. Some will suffer due to physically, others will experience a thing so devastating they lose their will to fight on. This is a game about how we persevere, not how we so totally pwn'd that army. I truly look forward to seeing the interesting personalities you all develop.
• All equipment has weight and all characters have bodies that tire. I will not be running your character's inventory weight against how much they bench, but I will call bullshit. Nobody is going to be running about with three steel plate breastplates, four swords, thirty deer skins, and a porcelain tub. Just be reasonable, alright? Likewise, the quality of your weapons and armour will not be solely determined by their material. Steel plate has certain advantages and weaknesses perhaps different from a leather cuirass, but the question of better has more to do with the wearer and their abilities. That said, it's common sense that swinging your wood staff against a dwarven battle-axe will probably not end well. Again, just be reasonable. Finally, please do not feel restricted only to the equipment available in Skyrim. I play exclusively with Immersive Armour and Weapons, so I appreciate lore-friendly additions like pikes, throwing knives, etc. Please explain how you obtain special items though and be aware over-powered equipment will make your turn in the approval process super easy.
• Think of magic like you would archery in that it's most effective in trained hands and ineffective or dangerous to the user otherwise. When encountering magic you should assume the user is experienced. A well placed fireball or ice spike is as lethal as an arrow, if not worse. Glancing blows are a real threat as well, especially when it comes to flames or streams of cold. Magic users capable of such power are typically long-time students within the College of Winterhold , but it's entirely possible we will encounter a few on our travels as well (perhaps you're one!). Now let's talk healing. It's best to assume that if a magic user knows any spell, they probably the basics when it comes to restoration magic too. The key to remember is that magic will not heal wounds instantly, but it will encourage healing. If a character catches an arrow that bests their armour taking care to control the bleeding and deter infection is still most important. Casting a healing spell is a good second, as it will heal a wound that normally takes days in a manner of hours. More intricate or deadly wounds will require more potent magic, and even then, the work is fragile. Do not rely on healing magic alone.
  
• Blades in the Night will include combat. Combat results in injuries mental and physical and in some cases may cause death -- best consult your gods before choosing combat. All jokes aside, it is extremely likely that your character will suffer all manner of painful repercussions from constant exposure to violent situations. In this game players will be held to a standard of semi-realism. In all likelihood every character will falter regularly and while most of the time this will mean a bruise, others it may mean a more lasting pain. I do not expect anyone to wobble about on a broken leg for half the game, but please keep some sense of reality. Those who are slow to adapt to this may notice the gods hold a special distaste for you. For those who fancy a vampire, werewolf, or addict this expectation of semi-realism is doubly true. The need for flesh and blood and skooma all boil down to a sort of pain deep down inside that must be fed lest it take you over entirely. I've personally played characters of this nature and recognize it's a great challenge. All in all, let's have fun and do our best to avoid the pointy ends, aye?
  
• There are two primary stories within Blades in the Night. One story explores a world responding to the end of the Civil War and what this means for Skyrim and Tamriel as a whole. This quest will play off of cues planted in Skyrim with external creative inspiration as well. Missions related to this story line will incorporate visceral change and an all-together gritty take on the world. The second story introduces a threat that has slowly taken root in Skyrim and has now begun to make its presence known. This will be a quest full of mystery and intrigue with a more mystical tone reminiscent of Morrowind or Oblivion. Character decisions will develop these stories along the way, making this as much a game as a collaboration.

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Character Sheet

Character Sheet
Name: Character's name and any alias they may go by

Race: What race they are (Altmer, Argonian, Bosmer, Breton, Dunmer, Imperial, Khajiit, Nord, Orsimer, or Redguard.)

Family Origins: Where was your character born and raised? This may affect their cultural outlook. It can be anywhere in Tamriel, just bear in mind that, for example, a Cyrodiillic cosmopolitan orc will have a different culture and mentality than a Skyrim stronghold orc, or a Summerset Islands born and raised altmer may hold different values than one who was born and raised in Morrowind. If your character is a noble or holds any special titles, please note that here.

