Thread: The Haladreen Schism (Profiles, Discussions and Affairs) [Fantasy RPG]

Alright, I've finally gotten around to starting this up. The plan is to run a fantasy in a completely fictional world of my creation. Sign-ups and character profiles go in this thread, along with any other questions or discussion relating. Once we have enough people involved, I'll post the game thread (hopefully I'll be able to do that by the beginning of next week). The rules will be fairly standard RPG-fare - GM's word is law, posts that don't give the SPAG nazis heart attacks, etc. Also bear in mind this is going to be an RPG where people die, and if you're inactive for long periods of time, or make things difficult for the other players or me, then you'll probably be at the top of the list when I'm asking myself who to get rid of.

I'm posting the world building info (there's a fair bit of it, but I feel that it's helpful to have it to make sure everyone is working from the same point of reference) in this thread. If I haven't said something to the contrary in one of my documents, feel free to include it in your profile. Once somebody else has included something in their profiles, as long as I don't ask them to change it, take it as canon.

To start with, the characters will be divided between two groups: a group of Koranan villagers, fleeing their village to seek refuge in a fortress before an imminent Ixos attack; and an Ixos military unit not that won't be involved in the attack, but is stationed in an Ixos village fairly close to the action. Most of the Koranan army is involved in various conflicts at the time, so there are unlikely to be many professional solder-type characters in the villagers group, unless they're on leave or something like that. No problem with some older retired soldiers being there though, or perhaps some soldiers sent there to help by the Elleven. The Ixos military group can contain pretty much anyone you like - they could be prisoners, soldiers, or civilian personnel from a village that they are stationed in. You'll have to include which of these two groups your character will be in as part of your profile. Ideally I'd like each person playing two characters - you don't have to have one in each group, but it would probably make things more interesting if the groups are fairly balanced in size.

Now, since this is a writing forum and all, I thought I’d shake things up a little with the profile template. We’re here to practice writing, so that’s what most of the profile will consist of.

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Name: John Smith
Tribe: Wolvwern
Age: 42
Occupation: Healer
Skills: Regeneration
Starting Party: {Villagers or Army}

Memberships:
{List any significant organisations your character is a part of, and their rank}

History:
{Exactly what it says on the tin – a couple paragraphs about your characters history}

Description 1:
{A few paragraphs describing your character from the point of view of someone absolutely obsessed with your character, that couldn’t find a fault with them if their life depended on it}

Description 2:
{A few paragraphs describing your character from the point of view of someone who absolutely hates them, and couldn’t admit a positive about them if paid money to do so}

Description 3:
{A few paragraphs describing a typical interaction between your character and one or more acquaintances [the acquaintance/s should not appear in the actual RPG at any stage]. Give us an indication of how your character speaks, and how they treat others around them.}

Miscellaneous:
{OPTIONAL – if there’s anything about your character that’s interesting, but you haven’t been able to include in any of the other headings [quirks, interests, etc.] give a description here}

Mary Sue Test Score:
{Just as a point of interest, run your character your character through the Mary Sue test found via this link, http://www.ponylandpress.com/ms-test.html, and post your score here. It may or may not have any effect on the game – I’m still deciding – but it’ll be a fun little thing to have here anyway. If it’s a question related to how other characters view your character, think about how it would happen if you were writing the character in a story rather than an RPG, influenced by your three descriptions from above}

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Also, there’s a cookie* for the first person that can pick up all the references in the dummy info in the beginning of the profile

*“Cookie” is a purely metaphorical reference to some minor reward, which at the discretion of the GM could be anything between a reward in game and a single word congratulation post

So, if you're interested, post your profiles in this thread (if you need time to prepare a profile, leave an expression of intereste and put the profiles up later). I'm aiming to kick this off sometime next week if the interest is there.

[NOTE: If you plan on playing as one of the Wolvwern, I have another document showing some stuff from their PoV that isn't general knowledge. I'll send it via PM - just post in this thread or PM me asking for it.]

Originally Posted by An extract from ‘Civil War – Who, what, where and why’

The current state of Haladree:

An uneducated observer would say that there is no civil war in Haladree. Yes, they would tell you, the Koranan and the Ixos are fighting again, but that is hardly unusual. Yes, the Flock and the Schools are waging wars of propaganda against one another, but that has been happening since before the first King of Haladree and Elleven was even crowned. Yet those who are more learned should see that these are certainly signs of major conflict in Haladree, and that we should be prepared for war.

At the heart of the problem are tensions between Elleven and Ennon. Once again, this is hardly new, and yet it would seem the magnitude of the conflicts between the two grows. Ennon has increased its imports of food via the Harim. Elleven seeks to develop mines in the lands of the Skolak, and has converted vast tracts of its land to timber plantations. It is clear that the two great powers of the land are preparing to break ties with one another as soon as is practical.

Ennon has always opposed the idea of a monarchy. Their parliament installed their own King in the hope that he would serve their interests. However, the years spent by the royal family in Elleven, and the relaxation of the requirement for the monarch to marry a noble from Ennon, has seen this bias almost completely reversed. The monarch is essentially one of the Elleven (which is celebrated by many amongst the Elleven, given that he is officially the head of their tribe). The Ennon are becoming restless, and would seek to have Haladree ruled by the people. However, the people of Elleven are more than happy with their King, and feel no need to change a system that works.

