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Hey all, wanted to have a stab at this one, to see how the story went with a group of us sharing ideas through RPG. Who wants in?
RPG rules:
1) Please post your character profile and wait for approval before posting in the story thread.
2) This is a writing forum so please take some care with spelling, grammar and punctuation etc.
3) Please post to keep the RP moving... rather than just posting a dead-end one or two lines, think about how your character and your writing might give other players clues on how they are feeling and what they can see or sense around them. Think about posting something that gives avenues and ideas to other posters.
4) No god-modding - NO CHARACTER CAN BE PERFECT just like none of us can be. Think about how your character can suffer defeats or make embarrassing mistakes rather than being perfectly poised and winning every confrontation.
5) Write well and offer to help others out if they ask for it or seem to be struggling.
6) Write a real character, try for a character that has both faults and virtues and is believable.
RPG The land
Our story is set in the land of Eatha, a fairly large country that is for the most part quite dry and arid although there is plenty of land in the country's southern end that receives more rainfal and is greener. In summer it is quite warm, stifling in the desert and winter brings much needed rain along with storms and often snowfall in the deep south.
There is outer Eatha, a narrow strip of land running between the Coast and the rough and rugged hills which has the main Road and a few towns that thrive on trade and fishing. The Road goes from one end of the continent to the other, through a couple of different kingdoms of which Eatha is the furthest, largest and hardest country.
Then there is Inner Eatha (or the Inside as it is often called) which is several thousand miles across. Inner Eatha has the desert in its centre, hot dry country to its north and cool, greener country to the south. There is a lot of wild, uninhabited country including a vast and uncrossable mountain range running from the East, to the far South of the country which is the border of the country and separates Eatha from the rest of the world. Ocean surrounds Eatha to the West and Northern points of the compass.
Eatha is not ruled by any single person or government. There are Holds, fortresses ruled by the Holdlords and their families, each ruling a couple of towns and villages and some land. Some are cruel, hard Holdlords that often send their soldiers (known as the Harthing) to raid others and take over more than one Hold, and some are kind and considerate - defending their people against raiders and bandits and ruling fairly.
The main methods of travel are on horseback, oxen cart, walking or by ship. The land is considered almost backward and barbaric by the rest of the world.
There are two conflicting Priesthoods, one being the Shifta - the Black Priests whom worship the God of War Kannan and four minor gods under him. They are characteristically selfish, self serving and those higher up in each temple do not get along with other priests of their level. They demand dues from the people and the Holds in terms of sacrificial animals that must be delivered live, and most common Eathans fear them because they have Power. Their Great Temple and base city is Ethordunn at the base of Kannaneia Mountain in the far West of the country. Shifta believe they are Gods on Earth, sons and daughters of the Gods themselves sent to Eatha to walk amongst common humans. They are taught from childhood that they cannot be killed by common Eathans or Annui and are taught they are above all other life.
There is also the Annui, the old protectors of Eatha, they work with (although some don't actively worship) Eatha itself in Goddess form, Mother Earth. The Annui are mostly legend and fable to the common Eathans as their numbers have dwindled over the centuries due to few children, and being wiped out by the more powerful Shifta Priests. They are characteristically the 'good' force and brought up with strict codes of conduct and morals. Their base city is Eathanion, which is in the far south. They do not have a temple but have the Centre, which consists of comfortable living quarters for individuals and families, great libraries and rooms of learning, kitchens, stables, dormitories, the Nattery (otherwise known as the Great Hall) etc. They are goverened by the Annui Council of elders. Annui are taught to work in harmony with the earth and to never take more than they need, and to give back what is taken and to protect the people.
The PLOTLINE
The Shifta are strengthening their rule on the holds and towns, they have been mining the mountain at's base their Great Temple is built, surrounded by their city and have seem to have put together an army of their own known as Templers. They are using subtle means of gaining control by infiltrating ruling Hold Families and strengthening the common Eathan's fear of them with their Power. Rumour has it, they have a single leader, a Prince that is welding them together and forcing the Priests to work together which was unheard of before now.
The Annui are losing their people and are finding it impossible to get intelligence of what the Shifta are up to. Many Eathans regard them with suspicion and most don't even believe they exist any more, thinking them nothing but old stories as Annui have learned to disguise themselves as not to attract attention from the ever-growing threat of the Shifta...
Our story begins with the Shifta snatching any common Eathan that seems to have even the smallest spark of Power, causing even more fear among the people. The Council send word to all remaining Annui to return home.
How the Power works
Whether your character is Annui or Shifta, Power comes from the self. Using it drains energy and if you run out of energy, it takes your life force. Stupidity and extreme over use can result in death of that user. The Power is a great gift and demands discipline, training and strength to use it well. These can only come with many years of hard work. The weakest, untrained mind with Power can catch people's mood, read their uppermost feelings and have that extra 'sense' that warns them of anyone nearby. The strongest after many years of hard work could kill with a thought, hold another's mind to make them do their bidding and can draw Power from another person for their own use.
Annui and Shifta are separated only by their morals and beliefs. Those with Power can create a mental map, sensing all living things around them - the radius increases with strength and level of training for the user. They can also speak mind to mind, and can learn to shield their minds and themselves to avoid Power-related detection. They can also Shade themselves or another to give them an illusion to make them appear as anything they wish. Shading and Shielding consumes a lot of power and is exceptionally draining.
Annui and Shifta can also sense the death of a member of their belief immediately it happens. Not the circumstances surrounding the death unless they are exceptionall Adept but the death itself would resound around their minds.
Character Choices
You can choose to be Shifta, Annui, common Eathan or a Hold-family member. You could be warrior, thief, priest, healer, Shifta slave, farmer's son, Holdlord's daughter, horsedealer, fisherman, miner, merchant, courtesan, soldier, mercenary etc etc... it is up to you, use your imagination and lets see where the story goes!
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Originally Posted by Gabriel Gray
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