Profession: What does your character do to make a living? Some of the most interesting characters come from humble professions. The Elder Scrolls depicts brewers, vintners, knights, painters, authors, poets, chefs, soldiers, and so much more. Consider this profession when writing the background and skills too.

Appearance: A detailed description of what your character looks like and a picture or screenshot, if possible. Please, for the love of The Nine, no anime. The more people have to reference, the better if is for role playing purposes.

Age: How old your character is. Age brings wisdom, youth brings strength and energy. Keep in mind elves tend to have longer live spans than men and beast races. For instance, dunmer may end up having about 100 healthy, strong years before going into elderly twilight years where they will likely make it for another 20 to 30 years. Wood elves are likely similar, and Altmer may live for a few centuries.

Equipment: Please note your weapons and armour here. Understand that the more your character carries, the more encumbered they become. Carry too little, however, and you may find you lack important tools. I will not respect magic that enhances carrying ability in this game. Feel free to use equipment not typically in The Elder Scrolls (Immersive Armours and Weapons is a great mod to reference) so long as they are lore-friendly. For our purposes, equipment ranks will be taken with common sense.

Miscellanea: Things like lock picks, food, smithing materials, scolls, potions. The weight thing applies as well. Doesn't necessarily have to be things from the games.

NOTE: Please keep track of your inventory use!

Favored Skills: This section gets a bit more complicated. Using the main skills of the game (two handed, smithing, destruction, illusion, lock picking, pick pocketing, shield, et cetera) things are rated by proficiency. You may have 1 highly proficient skill, 3 moderately proficient skills, and 3 somewhat proficient skills. You may, however, move up a class at the expense of another skill of the level below it (e.g. you pick 1 highly proficient at the cost of 2 moderately proficient). Likewise, you can gain more skills if you downgrade a skill (1 moderately proficient becomes two somewhat proficient, for example).

Note: Skills from Oblivion and Morrowind are also fair game!

[SPECIAL NOTE FOR MAGES: For a quick understanding, Highly Proficient skills are equivalent of expert level spells, Moderately Proficient is Adept Level Spells, and Somewhat Proficient is Apprentice level. Keep that in mind when playing your character and picking your proficiencies. Please stick to spells you see in the games, but I'm not against combining some of them if it makes sense, but keep in mind your character would have to be exceptionally talented to do so. Run spell ideas by the GM if you aren't sure for approval, but if you see it in the games, you should be okay.]

Character Background: A decently descriptive backstory explaining who your character is and how they developed into the person they now are. You don't have to go too crazy, but a few well-written paragraphs would be nice. Please indicate what your character was doing prior to being sent to the dungeon. Some characters may have arrived immediately after the battle, perhaps others have served sentences much longer. This gives us an idea of your ability as a writer.

Relationships: Please list any family, friends, or individuals of note to your character here. Feel free to be brief in describing the nature of the connection and their location in the world too. An example would be: Leonardo DiCaprio, I stalk him regularly and think of him in the late wee hours of the night, Palm Springs.

Fighting Style: Explain how your character approaches combat and their particular skills and talents. This will help the group decide who is best suited to deal with particular situations.

Personality: Briefly explain what your character's personality is generally like, including quirks, faults, and so on. Strive to create believable people whether they view the world with a staggeringly dull perspective or have beliefs that perhaps may feel abrasive. I have a soft spot for characters struggling to abide by their own codes, beliefs, or addictions.

Font Colour: Let's make this mo'fo a (legible) rainbow.

Common Questions

Common Questions

1. You said this game is Game of Thrones meets The Elder Scrolls. Where's my GoT, brah?

Blades in the Night is based squarely in the world of The Elder Scrolls. Elements drawn from Game of Thrones include the political alliances, gritty semi-realism, and the idea that information is both valuable and slow to travel for most of us. This will be immediately important to our story as well as to characters who may have fought for the side.