Compounding this is the increasing influence of the Flock and Schools. The School of Light, housed in Hallaren, seems to be becoming closer and closer to the King’s ear. The home of the Flock in Queluson does everything possible to promote this view among the parliament of Ennon, hoping that conflict would allow them to further weaken the Schools.

While Harim and Skolak are not directly involved in the conflict, were civil war to break out, it is clear that they would side with their ancient allies. The Harim once relied almost completely upon the aid of Ennon, and would repay that debt if called to do so. The Skolak feel indebted to the Elleven for their assistance in casting out the tyrant mages, and would fight to death for the Elleven if called to do so. It is clear that a conflict between the Elleven and Ennon would not remain isolated to them alone.

Furthermore, there is increasing evidence that the escalating conflict between the Koranan and Ixos is not entirely of their own choosing. Resources have been flowing into the central plains from the east and west, almost as though they are being paid to fight. Of course, ancient tensions between these two tribes mean that it takes only the slightest provocation to begin war, and it would seem that they have now been drawn into the conflict between the great powers. For now, the conflict remains along the central border region, with raids from both sides increasingly common. It remains to be seen how long it takes for the conflict to escalate further.

As such, to the educated observer, it should be clear that Haladree is divided; the Ennon, and their allies the Harim and Ixos; the Elleven, and their allies the Skolak and Koranan. War between the Ennon and Elleven would become a war that would split the nation, and the current progression of events seems to indicate that this war will soon arrive. Civil war seems a certainty, and we would be foolish not to organise our affairs appropriately.

Originally Posted by An extract from ‘A Foreign Noble’s Guide to Haladree’

Government, history and regions of Haladree:

While most lands would be best described with these three topics considered largely separately, in Haladree they are so closely intertwined that one cannot accurately describe any one without the others. Although they will be considered in more depth in later chapters, this serves as an introduction to the complex inner workings of Haladree.

In the early days of the land now known as Haladree, the population consisted of a multitude of nomadic tribes. Over time, these tribes interacted in many ways. Through trade, marriage and war, relationships between tribes were defined, and long lasting friendships and conflicts formed. Prior to the tyrant mages arising, the tribes had largely coalesced into six distinct groups: the Harim in the north-west, the Ennon in the west, the Elleven in the east, the Skolak in the south east, and the Koranan and Ixos in the central lands. While these divisions were somewhat blurred during the time of the mages, when the Schools defeated the tyrants, the free people of Haladree returned to the six groups that had served them well before the arrival of the mages.

Each region contained one of the Schools, and the first cities in Haladree were established around the Schools. The regions established their own central governments, and coherent languages. They operated as completely independent entities, trading with one another as separate nations rather than a whole. Many smaller cities and villages were constructed in favourable locations throughout the land, and the nomadic lifestyle that had nominated Haladree prior to the arrival of the tyrants largely came to an end.

As time passed, some within the tribes felt that the power held by the Schools was dangerous, especially given their centralised hierarchy. These people called for the tribes to unite under an independent government of the people. Naturally, the Schools tried to play down the fears of the people, and attempted to quell the calls. The newly formed ‘Flock of Baashep’, a religion highly critical of magic users in general, capitalised upon the sentiment of the people. In the city of Queluson, capital of Ennon and home of the School of Death, they called upon the people to rise up against the School. Facing overwhelming numbers, and not wishing to further harm the cause of the Schools by leading a massacre, the scholars fled the city and the School was destroyed. While similar violence was not repeated throughout the other tribes, pro-Flock supporters demonstrated all over the nation.

A prominent noble of Queluson, Halad son of Delhan, feared civil war. His wealth was grounded in trade of luxury goods (with close ties to the Harim), and would have been greatly impacted by widespread conflict. Working quickly, he gathered support amongst the parliament of Ennon, within the Flock, and within the remaining Schools. While it was never recorded publicly the deals he made, in the YF 169, he was proclaimed King of the government of the six tribes, united as the land of Haladree named in his honour. King Halad I established his seat of government in Hallaren as a sign of unity, for the people of Elleven and Ennon had long been rivals.

In modern times, the Elleven remains the seat of the royals, and the tribes remain loyal to the throne. By and large, the tribes are left free to operate independently, but pay tribute and swear fealty to the King or Queen. Tension remains between some of the tribes – despite Halad’s grand gesture, the Elleven and Ennon still harbour fierce rivalries, and a month without a border skirmish between the Koranan and Ixos is a strange one indeed. However, on the occasions when Haladree has been threatened by external forces, all of the tribes have united under the banner of the throne, and fought to ensure that the only threat to the tribes of Haladree remains themselves.

Each tribe of Haladree has a distinct culture and government, and it would be foolhardy indeed for a traveller to assume otherwise. Note that in sentence construction, it is appropriate to use the name of a tribe to refer to its land (e.g. the land of Skolak), or to the people themselves (e.g. The Skolak).

The Skolak (Capital: Skolmund, School: Mind):

By far the least unified tribe, the Skolak live for battle. The polar climate in the south-eastern lands makes life harsh, and there has always been conflict within the Skolak for the limited resources available.

Officially, the Skolak united before any of the other tribes, convening under the Tribunal of Warlords out of necessity. The Tribunal was formed with the responsibility for ruling on land claims, and determining whether conflicts are valid or invalid. Without its guidance, the Skolak would almost certainly have wiped themselves out prior to the arrival of the mages.

Not a tribe to easily submit, the Skolak suffered the most under the reign of the tyrants. The various clans were mixed together by force, and family members scattered far and wide to dishearten their people. While the last to fall completely to the dominance of the mages, they were the last to regain their freedom with the rise of the Schools. In fact, so damaged were the clans, it was not until the arrival of scholars from Elleven that the makes of the Skolak were overthrown.

