The Siege of the Castle of Jundaenia

[CheshireCat]

Purpose: This is an rpg that is supposed to be full of action, but also contains an intricate story, on which the actions of individual characters have profound impact. The backstory takes you up to the point where an enemy army is moving rapidly toward the castle. The king is simultaneously bolstering his defenses and gathering allies, and sending out mercenaries to slay his queen, who, for reasons explained in the backstory, is accused of high treason. There are many loyal to the queen who will fight for her- the same goes for the king. Hence, a nation completely divided will have to soon defend itself from an attack by foreigners of the nation's surrounding forests. Thus, look for action almost right from the beginning of this rpg- but don't think it's only another fight game. Everyone is welcome to play, so create a character and let's get this rpg off the ground.

Character Info: Anything imaginable from any mythology of any origin, (anything from lotr to Norse to Aztec mythology, etc.) to except that you can’t be a deity or specific character like Thor or Medusa; no futuristic machines (e.g. cyborgs, laser, etc.) with the exception that one can have arcane clocks or machinations (e.g.- the assassin in hellboy kept alive through arcane use of some sort of strange mystically powered machine)


Power Limitations: As mentioned before, there can be no gods in this battle. This does not mean that spells that, for example, paralyze, change form, put to sleep, or cause insanity/distortion of reality, are not available for everyone’s use- use them as you see fit, but with the restriction that they are only temporary and are also escapable just like any other kind of spell.



Exception: the person casting the spell has been focusing on it for a long amount of time and informing other posters of the gravity of that spell (e.g.- a group of people are attacking someone who has great power- one person is standing in the corner gathering power for a potent paralyzing spell that is meant to last for a long time; the character posts his or her intentions several times, gathering the power while the others buy him or her time).



On Vulnerability: Each character must have an essential weakness. Most characters (not all, because who knows we might get an elemental, or a djinn, or golem or some other being who is mostly impervious to physical harm, in which case they must be vulnerable to magic, or to some other power ) will be obviously vulnerable just like any other mortal is vulnerable- if one is stabbed in the chest and there isn’t a cleric around, one will most certainly die.



Also, one’s power must have limits. A good example: a spell caster may be very powerful but must take the time to chant his or her powerful spells; another one: a warrior may have amazing agility, but won’t be as durable as a warrior who focuses mainly on strength, who in turn can’t be as fast as the previously mentioned warrior. Another form of weakness can be seen in character- for example, a warrior may be awesome in all physical aspects- speed, dexterity, strength, etc., but may end up forfeiting his or her life because of overconfidence in those abilities.



As there are no deities, one must allow one’s weaknesses to be exploited from time to time, and if the situation calls for it, one must consider death. One who rp’s well knows that knowing when to die takes as much talent as knowing how to attack someone in a post- hence one should consider death as another outlet to show their rp’ing value. Mind you, this does not mean that you necessarily have to die (though in this rpg, most people probably will)



On Death:

1) To die, one’s weaknesses must have been repeatedly, fully, plainly, and fairly exploited by players, or even one’s self.



2) Death cannot be forced on one character by another; the attacked character must discern the time to die for him/herself.



3) Each death must have some significant impact on the story, as each character is going to be a major player in the story.



4) If there are any NPC’s, or any character who is not a poster’s main character, can be killed by anyone; essentially, they’re for everyone’s use (e.g. if someone rides into the battle on horseback and gets knocked off, another player may steal the horse, or kill it- although who would want to kill a horse L )



RP’ing Rules: As mentioned before, one cannot kill another character; one may only attack that character, and that character will respond how he or she sees fit. One must not control another player’s character.



Clarification: At least under this rpg, any attack meant to cause a change in physical, mental, or emotional status of a character does not equate to breaking the previously mentioned rule. If one’s attack, physical, magical, or otherwise, is meant to induce temporary status change (becoming unconscious, asleep, paralyzed, a different form, deceived, etc.), one may inflict that on another player without consequence, and with the knowledge that, since it is not a grave attack, cannot induce death, and does not always mean it will be affective for very long at all. (e.g.- a wizard casts a spell to change a girl into a toad- she does change, but breaks the spell shortly afterward, or even during the transformation).



Any kind of grave status effect must be plainly mentioned over a period of several posts as a grave status effect before the status effect is inflicted, and the person intending to inflict that status effect must be open to the possibility that he or she could be interrupted (e.g.- a wizard is gathering mass amounts of mental energy through extreme meditation to crush the mind of a foe, but is interrupted by battle, and so must leave his intentions, at least for now, to follow with the flow of the story).



