The Seven StarSwords: Looking for Paladins

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Lady Sabine

The Legendary Sabine-Toothed-Tiger
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Fantasy is number one. Steampunk, sci-fi, alternate history, and everything else that isn't boringly realistic are also fine by me.
So, I've had this vague-ish idea floating around in my head for a while. I'd love to see some other people show some interest so we can flesh out the plot a bit and make a good, close-knit group.

Here's a quick idea of what I'm looking for:
  • Activity. You must be able to reply at least three non-consecutive days every week. Please don't even bother to apply if you can't. I am simply incapable of maintaining interest in RP that doesn't progress.
  • Skill. I don't care too much about posting length (I'm thinking we'll have about two-five paragraphs per character) but I'm looking for RPers who can make those two+ paragraphs interesting to read and easy to reply to.
  • Ability to play both sexes, double, and juggle some extras. This is not strictly necessary, but it is highly recommended.
  • Two or three people other than myself- maybe maybe maybe four. Yes, you might have to compete.


Alrighty. So, the plot as I have it thought up so far is:

In a fantasy universe a few hundred years ago, a falling star was discovered by one of the Immortal sons of the World Mother. This demigod forged seven swords from the metal of the star, weapons of intense magic and immense power. He declared them holy and entrusted them to seven honorable warriors, declaring them the first Paladins.
Paragons of order and virtue, the Paladins kept the law, punishing evildoers and protecting the innocent. When they died or retired, their swords were passed down to other worthy knights to continue the tradition. Over time, however, the order fell from grace. They became flawed with greed, lust, and ego. They fought for their own good, for the good of their employers, rather than the sake of honor and righteousness. These darkened Paladins brought shame on the order and darkened the magic in their swords. Eventually, when the swords no longer possessed any power, they were given up as relics and the order disappeared.
Fast forward a few centuries. Ymber Aquila, my character, is a descendant of one of the last Paladins. Her father kept the StarSword on the mantle her entire life, telling her the stories of the old days. Eventually, drawn by some unseen force, she drew the sword from the sheath and, lo in behold, it flared again into life in the hands of a worthy person to wield it.
The other six also flared into life and, using their own magical attraction, drew in six other worthy people to wield them. Drawn by this same magic to the ancient meeting hall, the seven chosen ones are about to meet each other and decide what to do with their newfound power.
This will focus about equally on the interpersonal relationships between the Paladins and external conflicts with the forces of darkness. Please be capable of handling both sections.

Alrighty. So, here's the rough lineup for the StarSwords (in no particular order), definitely prone to change (so feel free to make suggestions):
  1. Valkyrian : the Sword of Due Rewards. Will not harm an innocent man, but always cuts deep and true with sinners. I claim this one.
  2. Lazarine: the Sword of Eternal Life. Has the ability to raise the dead, though this power is very limited and require immense sacrifice from its wielder.
  3. Erelime: the Sword of Holy Guidance. This sword's power is to imbue its reader with a flawless moral compass and to provide direction, both metaphorically and literally. Traditionally, the one who wields Erelime has been the Lord Commander of the Paladins due to this ability.
  4. Jibrilar: the Sword of Prophecy. Occasionally gifts the one who holds it with glimpses of the future or new laws/regulations to enforce.
  5. Azraeline: the Sword of Souls. Is capable of slaying otherwise-immortal creatures by destroying the soul as well as the body. A single cut can ruin a person for life due to the damage it does their spirit.
  6. Raphaean: the Sword of Purification. A single slice imbues the cut person with holy magic that purges them of any sin or sickness, though the cuts rarely heal and for that reason are rarely administered to innocents unless absolutely needed.
  7. Devesine: the Sword of the Natural Order. Is deeply connected to nature and to the World Mother; the wielder of Devesine is capable of communicating with and enlisting the aid of wild creatures of all manner.
 