In the following years, the School of Mind was established in the lands of the Skolak, and with the help of the Elleven, the clans gradually rebuilt their identity. The city of Skolmund gradually grew around the School, situated near the northern border, and housed the reformed Tribunal.

A damaged people with their penchant for conflict pent up over the years, internal conflict within the Skolak reached a high in the following years. While it has subsided somewhat in modern times, they are hardly a peaceful people. Foreigners are treated with anything from mistrust to outright hatred, with an exception of the Elleven who remain respected allies of the Skolak for their work in defeating the mages. Skolak are a rare sight outside of their own lands, but will fight to the death to defend any member of the Elleven under threat, such is the regard in which they hold their allies.

The Elleven (Capital: Hallaren, School: Life):

One of the two wealthiest tribes in Haladree, the people of Elleven were blessed with fertile land, and bountiful lakes and rivers. They have historically supplied a large majority of the food requirements of Haladree, and become powerful as a result of the wealth this has generated. Their lands experience a mostly temperate climate, in contrast to the dry lands of the Koranan to the west and the frigid lands of the Skolak to the south.

Elleven was one of the regions most strongly contested by the tyrant mages, due to its great wealth. As a result of this constant conflict, it also saw the rise of the first School, the School of Light. From the ancient city of Hallaren, the Elleven fought for their lands backed by the scholars, and became the first of the tribes to regain their freedom.

The government of the Elleven prior to the mages was a hereditary monarchy, but the entire known bloodline of the royal family was eliminated by the tyrants. A distant relative of the Regent of Hallaren survived the purge in hiding, and upon the destruction of the mages ruled in the place of the throne until one day the throne was claimed by another. Upon the coronation of King Halad I as the ruler of Haladree, the throne of Elleven was passed to Halad, and the Regent recognised as the official ruler of the tribe in matters not relating to the dominion of the Crown. (Note: as a result, the official title of Kind Halad I and any of his heirs is in fact the King [or Queen] of Haladree and Elleven)

The arts are particularly valued in Elleven, with the painters and musicians of Elleven famed throughout the lands.

Hallaren is home to the palace of the royal family of Haladree, from whence the descendants of Halad reign of the land. The Elleven maintain a strong rivalry with the Ennon, whose wealth and influence are similar to their own.

The Koranan (Capital: Konor, School: Soul) and the Ixos (Capital: Izlenji, School: Spirit):

The history of the Koranan is closely intertwined with that of the Ixos. In ancient times, the two tribes are thought to have been as one, occupying the vast central plains of Haladree. However, some event triggered a violent schism within the unified tribe, and the ancestors of the Koranan claimed the eastern plains for their own, while the ancestors of the Ixos claimed the west. War was common between the two tribes, with border incursions the exception rather than the rule in any given week. The lack of a clear definition of the border did little to abate the violence.

During the reign of the tyrants, the Koranan and Ixos remained relatively unscathed. Their lands, lacking in value, held little appeal for all but the weakest of the mages. However, as with the remainder of Haladree, after the rise of the Schools, a school was constructed in each of their lands: the School of Soul in the eastern plains, and the School of Spirit in the west. Respectively, the cities of Konor and Izlenji rose around the schools, and while they had little of the majesty of the cities of the other tribes, they were amongst the greatest fortresses in Haladree. The war that was so common between the Koranan and Ixos was no less common after the reign of the tyrants than before, and the capital cities of the tribes were always prepared for siege. All of the cities near the border were well equipped for a prolonged conflict, and most villagers in this region had at some stage in their lives been required to seek refuge in the nearest fortified city while war ravaged their homes. Many of the villages on the border had even ceased to consider themselves Koranan or Ixos, with the inhabitants simply swearing fealty to whichever of the two tribes happened to be occupying their village at the time.

Both the Koranan and Ixos are ruled entirely by their militaries, a by-product of a history dominated by war. The official title of the highest position in the military of these tribes is Governor-General, reflecting the civic responsibilities associated with the promotion to supreme command.

The Harim (Capital: Harimth, School: Body):

In ancient times, the Harim were a relatively weak tribe. Their lands were barren, and the little wealth they generated was largely through manufacturing based upon imported materials. They developed extremely strong ties with their neighbours the Ennon, and relied heavily upon their support. However, fate smiled upon the Harim, and the first ships from foreign lands to arrive in Haladree did so in their lands. Traders by necessity in the past, the Harim quickly built ties with foreign merchants, and became the centre point for trade between the tribes of Haladree and the rest of the world.

Due to the sudden wealth acquired by the merchants of Harim, the previously leadership crumbled. In their place rose a Merchants Counsel, where all citizens of Harim were free to vote, with votes weighted proportionally by tax paid. The Counsel elected a Merchant Premier every four years, who acted as a representative of the Harim in dealings with other tribes or nations.

While this system was disrupted by the rule of the mages, it was restored almost without change with the rise of the Schools. The School of Body was constructed in the major port in the lands of the Harim, and around it rose the capital city, Harimth.

Today, Harim remains by and large a land of the merchants. It is relatively small geographically, occupying the north-western corner of Haladree, and yet it is amongst the wealthiest of the tribes. The weather is distinctly tropical, with warm temperatures all year round, and the seasons alternating between wet and dry. Of all the tribes, its people are most welcoming of foreigners, with visitors from any nation or tribe accepted readily. They remain closely tied with their old allies, the Ennon, even though in modern times they are more equal partners than dependents.

