To Slay a Dragon: The Tale of a Rebellion

  • So many newbies lately! Here is a very important PSA about one of our most vital content policies! Read it even if you are an ancient member!
X

Xindaris

Guest
Original poster
To Slay a Dragon
The Tale of a Rebellion​
"As you know, our fair kingdom of Vineria was a great and prosperous country. It benefited from a long line of kings and queens who were skillful and wise in ruling. It would have remained prosperous for generations to come, had the dragon not entered the picture.

His name was Tarimel. One day he entered the royal palace, unannounced, and slaughtered the entire royal family, and every noble present. He declared himself the new king of Vineria that day, and it has been a year since. What has this kingdom endured since then? No less than tyranny. He demands great taxes from all professions to feed an unending greed; he tears apart those who would oppose him, one by one, he censors history, literature, and the teaching of magic alike. His power is great, and I am as aware as the rest of you of the saying, that it takes one to kill one. But I say if we work together, it is possible to slay a dragon, and end this age of darkness once and for all."

That was it. The speech, hastily constructed and presented at midday in the marketplace of the populous city Florena, had earned some followers. But the speaker, come afternoon, was nowhere to be found.

He was headed east, fleeing punishment that was sure to come if word of his words reached Tarimel's enforcers. Some fellow rebellious souls caught up with him, fortunate as his stride was relatively slow and easily tracked. Though at first he seemed surprised anyone wanted to help, he quickly organized a plan and they enacted it. A similar speech, given in city and village along the way to the east, fighting small groups of enforcers who met them on the way, and then finally they reached their destination: the great forests.

The forests were the only part of Vineria that the former dynasty had had little control over, and Tarimel's grip on it was just as weak. It was there that many packs of werecreatures dwelled, always fighting over territory but always uniting when assaulted from the outside. Somehow, the leader of the small band of rebels was able to convince a few packs to leave them alone, and they have now taken shelter in a long-abandoned tavern. Their next move, however, is unclear even to them.
 
Information on Setting

The country of Vineria is a vast country, one which I haven't quite worked out the geography of yet. It is populated by all kinds of magical people, but Tarimel is the only dragon present anywhere near it.

The world itself is a general high-fantasy sort of world; feel free to come up with races and magical powers as you see fit for your character. Dragons, however, are a bit different from those of a typical setting. They are great, scaly flying creatures who can breathe various elements, but they are also masters of all kinds of magic. A mature dragon (usually two or three centuries old) can take almost any living shape and manipulate elements other than his/her opposite with great expertise. Add this to their many years of experience, and it's easy to see why most people of the world say it takes one to kill one.
Dragons are only truly limited by a strange kind of prophecy/curse placed on them as a species by the gods, who feared that dragons might overpower them if they lived long enough; the essence of this curse is that they are destined to die before the age of 10,000. They don't exactly die of old age so much as events conspiring to kill them. Aside from this, gods dislike interfering too directly with them.
 
Rebellion Status

The Rebellion: Has scarcely begun!
(See intro)
 
Character Sheet/Listing

A note on characters:
The heroic characters should be noticeably weak in some ways. I shouldn't even need a weakness section to know what their faults are. And obviously, no dragons or demigods or other super-powerful characters, please. This is meant to begin with humble beginnings.
That said, here's the sheet.

[noparse]Name:
Gender:
Age:
Race: (can be typical fantasy races or something you come up with)
Appearance:
Role: (what they're doing now; most characters near the beginning should be members of the emerging rebellion, but try to be slightly more specific than just "member", i.e. what sort of tasks they can/will usually perform)
Personality:
Skills: (Mental and physical ability)
Powers: (Magical abilities, including any that are typical for one's race.)
History: (Who your character is and how they got to where they are now. Feel free to make some stuff up if details are missing, as long as it doesn't contradict what's already been said.)[/noparse]

Character List:
Lirrin Kirizan-The initiator and leader seemingly by default of the insurgents. An idealist with not too much magical or physical power, Lirren serves as something of a mouthpiece and encourager. Though he has the oratory and persuasive skill of a politician, he also genuinely believes in the cause. [Xindaris]