2. How is Game of Thrones semi-realistic? A little cut gets infected, but I take ice spikes in stride in TES.

Semi-realism for our purposes means violence and damage is grounded in reality. Our characters are flesh-and-bone, they bend and bruise and pushed hard enough so too will they break. The decisions you make should take into account that any battle could have long-lasting effects on your well-being or that of the world. I like to sum this up with a phrase an old instructor of mine once told me, "Stupid hurts." Every character will get banged up, scratched, or bruised during combat. Unlike in Game of Thrones, I do not expect resurrection to be a common practice.

There's a good chance we will have one or two who know how to at least keep wounds from spoiling in our party. Don't be too afraid, but respect the dangers of violence.

3. Okay, so tell me about magic then. Will a fireball turn me into a roasted snack for the trolls?

Think of magic like any weapon. In the hands of someone learned and experienced magic is indeed powerful enough to cause great havoc. Individuals with this level of power are typically found in the halls of the College of Winterhold, though some others work throughout Tamriel and a few use their skills to take advantage of others. Inexperienced magic users are more likely to harm themselves than anyone else without guidance. Most people in Tamriel do not practice magic and depending on their culture may in fact fear the mystical arts. It's not uncommon for a layperson to know how to summon a spark, though.

When encountering a magic user it's best to assume they are the powerful sort until proven otherwise. Fighting a mage is not unlike engaging in a firefight or exchanging arrows. A single fireball or ice spike can cause devastating damage, but if you keep cover and make well-timed movements a direct shot will be difficult. Consider too some armour may be very helpful too -- a small ice spike probably wouldn't penetrate tempered steel.

4. That sounds pretty cool. Can I be an epic magic user then?

In the Character Sheet you will assign skill points to certain areas. You can undoubtedly stack these points toward being a powerful magic user, but you'll be sacrificing other abilities. Because magic takes many years to master and usually requires formal training, your character will probably be on the older side as well. Remember, no overpowered characters. Every strength has a drawback and if you are very skilled with magic I'd expect to see your path to such in the biography.

5. Speaking of skills, do I need stuff like athletics, acrobatics, and all that? How about speech?

Nobody will be jumping over massive walls here. Despite some of the more absurd aspects of these skills, they are helpful if your character is notably agile. The native bosmer accustomed to running from branch to branch and the thief skillfully scaling the gate are only two examples of how these skills may be applied. These are skills that some lack entirely.

Other skills are more about perfection. I would assume every character is capable of speaking, wearing armour, or throwing a punch. Applying points to these areas tells us more about how effective your character is in that area. One skilled in speech may avoid violence entirely, one accustomed to heavy armour will know exactly which blows to block and which to take, while one stacked toward hand-to-hand would be comparable to a martial artist.

Avoid becoming overpowered, but have fun with these skills. This is a world perfect for all playing styles.

6. What happens if my character is a Stormcloak, an assassin, or some other unsavoury sort?

I welcome characters who are not easy to play in this world. It's entirely possible your character was placed in jail for being a Stormcloak, or captured weeks prior after killing a target, or is simply a skooma addicted gutter-shite left to rot. No one else in the dungeon knows your history or allegiances. They may come up later in the game, but for now, everyone stands on even ground.

7. Say I'm a member of the Dark Brotherhood of Dawnstar then. Will I get to break off to go to the HQ?

Blade in the Night involves a significant amount of travel. It is entirely possible that we will happen upon areas that hold special value for some characters such as Dawnstar to associated members of the Dark Brotherhood. Keep in mind that I am keenly aware of each of your characters, their declared relationships, their homes, and their allegiances. If we visit a location with great importance to your character there may well be a reason. Also, keeping with our example, consider too that other characters may notice and follow others no matter how covert their dealings.


8. What are the rules about multiple PCs and NPCs?

For the time being players will be restricted to a single Playable Character each. You are welcome to create a couple NPCs, but due to the nature of our introduction it's unlikely they'll be physically present. This game will embrace the fact that Tamriel is far more populated than the games are capable of portraying. We will also find that, much like in Game of Thrones, families and allegiances hold much sway in this world too. As a result I would expect everyone to generate a few NPCs where appropriate that we all share. There will be some NPCs that may only be controlled by the GM to preserve the story line as well. If you ever wonder if it's appropriate to control a NPC simply speak to the creator or a GM.