The Ennon (Capital: Queluson, School: Death [destroyed]):

As with the Elleven, the Ennon had historically been a wealthy tribe. Blessed with lands abounding in natural resources, they supplied high quality timber and ores to the other tribes. As lands were not particularly fertile for crops, they quickly developed strong trading ties with the Elleven. While this trade was mutually beneficial – the Elleven gained metals and wood for construction, and the Ennon were well fed – both tribes despised their reliance upon one another. A strong rivalry developed between them, and if it were not for their geographical isolation from one another, conflicts akin to those between the Koranan and Ixos would have almost certainly followed.

By far the highest valued prize of the tyrant mages, Ennon was constantly contested by mages seeking to fulfil their need for metals and lumber with which to make war. The people suffered accordingly, and the hatred of the mages amongst the Ennon was almost unrivalled in any other tribe. The arrival of the Schools was begrudgingly accepted rather than celebrated by the Ennon, for they felt they had merely exchanged one set of magical overlords for another. When the School of Death was constructed in their lands, they were the only tribe whose capital did not naturally form around it. Queluson was built further down the river, leaving the School isolated on the city outskirts.

When the Flock of Baashep waged their campaign against the mages, it began in the city of Queluson. The School of Death was destroyed in the campaign, and the Ennon rejoiced. A great temple was constructed in the centre of Queluson by the Flock, and the Ennon became the home of the new religion.

Prior to the tyrant mages, and since their removal, the Ennon have been ruled by a parliament consisting of two chambers: the Chamber of Nobles, made up of all those holding a high title, and the Chamber of the People, consisting of members elected by the entire population of the Ennon. The elected leader of the Chamber of the People is known as the Speaker, and acts as the head of the tribe, although all decisions made must be ratified by both Chambers in order to become official. It should be noted that although historically democratic, it was the Ennon who supplied the first King of Haladree. While this would seem strange to some observers, the choice of a monarchy as the national government was supported in order to assure the support of the other tribes for their choice of leader. It was assumed, most probably correctly, by the parliament of the time that the other tribes would not consent to a rule by the common people, and that the best way to ensure the best result for the people would be a King of their choice.

Originally Posted by Extract from ‘The Greatest Threat’

Magic and the School:

Magic is a threat to all those who follow the teachings of the Almighty Shepherd. The danger it presents is clear to any who studies the history of this land; tyrant mages caused great suffering to our ancestors. While the School can claim it was they who displaced the tyrants, the observant scholar (if you, dear reader, will pardon the pun) can see that this was hardly a benevolent act. The new governments of the people that rose from the ashes of the tyrants’ reigns were inextricably bound to the power of the Schools; in truth the reign of the tyrants never truly ended, merely continuing under a friendlier guise.

It must always be remembered that it was mages who founded the Schools. Written history paints them in a favourable light; after all, did they not spread the knowledge of magic to all so that the powerful mages gifted their power by some freak of nature could not rule the masses? In recording their own history, these mages chose the name ‘scholars’ for they and their students; a pitiful attempt to distance them from the ‘mages’ they fought. Most modern ‘scholars’ take great offence to being referred to what they truly are; users of magic who are, by definition, mages. In the unfortunate situation where it is necessary to remain on civil terms with a mage, however, this perceived distinction should be remembered.

After the fall of the tyrants, the School established itself as the ‘great benefactor’, teaching magic to all those who would seek to learn it. They studied their power, learning how it was that the old mages had come to become as mighty as they had. Rituals were documented that would allow any mortal to acquire magical power - although, of course, these were kept strictly within the inner circles of the School, never to be made public. Despite this secrecy, the School claimed to be working ‘in the best interests of the people’.

The School itself established six great structures throughout the land, each one named after one of the magical aspects they so strongly revered: Life, Death, Mind, Body, Spirit and Soul. Cities grew around them, each becoming the centre of government of one of the budding territories of the land. While the School became so powerfully linked with the government, they still claimed neutrality; it is almost inexplicable that their ruse was not exposed more quickly. The School was centred upon the School of Life, and it was the surrounding city in which the territorial rulers began to meet to discuss matters which concerned the land as a whole. No sane man could call this merely a coincidence.

These were dark days for the land, a continuation of the reign of the tyrants. However, out of the darkness came the First Poisoned Shepherd, who brought the teaching of the Baashep to the people. He cast light upon the insidious workings of the School, and the people rose up against their evil. He found a blessed King amongst the commoners, and the Kingdom of Haladree was born. But despite the great light coming upon the land, the darkness retained power of its own. Those who did not trust in the wisdom of the Baashep defended the School, and not all of the government were able to be purged of its influence. However, the darkest of their studies - Life and Death - were made illegal, with all related documents destroyed so that this evil would never return to the world. Holy warriors even razed the School of Death, destroying the namesake of the most heinous of magical arts. The weakness of darkness was made clear in these days, for the Schools seemingly surrendered these powers without struggle. Perhaps the power of the Great Shepherd guided the men of the time with his loving hand.

The School that survived this era is much the same as that which exists today. Each School takes any recruit willing to taint themselves, luring in the poor and weak by offering their teachings for free. Few take up the offer, for they are either educated in the darkness that is contained within the School, or they have heard of the worldly dangers faced by those who learn the magical arts. Mages, as a result of their small number, command great prices for their services. It is a voluntary contribution that nearly all of these incredibly wealthy mages make back to the School that funds free education for the next corrupt generation.