Also, if the time is appropriate, saying merely that other characters heard yours, or that they all turned to look as you entered the scene isn’t to be seen as controlling them. It is, however, inappropriate, to say that everyone turned to look at who you just hit when everyone is in the heat of battle- use common sense.

Necessary Parts: These are roles that have to be filled in this rpg. I left all specifications to most everyone to the poster’s digression- if there is anything essential I will post it by the character.



The apprentice: (is no way affiliated to Donald Trump ) needs to be magically versed, and fairly young, age 16-21.



2 or three of the apprentice’s friends: same requirements as the apprentice



the king- must be frenzied in thought, spontaneous in behavior, and bloodthirsty



the queen- she is the voice of reason to her people, is kind, compassionate- powers, country of origin, etc. are left to you



antagonist- mysterious- no one knows true identity- is apparently an informant to both the king and the tribes- evil- the rest is up to you- should in some way tie into the prophecy



Unnecessary Parts: these are roles that no one has to play- they can remain NPC if necessary- they are merely here for anyone interested to grab



The members of the king’s court- mostly wealthy, ranging in occupation, and either super patriotically tied to the concept of king and country no matter how messed up the king is now, or wishes to remain loyal to the king because of financial or political ties- may contain spies- who knows



The members of the queen’s court- (my char is actually going to be in her court)- consists of those who wish to protect the queen- maybe students of some art she is secretly or not secretly teaching- maybe spies- who knows



Leaders and various members of the other tribes- it’s up to your creativity J



Miscellaneous Parts Needed Too!: these include anyone and everyone not directly affiliated with any nation- they are the wild cards and the catalysts for interesting plot twists ^^



Introductions: In one’s first post, one should describe one’s character’s appearance- any other information may be supplied in later posts.









I hope this wasn’t unbearable to read and to see you in the game!!!

 

[CheshireCat]

Backstory: Recently, in the depths of the ancient catacombs beneath the vast Castle of Jundaenia, an apprentice magician accidentally discovered, in an attempt to locate a scroll of old runes for his master, a small, hidden tome containing words that he had not even seen in the manifold books of his master, the Court Magician. After his discovery, the youth showed the book to his most trusted friends, avoiding the doting eye of his master, who might confiscate the tome as he so often had, claiming that “it is still too powerful for you.” One of his friends, a citizen of the foreign land, Alcumpia, recognized the writing to be a very ancient form of encrypted writing held only by the scholars of his country. The friend could roughly translate the text, as the friend’s father, a scribe of Alcumpia who had sent the friend here for further training in the magical arts, had taught him a little. The friend taught the small circle of his companions how to translate as he could, and slowly, page by page, the band translated the book’s first chapter in five weeks.



But somehow knowledge of their activities reached the ears of students outside that circle of friends, and rumors flew wildly. Each one of the friends was under careful scrutiny from the archmages of the castle, their masters, but was still- supposedly- ignorant of the tome’s existence. Then, one morning, the tome was gone.



The excitement of the original circle ebbed away, as did the manifold rumors about them. All went normally, until whispers began to echo the halls of the vast castle that spoke in hushed tones of treason against the king, plots to kill the queen, looming outward aggressors, inward traitors, and spies. Soon, the king and the queen began living on opposite sides of the castle, and spoke together only at formal functions. Something was amiss.



Far into the sprawling verdant, misty forests that surround the castle, various races of people have this same mounting distrust and uneasiness. Nations begin to doubt the loyalties of their allies, and also all began to fear the rumored coming invasion from the people of Jundaenia. All were on the brink of war, and any small incident of aggression would ignite its flame, even though the fire’s only fuel consisted of discontent and mistrust that had no definite origin.



Now, poised for war, the nations of the forest have began amassing large amounts of forces on the edges of their territory, while the king begins bolstering his land’s defenses, and rallying troops of his own, his hand ready to strike against the alleged usurpers in the distance. The tribal leaders are becoming bloodthirsty, and the king grows ever-paranoid with each passing day of those holding any power around him. His paranoia escalates to its highest state when he is around his queen. He once loved her passionately, but now only holds unspoken accusations of treason for her, as she is from an exotic foreign land, and is said to possess strange power.






Far into the sprawling verdant, misty forests that surround the castle, various races of people have this same mounting distrust and uneasiness. Nations begin to doubt the loyalties of their allies, and also all began to fear the rumored coming invasion from the people of Jundaenia. All were on the brink of war, and any small incident of aggression would ignite its flame, even though the fire’s only fuel consisted of discontent and mistrust that had no definite origin.