Vivi-Some would say that if there's anything good the tyrant dragon has done with his rule, it was the violent crackdown on criminals. This Neko-jin would disagree. A skilled thief, agile and stealthy out of a pure need for survival, she seeks vengeance for the slaughter of her only prior companions--a guild of thieves. [Fluffy]

Horic-A man trained by a dragon, seeking an entirely different justice from that which Viveria's citizens seek. His perception of how magic itself works allows him to negate magical attack or even turn it against its caster. Tarimel killed the dragon who raised and trained him after misfortune killed his parents of birth. [Ryex]

Nimba Aktoo-A Lizard Man, hungry for knowledge and power in the form of magic. He sees the rebellion as an opportunity to test himself against a dragon, well-known for being the best spellcasters around. His magic can empower weapons and armor, call forth destruction, and shield his allies from attack; such powers makes his motivation secondary at the rebellion's outset. [xmelesiox]

Xelmog, AKA "The White Count"-A flesh golem with a reputation for brutality, he seems to have joined only in hope of gaining power. He is a swordsman with the advantage of instant teleportation, with skill in intimidating and getting answers. [Tyler Crane]

Kroylrev "Tyrannizer" Zsmertni-((summary TBA)) [Stillbirth Machine]
 
Reserved Post

Just in case I forgot something important that the RP needs to have in the OOC section.
 
My own character:

Name: Lirren Kirizan
Gender: Male
Age: 28
Race: Werewolf
Appearance: Lirren is fairly skinny, but not without some muscle. He tends to keep himself relatively well-groomed, even in his present state of being on the run. Having forgotten to pack very many clothes when he first fled, he wears slacks and a shirt that have become dusty and worn lately, and over them a leather curiass when he thinks he's going to have to defend himself. He has blond hair, and when he has fur, it's mottled, with lighter spots on a darker background. His eyes are of a darker yellow color. His wolf and werewolf forms are just as limber-built as his human form; he usually has the ears and tail of his werewolf form, as this is his most comfortable state (it takes effort, though not much, for him to maintain a fully human form).
Role: Leader of the rebels
Personality: Lirren is an idealist at heart: he believes it's possible to turn any situation toward good. He generally tries to remain cheerful and think of ways to make things better. Despite wanting to be considered an open-minded intellectual, he'll do what he believes is right with a stubbornness that defies reason. He doesn't know the first thing about organizing a rebellion, but is trying to anyway because he believes it's what good people ought to do when their kingdom is ruled by a tyrant. There is a darker, more primal side to his nature which would show if he could be made truly angry, but he's quite patient in most regards.
Skills: Lirrin is very literate: he knows how to read and write, and is skilled in logic and rhetoric. Eloquent speech comes naturally to him, and stage fright, to him, is foreign. He was, however much he dislikes it, trained to fight like a proper werewolf (weaponless, with tactics that rely on strength) in his early years, and has learned fencing since then, though the degree of practicality the latter has is questionable. He is a bit stronger than an average human, thanks mostly to heredity, and because of his race his senses of scent and sound are pretty good.
Powers: Lirrin isn't trained in any magic per se, but he can, like most werewolves, transform between human, werewolf, and wolf form at will, as well as between the first two. He also becomes fully a werewolf on the full moon, as usual for werewolves.
History: Lirrin was raised, his first decade of life or so, by the pack of werewolves that bore him. Eventually he discovered human culture, and though his curiosity was stifled he eventually fled straight into it. Fortunately, he was taken in by a fairly kind old mage, and has since lived very much like a human, far away from the forests of his birth.
After the murder of the royal family and the installment of Tarimel as the new ruler of the kingdom, he still hoped for the best. After about a year of the tyrant's rule, however, it became evident that the dragon had no interest in the betterment of the country. Lirrin, on a fit of impulse, made a rebellious speech in the marketplace of his home city, fled before he could be captured, and ran in the direction of the great forests. He was surprised at first when people began to join him, but decided to roll with it, making a similar (if more refined) speech of the same sort in several cities and towns along the way. Now, he and the small group of rebels are hiding in an abandoned tavern, deep in the great forests, trying to work out their next move.
 