Within each School, there are Students, Teachers and Learners. Students are new recruits, yet to undergo whatever the arcane ritual the School uses to convey full magical power. Prior to this ritual, a Student has limited ability in all fields of magic; afterwards they take on one field for life. Teachers are those who pass on the knowledge within the Schools, and spend their spare time studying magic and expanding the great School libraries. Learners are those who have been given their power, and specialised in a particular field of magic, but have not become Teachers. Learners are also known to travel, and gain employment in well paid positions outside of the Schools.

In order for the faithful to be aware of the magical threats they must face, I have prepared a summary of the magical arts taught in by the current day School:

Mind:
Mages of the Mind manipulate perceptions of the world, and are unique in their ability to restrict the magical powers of other mages. Ironically, they can make the night turn to day in the minds of their allies; more befitting of their kind is the ability to bring darkness into the vision of their foes. Powerful mages of the Mind can see events far beyond the place in which their physical form dwells, although the greater the distance they travel, the more draining it becomes. As well as travelling spatially, the most dangerous students of the Mind can see into the past. These mages have been known to be employed by those judges who lack the purity of mind to consider true evidence when crimes have occurred, preferring to place the fate of the trial in the hands of a corrupt mage.

Mages of the Mind draw their power from the Body, physically weakening themselves in order to perform their dark art. When they overextend themselves, they risk being crippled or losing a limb. It is said that the School maintains a hidden prison where poor souls who have delved too deeply into magic and suffered the consequences are kept from the public eye. When caught in battle, mages of the Mind will fatigue quickly, and be easily overpowered by physical force. In order to combat this, most mages who study in this field will strive for physical perfection, becoming perfect specimens of strength and athleticism. They are often competitive, for the power of a mage of the Mind is judged largely by their performance in challenges of strength, speed and agility.

Body:
Mages of the Body wield control over the human form; crippling foes, augmenting the physical attributes of their allies and healing are all within their grasp. Most mages of the Body find themselves employed as healers, restoring common diseases and wounds through their power, completely ignorant of the darkness that lies within the hearts of those who the Almighty Shepherd does not protect from the ravages of disease. When called to combat, mages of the Body are almost unique amongst magic users in their tendency to join a melee, for they will strengthen themselves beyond the capacity of any mortal and cleave through bone as though it was merely air. It is not unknown for them to first immobilise their foes, inflicting crippling injuries through their power.

Mages of the Body source their power from the Mind, creeping closer towards insanity with every spell they cast. When they try to go beyond their power, they destroy their own mind, leaving behind a shell where there was previously a human being. As they tire, mages of the Body become increasingly irrational, acquiring berserker tendencies when they are pushed to their limits. It is not unknown for them to turn upon their allies at the conclusion of a battle, when they can longer distinguish between friend and foe. A tired healer is likely to promote growth beyond the normal constraints of the border, generating abnormalities and cancers in their ‘patient’. In order to mitigate the damage caused by their powers, mages of the Body study pursuits of the Mind relentlessly, becoming the greatest of academics, unsurpassed in knowledge and wisdom.

Soul:
Mages of the Soul control forces beyond this world. They commune with ethereal beings, and bring them into contact with the corporeal world. These creatures cannot touch living flesh, but have can assault the minds of men, driving them into insanity or simply toying with their emotions. Alternatively, they can interact with inanimate objects, allowing the mage to seemingly move items with little more than a thought. In battle, they will turn their foes against each other by toying with their minds, and launch projectiles into the midst of an enemy army. The greatest of the mages of the Soul are known to practice ethereal travel, allowing themselves to be taken by ethereal creatures into their own realm, and return to the corporeal far from where they left.

Mages of the Soul receive their power from the Spirit, and as such become overwhelmed by fear as their courage drains away while casting magic. An exhausted Soul practitioner will flee a battle at all costs, even striking allies if they impede the path to safety. Where a mage of the Soul has attempted magic that is beyond their skill, they are left as paranoid wrecks, fearing that even their toes could betray them at any time. To prepare for this, mages of the Soul are almost invariably reckless, and delight in placing themselves in harms way. No risk gives them pause, often leading them into situations where they require the rather urgent attention of a mage of the Body skilled in healing.

Spirit:
Mages of the Spirit call upon their spirit within, and the elemental spirits around them, in order to acquire power over the natural world. Each human is born with an elemental spirit trapped inside them - the First Shepherd taught that it is this spirit that calls us to the ways of the world, and away from the Almighty Shepherd. Instead of righteously fighting this spirit, mages of the Spirit surround themselves in its power. Each of these spirits controls one of the natural elements - earth, fire, air and water - and as such each Spirit mage will have control over one of the four. They are the most obviously powerful on the battlefield, calling upon their powers to lay waste to their enemies.

Mages of the Spirit derive their power from the Soul. They gradually lose the ability to empathise as they weary; friendly fire is not unexpected when a mage of the Spirit begins to tire and ceases to care who is friend and who is foe, as long as any immediate threat is defeated. As a result, they live a life devoted to helping others, and learning to empathise as strongly as is humanly possibly. They delight in the arts, a field which allows them to spread great joy. Mages of the Spirit are an example of why mages are such a threat; they will befriend almost anyone, and yet turn on them as a result of their corrupt powers.