I am interested but I have a question. The first sword, which you have claimed, can discern between innocent and not. Does this mean that my character, if accepted, can kill the innocent be it by accident or on purpose. For example, a villain held an hostage but instead of bargaining my character kills both. I want my character to be chaotic good with moral issues. What do you think?
 
Count me in as well.
 
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I am interested but I have a question. The first sword, which you have claimed, can discern between innocent and not. Does this mean that my character, if accepted, can kill the innocent be it by accident or on purpose. For example, a villain held an hostage but instead of bargaining my character kills both. I want my character to be chaotic good with moral issues. What do you think?

Valkyrian is the only sword that refuses to harm innocents as part of its magic. The others will cut anyone. ^^

As for chaotic good, that could work out well. ^^ The swords will have summoned the most likely nearby candidate, but obviously not every person they choose will be perfect. A lot of the drama will come from their choices- whether they want to follow in the pure steps of the first Paladins or take a more "modern" approach to evil-slaying.






Was there anything you wanted to add, J?
 
The sword Lazarine requires a great sacrifice from its paladin. Is the sacrifice something you have in mind for any player interested, or is it up to the player to choose the sacrifice given?
 
@Lady Sabine
Not particularly. I had thought of an idea of a blade that had been corrupted in its slumber so to speak and was cursed to drain the life of all those who would wield it thereafter, and by only the sacrifice of the righteous could the foul magics within it be contained. Perhaps incorporate it into the blade that raises the dead?
 
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I appreciate the flexibility. I understand that this a world of its own but how technological advanced is it? Or is this medieval fantasy?
 
The sword Lazarine requires a great sacrifice from its paladin. Is the sacrifice something you have in mind for any player interested, or is it up to the player to choose the sacrifice given?

I think this will depend largely on the character that winds up wielding it. ^^ I'll work with the player to determine something that fits both the personality and the backstory of the piece.



@Lady Sabine
Not particularly. I had thought of an idea of a blade that had been corrupted in its slumber so to speak and was cursed to drain the life of all those who would wield it thereafter, and by only the sacrifice of the righteous could the foul magics within it be contained. Perhaps incorporate it into the blade that raises the dead?

Interesting idea! I'd need to really trust the person behind it, though... I feel like this plotline could become a bit too focused on one character if we aren't careful. But if we handle it in the right way, it could be a fun way to spice things up once the initial plotline starts to slow.


I appreciate the flexibility. I understand that this a world of its own but how technological advanced is it? Or is this medieval fantasy?

This is still medieval, but some advancements have been made. Gunpowder cannons are a thing, but not personal weapons. Some progress has been made in terms of social issues and industrialization is only a few decades away with waterwheels and steam energy both in their infancy. However, in terms of warfare, it's still melee weapons, knights on horseback, and bows (with a few crossbows being jealously hoarded by those with the tech to make them).
 
Well, perhaps that isn't the focus of the adventure, which further emphasizes the Paladin's fate. It is a duty for the greater good, not personal glory. It is an action worthy of silence praise, not songs and legends. They are to live and die an inglorious existence, unsung, unremembered. Among the his own kind, he would be treated near a leper and an outcast. He would be the shadow to the light, a reminder that not all is still glorious of the Paladins.
 
Azraeline for me, if we are beginning to lay claim.
 
I'm in if accepted. In that event, I call Jibrilar. So, a few questions:
  • How often are prophecies received, what are the effects on the wielder, what sort of detail do they go into, and what would the contents of the visions be?
  • What have the corrupted paladins done to corrupt Jibrilar, and what effect has that had on its power?
  • Does Jibrilar have any special combat abilities beyond being an extremely powerful star forged weapon, likely nigh-indestructibility, super-sharp edge, etc.?
  • Are the paladins still active?
  • Are the seven sword-bearers the only paladins, or are there lesser knights who serve(d) alongside them?
  • What evil forces will we be vanquishing, and who is the grand antithesis of the World Mother that controls them?
  • What is your definition of "worthy"? Of noble birth, purity of heart, etc.?
  • Will I need to play multiple characters?
  • Are our characters descendants of the original paladins (as Ymber Aquila apparently is) or random people who were in the right place at the right time?
  • Are there any open spaces, and if so, can we begin brainstorming, world-building, and skull-smashing?
 