Name:
Vivi
Gender:
Female
Age:
24
Race:
Neko-jin
Appearance:
1149861090629.jpg
Role:
Member of Rebellion
She also is a skillful thief.
Personality:
Although she is short tempered, she really is a kind person. She has a love for shiny items, money in particular. Anyone who looks past her greediness and tough exterior can see a playful, loving and caring feline that just needs someone to understand her situation in life. Most of her time was spent as a thief--a criminal--which has shaped her into what she is now. Putting that past behind her has melted some of the ice in her heart, though.
Skills:
- Quick and nimble on her feet, which comes with being a cat woman.
- Stealthy, from much practice in sneaking around.
- Master of disguise; she can hide her voice fairly well and blend in with the right props. It's like she's a different person.
- Heightened sense of hearing and smelling.
- Vivi is skillful with blades, mainly one handed swords. She's gotten so dependable on this weapon that she doesn't fight hand to hand anymore.
Powers:
Vivi has no magical abilities, except she is able to shift into a feline form. She turns into more of a jungle cat than a small house cat like most. This gives her the advantage in dark areas, boosts her speed and she has sharper claws and teeth.
History:
Vivi became an orphan at a young age and had to depend on herself and only herself to survive. She put her abilities to use in order to swipe food and money, and would transform into her cat form to safely blend in with forests. She eventually was found by a guild of thieves that helped her improve her skills and let her have shelter in their hideout. This band of criminals became family to Vivi... Even though some of their members would be caught and locked up, they'd always break each other out and run back to their undiscovered headquarters. Vivi became entirely trusting to these men and women the night she herself was broken out of a prison.

One unfortunate day, their hideout was found and when Vivi returned with an armload of loot, she found some of her friends and their leader on the ground. Their new dragon ruler issued a command for this place to be found and destroyed, as well as everyone to be killed. She once again had to live alone, growing awfully bitter over time. She abandoned her life as a thief and moved between forests and towns, eventually coming across Lirren, who wanted to pursue this dreadful tyrant. She wishes to avenge her 'family', for once not expecting wealth from a journey. Doesn't mean she won't try, though.
 
Alright, I should probably try to bring in some more people...please post when the sheet's finished so I'll know to look up at it...
 
hmm ok, this Idea might take a bit to understand but here goes. could I play a character who has learns "Dragon Slayer" magic? I would be a type of magic that the dragons themselves created in order to fight each other. My character at one point befriended a VERY old dragon (i'll have to clarify how) one who was easily close to that 10,000 years and learned the magic form him with a magically enforced agreement that he would never use it against another dragon unless that dragon was an enemy of the dragon itself. then one day Tarimel for some reason that isn't entirely know to my character killed the dragon who taught him. this give my character reason to hunt Tarimel, revenge is a powerful motivator after all.
it goes without saying that my character would hardly be able to use "Dragon Slayer" magic of the same power as a dragon but it would still be effective in causing damage
 
Hrm..the idea of dragons being able to kill other dragons is mainly on the basis of one dragon simply having enough power to match up to that of another; it isn't because they have something special or forbidden that helps them do it. A dragon can be hurt by anything that harms other kinds, it just takes more of it to kill or significantly wound them, and an older dragon is generally good at defending against attack. If there's anything a dragon could be called "weak" against, it's probably his/her opposing element, such as cold/water for fire dragons or earth for lightning, etc. They probably wouldn't have enough control over their opposing element to push it away or send it back at the attacker, and the element can stifle their primary one (since, for instance, trying to breathe fire while cold and wet or spout electricity while buried in dirt is kind of hard). The bigger, more out-of-character reason I wouldn't want a 'dragon-slaying magic' is because it seems kind of like a slightly-too-convenient macguffin and I don't want anything to be too simple whenever the time comes to actually fight the tyrant...

I like the backstory aside from that kink, as it would help with certain plans I have for Tarimel's characterization. Even without that particular specialty magic, being taught magic by an old dragon at all is a pretty big advantage to a mage nonetheless, since they've been around for awhile and know quite a few shortcuts and tricks that many haven't discovered yet. Generally, I think of magic's use in battle as having a couple of things in common with mundane-weapon battle: For every technique there is some counter-technique that can beat it, and being better than one's opponent generally makes one more likely to win.
 