Thankfully, mages of Life and Death no longer exist. They differed from the other four in that they drew their powers from others, and had an almost unlimited capacity to manipulate the world around them. Mages of Death fed on Life, sacrificing others in order to fuel their dark magic. More perversely, mages of Life drew their power from Death, resurrecting the recently dead to power their spells. It was not unusual for a mage of Life to have one or several close companions travelling with them, who were killed and resurrected as required by the mage. It is possible for other mages to draw their power from sacrifices, but these occasions result in lasting spells that are far more difficult to control. They are almost never used, except by senior mages enchanting objects for one reason or another. Unlike mages of Life and Death, these sacrifices may be animal, and as such are not expressly disallowed by law.

One other type of magical abomination to be noted is the mages who study duel specialisations. Even amongst the so called ‘scholars’, these creatures are referred to as mages, for they have much in common with the original tyrant mages. By undergoing the power transferral ritual a second time, in a second field, they transform into a creature that ceases to be human. They sacrifice everything that feeds their power, and in return receive a limitless supply of magic and immortality. Very few go down this path; fewer still survive the ritual. Those that do live an all powerful life, but at a cost; they suffer constant pain as a result of their loss. A Mind-Spirit mage, for example, would be permanently crippled, and lack all ability to empathise. Bear in mind that Mind mages emphasis their strength above all else, and that Spirit mages live for others; this makes such a transformation unpalatable to all but the most power hungry of mages - perhaps a sign that the Schools are, thankfully, not quite as corrupt as they could be.

Novice Student essay from the School of Body:
The Flock of Baashep:

It would seem that for as long as it has existed, the School has faced constant oppression. The Schools themselves were born to fight the tyrant mages, and it was many years before this goal was achieved. Since then, the enemies have not always been so obvious or as deadly, but they remain just as dangerous to the long term survival of the Schools. Great masses of the population are uneducated about magic, and know little more than stories of the tyrant mages and the great life and death mages of old. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in the Flock of Baashep.

Born in the early 160’s, the Flock claims to follow the words a prophet referring to himself as the Poisoned Shepherd, the mortal messenger of an entity he called the Almighty Shepherd or Baashep. He preached of the inherent corruption of humanity, and referred to magic as worship of this corruption. While most wisely ignored his ramblings, there were a few who came to him and formed the first Flock. In the city of Queluson, the Flock grew, and taught in their ignorance against the schools. This culminated in the destruction of one of the greatest Schools, the School of Death, the installing of a King who would serve them and neuter the Schools, and the banning of Life and Death magic. While this last step was seen to be a positive move even by many within the Schools, it weakened the Schools greatly.

While few specifics are available to those outside of the Flock, it is known that the modern hierarchy consists of Followers, Shepherds, Tainted Shepherds and the Poisoned Shepherd. Followers are merely those who seek to learn of the twisted teachings of the Flock, and anyone can join or leave the ranks of the Followers freely. The Shepherds are the teachers of the Flock, who have studied the writings of those who have come before them, and continue to add to the collective library of the Flock. It is they who go to the Followers and tell them of the words of the Almighty Shepherd they so revere.

Tainted Shepherds are Shepherds who are so revered by their Followers, respected by the fellow Shepherds, and recognised by the Poisoned Shepherd that they are ordained to a higher status within the Flock. They select a trait of themselves that they despise, and take it as part of their name. Then, beginning from the first day of a year after the completion of the Week of Celebration, they attempt to live a year without succumbing to that trait and punishing themselves whenever they are unable to resist. Upon the conclusion of the year, they are free to spend the following Week of Celebration amongst the population, free of the bonds of the Flock. However, when the Week ends, they are expected to devote themselves completely to the ways of the Almighty Shepherd, and go out seeking unbelievers to bring into the Flock.

The Poisoned Shepherd carries the title of the prophet who taught the first Flock, and is effectively the leader of the religion. Once selected, they hold the position for life. Upon the death of the current Poisoned Shepherd, the Tainted Shepherds of the time come together and select a successor. Usually this is one among their number, but on rare occasions they have selected a Shepherd, or even a Follower, when they have felt that it is the will of the Almighty Shepherd. The Poisoned Shepherd is expected to devote their life to the study of the will of Baashep, writing to great lengths of his will and reviewing the writings produced by the Shepherds. The title of the role is supposed to represent the corruption that comes with power; all humans are corrupt, and the most powerful are the must corrupt, such is the teaching of the Flock.

So deeply ingrained in the teachings of the Flock is ignorance of magic, however, that the Shepherds do not realise that they utilise magic almost as regularly as most scholars. Believing their powers to be granted by the Almighty Shepherds, they access magic in a primitive way that is somewhat similar to the style used by the Schools for teaching Students. Through shear willpower, they access the magic of the Mind and Body. Healers, Shepherds who study in healings, are merely weak Body scholars by another name. The Paladins, a faction of the Flock who hunt scholars deemed to be criminal, are trained in what they call ‘The Focus’, which is no more than the Mind magic art of suppressing the powers of another scholar.

We must always be careful of the ignorance surrounding magic that is so common in the modern world. The Flock seeks to demonise the Schools in the minds of the uneducated masses, while using magic themselves under the guise of holy power. The Schools must always work against the teachings of the Flock, and seek to influence the Governments of Haladree to ensure their decisions are wise. Only by manipulating the governments can the insidious ways of the Flock be prevented from presenting the greatest threat in the history of the Schools, even beyond that of the original tyrant mages.