Well, perhaps that isn't the focus of the adventure, which further emphasizes the Paladin's fate. It is a duty for the greater good, not personal glory. It is an action worthy of silence praise, not songs and legends. They are to live and die an inglorious existence, unsung, unremembered. Among the his own kind, he would be treated near a leper and an outcast. He would be the shadow to the light, a reminder that not all is still glorious of the Paladins.

I like it. They aren't complete without all seven, so they don't dare kill or banish one of their own. But they can see the darkness growing in him and know to fear it; he would probably know to fear it and to try and avoid it, but there's only so much they can do without finding a replacement, or, better still, a way to cleanse the blade.



I think that preliminary claims can be made, but we won't make final choices yet. ^^
 
I'm in if accepted. In that event, I call Jibrilar. So, a few questions:
  • How often are prophecies received, what are the effects on the wielder, what sort of detail do they go into, and what would the contents of the visions be?
  • What have the corrupted paladins done to corrupt Jibrilar, and what effect has that had on its power?
  • Does Jibrilar have any special combat abilities beyond being an extremely powerful star forged weapon, likely nigh-indestructibility, super-sharp edge, etc.?
  • Are the paladins still active?
  • Are the seven sword-bearers the only paladins, or are there lesser knights who serve(d) alongside them?
  • What evil forces will we be vanquishing, and who is the grand antithesis of the World Mother that controls them?
  • What is your definition of "worthy"? Of noble birth, purity of heart, etc.?
  • Will I need to play multiple characters?
  • Are our characters descendants of the original paladins (as Ymber Aquila apparently is) or random people who were in the right place at the right time?
  • Are there any open spaces, and if so, can we begin brainstorming, world-building, and skull-smashing?

  1. Prophecies are still up for debate. I'm thinking that they will be rare, the prophet will have no control over when they come or what they show, and they'll only show the details absolutely necessary (and then they may or may not be designed to be easily understood).
  2. Jibrilar will probably be fairly un-corrupted. It's powers are fairly vague and come-and-go, so it probably just stopped sending out signals when they weren't received.
  3. I'm debating whether or not the swords will also have semi-elemental, magical abilities (like flaming swords, swords that shoot lightning... not sure if that's the direction I want this to go yet)
  4. No. The Paladins have been gone for centuries- without the power they were getting weak anyway, and the swords being sold just hastened the disbandment. This new generation is all that's left.
  5. They are the only ones. During the Dark Days, hundreds of assistants were knighted and made Paladins but that was seen as diluting the honor of the order. This next generation will probably elect to keep the club closed.
  6. There isn't one main evil like there is one primary good. The World Mother is one small part of a whole; the rhythm that makes up her life is part of the greater harmony of the universe. The forces of evil are discord and disharmony, and by their very nature are isolated, disjointed, but omnipresent. Every little mistake, every force of entropy, generates more darkness.
  7. Spiritual harmony with the blade itself, so that they fit the weapon as much as the weapon fits them.
  8. Most likely. I don't want seven individual RPers, so depending on the number of people let in some will need to double. This may or may not include you, but I'd like everyone to be capable.
  9. They are people who fit the spiritual image of the first Paladins who happened to be in the general area of the sword. Ymber was raised according to the Paladin Code and her family had held onto the blade, which made her the obvious choice. Not all of the new generation will be as obvious.
  10. There are definitely open spaces. In fact, aside from Valkyrian, nothing's been promised yet so brainstorming and idea-building are totally open.
 
Since I've already used "Red 5 standing by" in one of your threads...

Red Oktober standing by.
 
Hey Sabine, are we making a group for this one as well?
 
I'm thinking just a thread, tbh. We'll see how big it gets.
 
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