I see, and now that I think about it it dose should way too convenient for the story. so as a revision instead of being a"dragon slaying" mage, he would be an "anti magic" o "counter magic" mage. in the sense that his style of magic use is incredibly effective at countering other magic. he would be really go at predicting the nature of a spell and devising a counter spell to negate it.
I would also like couple this with a moderate close combat ability. To get the dragon to teach him magic he promised not to attack other dragons unless they were an enemy of his teacher dragon.

dose this sound better?
 
Yes, that'll work. Let me know a bit more information on the dragon who taught your character and we can work out how his murder went. (Wow, that's not a sentence you see too often. XD)
 
The ideas are formed, the Dice have been rolled, I'll let it rattle around for a while and let the concept form.

I'll be adding to tis a fleshing it out. If for some reason you think it is starting to get OP, tell me, I can go overboard sometimes thinking up awesome chars. its really the reason I RP,to play people with awesome abilities.


Name:Horic

Gender: Male

Age:26

Race: Human

Appearance:

Role: Currently traveling into the Kingdom on a quest for revenge, doesn't know about the rebellion yet

Personality: Horic is a strait forward person, his actions and thoughts are those of a man who gives thought to his actions but dose not needlessly complicate them. where others would be devious, cunning, or manipulative Horic approaches the matter bluntly and without as he would call it "needless fluff".

Skills:
Incredibly agile on his own, (he was trained by a dragon after all, he had to keep up with his speed) he poses skills akin to an assassin when it comes to dogging attacks and moving through difficult terrain. he also knows several spells that can temporarily enhance his physical abilities, such as grant him the ability to jump abnormally high or strengthen his body to survive blows that would otherwise kill him.
he has moderate ability with a sword, enough not to stab himself in the foot but he never really learned how to fight with it.

Powers: training under the dragon Rakanel he has the skills of your basic mage when it comes to manipulating the basic elements, while he is proficient in these areas he isn't strong, at most he could produce a ball of flame or lift and throw a rock about the size of a large melon. His real specialty is Counter Magic. it is a special type of magic that nullifies other magic. For Horic if manifests as a burning multicolor aura that surrounds his fists, feet, or weapon, he can also throw bolts of it but they are lass potent the farther they are from his body and he can't calibrate then further once he has thrown them. this arua when it comes into contact with other magic nullifies and cancels it. in order for the magic to be effective Horic must understand the nature of the magic he is nullifying and calibrate the aura accordingly. the more complex a spell it the more difficult it would be to cancel. Horic posses a talent (pounded into him by his dragon teacher) for seeing the shape of magic and determining how it was made.

History: when he was 12 Horic's family was traveling across a mountain range as part of a large party of about 15 families, they were searching for a new home after their valley and town was burned down by a forest fire. They were attacked by a large bandits on the backside of a mountain pass and Horic escaped into the forest while his family was killed. he wandered lost for about three days when he stumbled across a dragon out hunting, it was feasting on it's pray when Horic approached it. the dragon Rakanel was quite small for it's size and was nearing its 9836th year in the world. for some reason the Horic still dose not understand the old dragon took pity on him and decided to raise him teaching him to survive off the land. in their fourth year together Horic asked Rakanel to teach him magic, Rakanel agreed on the condition that Horic would never use what he learned against a dragon unless the dragon was an enemy of Rakanel.

in the year before Tarimel took the kingdom he killed Rakanel in front of Horic's eyes, Horic has sense set off on a quest of revenge.
(I'll expand on this)
 
Only issue so far is a format tic--what's under Skills-Magic should be under Powers since that's what that category is for...determining the exact nature of counter-magic may be helpful, but that's not quite a complaint since it isn't really complete.
 
Ok, Xin, question. Is it possible that the race of dragons do not support the dragon that is in charge? If so, I can would like to play a character that is a dragon, but against the Dragon-king.
 
Much as I dislike speaking so bluntly, this has to be a complete no.
It's entirely true that most dragons would see Tarimel's actions as foolish and destructive, and a good many would try to stop him if they knew about it. But as noted in the information on setting, there aren't any dragons anywhere near Vineria at the moment. That the main characters must defeat this tyrant without the help of another dragon is part of the point of the roleplay.
 
Finished, Xindy. Hope she's acceptable. Managed to complete it during some freetime here at my family's home.
 
Awesome, accepted.
(And since I haven't actually come up with an appearance for Lirren yet, she's technically the first finished character too. XD)
 
Okay. I ended up consiladating some stuff because it had to be done. Think this still covers everything though.