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[/user]

 

[Applo]

So fun story, today my boss was a dick, there i was sorting gear and he's like you ready for the Portugal trip tomorrow. I was like bet you im not going on that and he said that he bets i am now. tldr i have to go to portugal, taking m tablet so i should be able to contribute as normal but if im being slow this is why. ps i know going on a trip sounds like fun. it wont be. it will be a massive pain in the ass. FYI im a scuba instructor hence why the trip

 

[The_J]

So fun story, today my boss was a dick, there i was sorting gear and he's like you ready for the Portugal trip tomorrow. I was like bet you im not going on that and he said that he bets i am now. tldr i have to go to portugal, taking m tablet so i should be able to contribute as normal but if im being slow this is why. ps i know going on a trip sounds like fun. it wont be. it will be a massive pain in the ass. FYI im a scuba instructor hence why the trip

Ouch. Well at least you're doing it somewhere nice.

 

[Artorias]

So like...the first half of my post (The part before the dungeon) was done at like...11 P.M. I didn't start and finish the small section of being in the dungeon until 4 P.M.

So sorry if it seems like my writing is off/different/notcoherent. Very tired.

 

[caligari]

Oh, jeez, I completely didn't notice that the IC was already posted, I'll make my post ASAP.

 

[Poeta Perdido]

Friendly reminder that Windhelm suffered a days long siege before falling on the 21st/22nd. Those who are drinking and having fun a couple days prior should recognise that while liquor may continue to flow, outside Stormcloaks are defending the city gates.

 

[caligari]

How many days should we account for? A week? Two weeks?

 

[Poeta Perdido]

How many days should we account for? A week? Two weeks?

The purpose of several was to give room, but let's agree that 5-7 days as window. On the longer end you might see Imperial soldiers on the horizon, closer you get them attempting to ram gates and fighting in the streets.

 

[Artorias]

Edited the original date of when he got in the tavern brawl

 

[Applo]

Posted. I relise the formatting is all of but my tablet does not like iwaku, copy and lasting took ten mins of menu work so I apologise for the rough edges

 

[sivilia]

Just to be clear, is this set the day after Windhelm was taken by the Imperials, or longer?

 

[Poeta Perdido]

Just to be clear, is this set the day after Windhelm was taken by the Imperials, or longer?

Ah, I'd hoped my IC post was clear enough to answer that. My apologies!

The siege began several days ago, meaning a Imperial troops surrounded Windhelm blockade style. This is in the beginning of the IC post. It's only on the 21st that the siege breaks through the gates, the city proper erupts in war, and Ulfric ultimately dies. This all happens late into the evening. It's a few hours after midnight into the 22nd that the prison breakout occurs.

In short, walking the streets on the 21st would be a tense situation as Stormcloaks along the wall fire down arrows and oil with others preparing barricades near the gates. As of the prison breakout Imperials have replaced them and are beginning the clean up process. Best to review the IC again, I know it's quite the large post, but I hope it's helpful.

 

[Poeta Perdido]

The next IC post will be up on Sunday to give anyone still forming those introductions time. Until then, I'd love to hear what everyone is thinking the future may hold, ideas, etc. I love an active OOC!

@derelict_lilyflower @The_J

 

[Artorias]

What the future may hold?

Things....good things and bad things....but things nonetheless!

 

[caligari]

I'm going to reserve comments about what the future holds until I get a firmer grasp on the story itself

 

[Poeta Perdido]

I'm enjoying everyone's posts thus far. This next entry has introduced a little fun opportunity for everyone involved, you will need to read my latest post before going further. Please read below and discuss together OOC how you'll proceed. Because there are a couple decisions being made, be sure to read carefully!






Read my last post? Good! Now, you'll notice there were two choices posed. The first choice arises in the prison: Kill the two Guards or Spare Them. The former may happen as you please so long as it does not conflict with the rest of the post. The latter could be through a variety of means as well, but since they go unheard one should assume they're gagged or otherwise unconscious. The second choice is whether to attack Henrik, who means to find and kill the children of Ulfric Stormcloak, or simply continue on the way to the docks. No matter the decision the ultimate goal is to arrive at the docks. Full disclosure, the decisions made will shape our future and fate is a secret to all mortals.