Now, poised for war, the nations of the forest have began amassing large amounts of forces on the edges of their territory, while the king begins bolstering his land’s defenses, and rallying troops of his own, his hand ready to strike against the alleged usurpers in the distance. The tribal leaders are becoming bloodthirsty, and the king grows ever-paranoid with each passing day of those holding any power around him. His paranoia escalates to its highest state when he is around his queen. He once loved her passionately, but now only holds unspoken accusations of treason for her, as she is from an exotic foreign land, and is said to possess strange power.



The queen, a voice of reason to her people of Jundaenia, is beloved by the peasants in her country. There are, however, some aristocrats and wealthy businessmen who are strongly tied to the king, either by patriotic, political, or economic ties. As the king further distances himself from the queen, there is a distancing of the wealthy upper class from that of the peasants. Now there are two courts- one for the king and the other for the queen, and a web of loyalties have been made.



For a time, this tension is merely allowed to grow, until the tenty-third day of the month. On this day, a leader of one of the forest countries supposedly receives word of an attack on their borders by Jundaenian scouts, and immediately declares war upon the country, and starts marching toward the capital , encased in the vast Castle of Jundaenia. Other allies, though they do not trust the tribe, temporarily join them to destroy Jundaenia.



The allied tribes come halfway through the forest when the king becomes aware of their blatant aggression. He appeals to the tribes closest to him to join his fight- some join him in fear of war with an enemy so close, and some tribes merely vanish into the shadow of the trees to join those marching on the capital. Amidst the looming war, the castle is about to crack internally.



An unsuccessful assassination attempt was made on the king’s life shortly after the news of his foreign enemies reached him. The assassin was killed swiftly, and his mind erased by a self-imposed memory curse so that the king’s magicians versed in such memory retrieval could not attain any information about the assassin’s employer. Only a sheet tightly clenched in his hand gave a clue; it read:



“The twenty third sun will rise and fall and under its moon will be spilt the blood of a crown. Out of this blood will be known the truth. By the moon of the twenty fifth, all shall be at peace, and many nations lost, only to be found again, under one crown.”



The king was outraged and began to ponder who had employed the assassin. His thoughts became frenzied and he lusted for blood- he concluded that the queen had committed treason by this alleged act of attempted assassination and allegedly intending usurpation of the crown for her own gain. Thus the king labeled the queen an enemy of the state, and issued warrants for her death.



But that day at least, none could find her- the queen had seemingly disappeared altogether.



More puzzling still was the crumpled note in the assassin’s hand. The original circle of friends who had attained and translated the first chapter of the tome recognized those words to be their own rough translation of the text. What could an assassin be doing with their book? Surely, they thought, that this tome was at the root of all the unfounded woes of the Jundaenian people and their neighbors, for it was at the disappearance of the tome that all the events began happening. Also, today was the twenty-fourth. Today was the day that the nations had declared war upon each other- could the tome they found have contained a prophecy?

 

[CheshireCat]

Behind the Queen's throne, a shadow emerged. The figure was tall- around six feet- and wasn't a shadow at all at second glance. He was garbed in a black tunic, and only his eyes shown, but behind a black web of netting encased by the cowl that tightly bound his head and mouth. Around his neck was woven a thin deep blue cloth that trailed behind him below his waist. When light stuck his figure, faint flecks of deep plue halfway sparkled in the sea of black which were his garments.

"My lady," he whispered softly in her ear in his voice that was very seldom heard, "we must leave the castle quickly. The king has declared you an enemy of the state and you are to be executed if his assassins find you."

"Somehow, I knew this would come," her eyes gazed down sadly upon her white dress, speckled in black teardrop pearls. "Are we alone, Alistair?"

"There are others who will be before us and behind us, but, if there is no attack, you will not see them."

"Then let us go."

"This way, my lady."

Alistair offered his hand to the ashen-faced queen, once so vibrantly colorful, and ful of life. Her hand grasped his; it was tense, and slightly quivering, hence betraying the fear which she so staunchly hid behind the white mask, adorned in black teardrop pearls, to hide her exotic face from the sunlight, for she was in mourning that her kingdom should be made to suffer at the mad hand of her husband. She rose to her feet, and began following the tall cowled shadow-like figure down the stairs behind her throneroom.

Alistair paused, struck one of the stones on the wall, and a block of it split from the middle, revealing a passage behind the wall. Alistair helped the queen over the wall, into the passage, and then struck the same stone. The wall formed back in place. Before proceeding, Alistair lifted his hand, each finger extended as if in salute, and touched the wall in a pattern much resembling a six point star encased in a square. He lifted his from the wall, and in the center of the star, he signed his initials in an arcane language- his writing was thin and wavy.

"This way, my lady." He led the queen further into the passage, but something didn't seem right. Alistair had ensured that no one could open the passaged behind him- not for a while anyway- but some it seemed as if someone was already there...waiting.