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Comments – you don’t seem to know where you want to take this essay. In the body, you provide pointless information about the organisational structure of the Flock, which while useful if the purpose of the task were to inform the reader of the Flock itself, is far from discussing the dangers posed by the Flock to the Schools. Essentially, you’ve head-and-tailed this – the argument is there at the beginning and end, but you need to improve the body. More evidence, less exposition.

Teacher Calnos

The Wolvwern:

Little is known of the people of Hekatre Forest. It is an autonomous region, known to have governed itself since before the Schools existed. There are no records of why the tyrant mages did not seize control of this territory, although some lesser scholars would suggest it is because they possessed magic beyond that of the tyrants. The preferred explanation is that a mage opposed to the tyrants governed the territory during the reign of the tyrants, and possibly still reigns there to this day.

On rare occasions, inhabitants of the forest have ventured into the King’s lands, although they have always refused to speak of their homeland. Common folk treat them with suspicion, but they would seem to be a wealthy people, and for this the merchants welcome them and the authorities tolerate them. They refer to themselves as the Wolvwern, and, during the day, wear clothing which leaves no skin exposed. Those few who have become close to one of the Wolvwern note that on the day following the new moon, they are nowhere to be found.

It would seem that the Wolvwern treat those who intrude upon their territory ruthlessly; no traveller has ever returned from a journey into Hekatre Forest. There has only been one known instance of someone returning from the forest; in the YF 569, a raiding party entered the forest in pursuit of Shepherd Alacane the Corrupt, who had travelled there 23 years earlier to spread the Baashep. Fearing the loss of their first Tainted Shepherd since the formation of the Flock, the locals entered the forest, destroying a Wolvwern settlement. They found the possessions of many travellers stored away, including those of their Shepherd. Subsequently, they returned to their village to mourn the death of their Shepherd, believing that he was yet another victim of the forest’s inhabitants.

Among the Shepherd’s possessions were fragments of a diary, the only known writings from someone that has lived among the Wolvwern. They are reproduced below:

Lifday, 1 Lightal, YF 546
The week of celebration has ended, and I now set out to do the work of the Almighty Shepherd. I fear the task at hand - Hekatre Forest hardly has a welcoming reputation - but the Baashep must be spread to all of the scattered, lest the Flock remain lost to their Almighty Shepherd. I have little time to spare, for I must leave while conditions are favourable, and I pray that I will live long enough to write of a new Flock amongst the trees of Hekatre.

Minday, 3 Lightal, YF 546
I have made camp on the outskirts of Hekatre Forest; tomorrow I enter the territory which I have heard spoken of in whispered voices since my childhood. I know that I am being watched, but it seems that I am safe for the moment.

Spiday, 5 Lightal, YF 546
My work will seemingly be far more difficult than I had first imagined. While the natives - who refer to themselves as the ‘Wolvwern’, have not shown any malice towards me, they worship a heathen god almost without exception. At least among our lands, it is merely ignorance that the Flock must combat; here misinformation is rife. As far as I have been able to gather they worship the moon, and associate it with a god in the image of a wolf named Wolvwirren. Their entire culture is built around worship and ceremonies; they do not seem to even distinguish between priests and lords, for they are one and the same. I fear that to begin preaching the Baashep casually would cost me my life; such is their reverence of this Wolvwirren. For now, at least, I must appear to assimilate into their culture, in the hope of learning how best to show these heathens the errors of their ways.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It has been a long time since I have written. The heathens come for us now; they will arrive any moment. I do not even know what date it is, but I fear that whatever the day is, it shall be my last. We set ourselves apart from the heathens so that they would not corrupt us with their ways, and that we would not have to fight them. Despite this, they would destroy us in their ignorance. We shall fight for survival, but I hold no illusions as to the result of the battle. Let it be known that it was the heathens that destroyed us, and let revenge be taken.

It would seem that the Shepherd's last words were honoured by his kin; all of the inhabitants of the village in which he dwelled were slaughtered. In fear of retribution, however, no man has since set foot in Hekatre Forest, and the Wolvwern remain largely a mystery.

On the Poler calendar:

The current calendar in use in the kingdom is that of Shepherd Poleiac the Ignorant, known as the Poler calendar. It was implemented in YF 169, which coincides with the coronation of King Halad I. The Poler calendar records those dates beginning from the day in which the first Schools of magic overthrew the last of the tyrant mages, Year of Freedom (YF) 1. Note that this means that the construction ‘the year YF 1’ used by many commoners is incorrect; ‘the YF 1’ is the correct form.

Each year consists of 365 days, broken up into six months and the Week of Rejoicing. The six months are named after the elements of nature; Lightal, Earthas, Airos, Firal, Watan and Darnal, and each consist of ten weeks. A week consists of six days - Lifday, Bodday, Minday, Souday, Spiday and Deaday - named after the aspects of magic studied in the Schools of the time.

The one exception this is the Week of Rejoicing. This is the first week of each year, and does not include Deaday. It is celebrated as a festival across the entire kingdom, and commemorates the defeat of the tyrant mages. Every fourth year, Deaday is included in this week, and is recognised as a day of remembrance for all those who have died in combat defending the kingdom throughout its history. The first such day is recorded to have occurred in the YF 172.

Years preceding YF are notated as RT, or Remaining years of Tyranny. The year immediately prior to YF 1 is RT 0, with the year prior to RT 0 being RT 1, etc.