Name: Nimba Aktoo

Gender: Male

Age: 22

Race: Lizard Man

Appearance: Six foot four inches. His scales along his body are a motley blue and as they reach his upper neck and face they shift into a crimson violet. His scales are light reflective meaning they will appear more brightly colored in direct sunlight. Forked purple tongue which adds a lisp to his conversations. His eyes are a blood red where ours are white with a gold iris around his pupils. (Google 'lizard eyes' and the first picture will show the body color I was thinking of and the eyes. Coincidental while I was trying to find out the general eye colors of lizards)

Role: Nimba joined the rebellion for a chance to further his magical abilities. As a member of the rebellion he generally uses his abjuration and transmutation magical abilities to craft magical equipment for the soldiers of the rebellion. He can weave robes together himself as well as work leather for armor and wood for bows and spears. The items he creates by hand have much stronger enchantments than the swords and metal armor he enchants. At every opportunity he requests to be designated with those who are entering the field of battle.

Personality: Like most young wizards Nimba considers himself superior to those around him. However, due to the general view of lizard folk being savages since they mainly stick to tribes and clans, Nimba tends to hold his tongue and stick to himself for fear of prosecution. Mentally he consistently proved his superiority to those around him and tends to speak in sharp witted comments. But generally he is quiet and reserved in larger groups and only freely speaks in small gatherings or in one on one interactions. Or when he has had a bit too much to drink, which happens more frequently than not.

Skills: Growing up amidst a tribe of lizard folk Nimba was taught from birth how to fight, forage and survive independently. The warriors of his tribe taught him how to fight with his natural weapons of claw, teeth and tail as well as staff and spear. He took a liking to the weaving and crafting of simple constructions and learned these trades on his own accord. The shaman of his village taught him the paths of apothecary and magician when it was seen that he had the innate gift of magic.

Powers: Primarily schooled in the arts of destruction magic by the shaman of his tribe Nimba has an arsenal of varying offensive powers to strike against his enemies with. Explained in history, he apprenticed under a human wizard and took a liking to the arts of Abjuration and Transmutation so that he could create and protect, not just destroy.

History: Nimba was born to a nomadic tribe of lizard folk savages. He was taught to all the basic survival skills of living off the land deep in the forests and swamps. The shaman of the village took Nimba on as his apprentice when it was discovered he had the innate ability of magic. The shaman only knew of school of destruction, but this training gave him a higher sense of awareness than the other lizard men of his tribe. He learned the arts of combat with staff, spear and his natural weapons while learning of alchemy and magic from the shaman. At the age of fourteen Nimba had grown bored with the simple teachings of the shaman. He didn't want to only know how to destroy and survive, he wanted something more than what his tribe could offer him. So, he left and wandered on the outskirts of human society. Extremely intelligent, within a year he had mastered enough of the human dialect to communicate with the humans. He sought out a wizard to train him in the other schools of magic. After several denials from human wizards Nimba grew frustrated and challenged one wizard he had denied him to a duel. His specialization in destruction magic gave him an edge in the duel and upon defeating the elder wizard he agreed to train Nimba in the other arts. Nimba took a liking to abjuration and transmutation for their combined ability to create unique items and bend the world to their will. He created the shape changing staff that he carries with him till this day under the watchful eye of the old wizard. After seven years of apprenticeship Nimba once again wanted more. He wanted to test what all he had learned. He wanted adventure and even more power than what he had mastered. So he searched for a spot amongst the rebellion for the opportunity to test his abilities against the strongest foes imaginable, a dragon and his minions. He has only been with the rebellion for a short while but has made himself using in creating varying magical equipment to better protect and support the soldiers of the rebellion.
 
I really like this character. I have a few questions to ask, to get a clear idea of what his abilities are.
First, what would be an example of destruction magic? Like, does it create explosions, or literally destroy physical objects? Second, Abjuration...does it create something akin to magical force-fields or..? Third, does transmutation start with nothing, air, or does it begin with an already-useful object like a sword and give it extra abilities like being surrounded with cold air or electricity or something?

I guess I really just sort of want to know the extent from of what his magic can do, and how hard it is to do certain things.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back