I encourage everyone to discuss these choices together here in the OOC. Consider what your character would think and feel, not you. While I would love to see you all mull over these choices, it does not require the group to make a decision. It's entirely possible for one in the lot to decide to kill the guards or attack Henrik, while the rest continue on their way. That all said, when you feel you've made a decision shoot me a PM answering three questions: 1) Would your character kill or spare the guards? 2) Would your character attack Henrik? 3) Would your character encourage or stop another from doing either?

 

[Applo]

So lets get this going. Pro murder: no one apart from them seems to know about the breakout so killing them may give us more time before the rest of the legion notices the breakout (probably till the shift change). Against Murder: They've tangled with the sewer and lost so they are gonna think that's the way everyone went and it could divert other soldiers down there while we make out merry escape on the surface.

The Henrik guy pro murder view: he seems like he needs to be stabbed. Cons: expose our self's to probably needles conflict and we don't know who's going after the junior storm cloaks.

 

[caligari]

I don't know about the other characters, but mine would do the following given the option: When it comes to the guards, he wouldn't waste time killing them, but he would leave behind a rune or two for them to step in and deal with themselves. He wouldn't see this as an outright attack, but more like a sick joke.

As for Henrik, he could care less. In fact, he would actually prefer to leave them be, they just escaped so creating unnecessary attention would be unwise and he also wouldn't mind for Henrik to succeed in killing the stormcloak children. As a former Forsworn, there's hardly anyone in our merry old gang who has more of a reason to hate Ulfric and his kin

 

[Applo]

My feeling is that Tor comes to pretty much the same outcome for these choices. 1) The guards aren't in her way and in attacking them something could go wrong such as getting injured badly enough to stop her escaping. The uninjured guard is going to be tending to his friend and even if he does go and get help he is going to bring more guards to an area that's behind her on her escape route, possibly helping to effect the escape.

2) Its pretty much the same, unless he is directly in between Tor and freedom she isn't going to attack him. Her overriding goal is escape, she been in the dungeon for two or so months before this.

3) This is a little less certain, while i doubt she cares enough either way 99% of the time, if she felt someone else actions might either help or hinder her escape she would try to push them to action/inaction [delete whichever is appropriate].​

 

[Artorias]

Well. From Varus's perspective he isn't going to kill the Imperial Guards. Since he use to be an Imperial Officer. Same goes with Henrik. Varus understands orders issued out to Soldiers, while Varus may not like how Henrik is boasting about killing children, it must be done because Ulfric's children may indeed be raised to start another rebellion, etc. Varus is against it and just wants to escape.

 

[sivilia]

My character Logan is almost entirely not bothered by what happens to the guards. Even though he deserted, he still mentally affiliates himself with the Imperials and identifies as an Imperial loyalist, but he wouldn't go out of his way to spare them for that reason. His primary intention is to escape from Windhelm. Also, killing them could get himself caught up if they alert the guards and lead to himself being surrounded.

Logan would also not attack Henrik unless it was a necessary move towards his escape. Not only would it cause unnecessary conflict which could expose them and result in his own capture or even death, but he is also opposed to the Stormcloaks and seeing the children of Ulfric Stormcloak killed isn't something he entirely opposes, even if he doesn't entirely agree.

He wouldn't bother to convince anyone not to kill the guards, since doing so could prevent them alerting the others. However, he wouldn't bother doing so himself since if they alert them, he will be further behind. So he would encourage someone else to do so, acknowledging that they might be sacrificing their life. He would also most likely encourage someone, perhaps a Stormcloak loyalist, to confront Henrik, if he believed that in killing Henrik, that person would distract the other Imperials to Henrik's location and open up a clear escape route for the remainder of the group. Again, he is unwilling to sacrifice himself to this cause, so would probably deceptively trick someone else into charging into their own death for the sake of his own survival.