There are many calendars that preceded the Poler calendar, with most regions having at least one older model in use up until YF 169. The only one of these that was consistently defined was the School calendar, in which ES (era of the Schools) 1 was the year of foundation of the first School. This corresponds the year RT 64 in the Poler calendar. Previous years were referred to as BS, or Before the Schools. The year 1 BS corresponds to the year RT 65, with the year 2 BS being the year RT 66. The School calendar also had 365 days to a year, allowing for a year to year comparison with the Poler calendar; given that it is not longer in use, most readers will not require an intimate knowledge of School calendar unless they are conducting detailed research into the history of the conflict between the mages and the Schools.

Tsaeb send me with Wolvern stuff please and thank you

As I already said: I'm in. I have several character ideas. I will try to have them up in a few days.

Taseb, can you send me some basic info on the Koranan leadership?

Well, in general, if I haven't said anything to the contrary in one of my original posts, feel free to fill in the gaps yourself. Assuming I don't mind it, it'll become "official" as far as anything else in game is concerned.

In reference to the military, the basic command structure I'm thinking of for the game is soldier, sergeant (commands squads of soldiers), lieutenant-captain (assists the captain, maybe commands groups of squads within a larger grouping of squads), captain (commands some intermediate group that you can feel free to name consisting of multiple squads, but smaller than an army), lieutenant-general (assists the general, commands groups of whatever the captains command within an army), general (commands a full army), and then some sort of tribe-specific supreme command position that is in charge of all the military forces. In the case of the Koranan and Ixos, the Governor-General is essentially an absolute monarch as well as filling the previously mentioned supreme command position, who would probably have some sort of advisory committees working for them. Use your imagination for any further details or titles of positions.

What races are allowed? I've been interested for awhile.

Pretty much any group that's been mentioned in the information is up for grabs, though a true dual-spec mage is the only one that I'd most likely say no to. If you can come up with a reason for them to be present at one of the two starting locations mentioned, then feel free to go with it. I'm trying not to be too restrictive on what characters can and cannot be - the worldbuilding info is a framework upon which players can and hopefully will build

I´d like to play the following character. Haven´t decided on a tribe yet, suggestions are welcome. Will edit if needed.

Name: Haartmund Oaks
Tribe:
Age: 27
Occupation: Engineer
Skills: social chameleon / alchemy

Starting Party: Villagers

Memberships: recently discharged of his post in the military.

History:.
Haartmund Oaks was lucky to be born in a family with the means to let him have a good education. He was sent to study with sages and wise man and for a while he seemed to be a perfect student to learn magic. When he was about 16, he started questioning everything. During the next four years he bounced back and forth between tutors until he finally met a smith that seemed to have the patience to answer every "how" and "why" question he had. Haartmund learned how to work the steel, how to mine ore and how to use different materials to be able to produce the best possible result. At the age of 23, Haartmund developed an interest about catapults and again changed tutors, to the complete dismay of his parents. Another two years later the promise that magic would make his life easier granted him a 4 month study of Spirit with a known wizard. Alchemy fascinated him, but then he started to experiment too much and the wizars told him that he simply could not afford to have a student that generated such high expenses in such a small amount of time.

His parents eventually decided to send him to the military, hoping that a rigid system would put some sense in the young boy.

Description 1:
"Haartmund is a practical man that listens to people when they talk to him. You can trust him to be fair and to succeed at any task you can convince him to undertake. He has a good knowledge of what works and what doesn´t regarding physics, metals and chemistry, and if he doesn´t know he will find someone to help him. He is not afraid to join the others when we are digging trenches and the men respect him for that. He is creative above anything else, and I have yet to meet another man that can wake up laughing."
Khalem Isandril, sapper.

Description 2:
"Oaks is a problem to the unit. Basically he will question orders and will simply ignore commands that he doesn´t like. He is not our strongest soldier and he is not our brightest tactician. He only thing he has really specialized in is to forget names of people and places. I actually believe he is a joke sent here by someone who wants to completely ruin the military. I will have him either put in chains or relocated to some other squad."
Tallus Forehand, squad Leader.

Description 3:
"Oaks, I gathered the wood you asked to repair the bridge, but I think it would be better if we first place some stones in the shores of the river. That way the water won´t carry the logs and we will have a stronger support for the bridge."
"Stones you say, hmmm." considered Haartmund. In fact the idea of the young soldier seemed better than his former plan. "Ok, you have convinced me. Do it and then come back and tell us how it went. If you think it´s easier to do something using a different method than the one I told you about, and it works, I won ´t question you. If you tell me that using magic or rubbing a chicken to the bridge will hold it together and you can prove it, then I have no problem with that. Keep your eyes and ears open, and you will learn something everyday, that is what I say."
"Thank you, sir, but what will the squad leader say, these are not our orders."
"Uh, I forgot your name, sorry."
"Tarhem sir."
"Tarhem, yes, this will work. Our former orders won´t work. It´s pretty clear what we have to do, right? The squad leader will understand."

Your Mary Sue Score: 23

I am still in, just waiting for things to get going a little to put any characters down... will be a little busy during March, if we are going full swing by then I will write my characters into seclusion for a little while.

I'm thinking of kicking it off towards the end of next weekend - it seems like there's enough interest floating around to make it worthwhile. Be good if by people could have their characters up by Saturday or early Sunday.

EDIT: And that's not a problem Verum - if you want you can always organise with another player (or myself) to write your characters during that period anyway, and if not we'll find a way to temporarily write them out of the story and bring them back later.

Are we doing all human? Do elves, dwarves ect live in Haladree?

Yeah is it Tsaeb?