[HEADING=2]Ruins of Calrad- A Mount and Blade RP[/HEADING]
Calradia. A nation torn and bleeding from the constant warring of kings. Raiders roam the land, and pretenders to every throne sit and plot in the shadows.
And an adventurer can make a great deal of money off it.
Do you have what it takes? Many do not. But for those of incredible skill, intelligence, wit or strength, Calradia is a land full of opportunities.
There are six major factions in Calradia, plus the old kingdom of Calrad, and I will do my best to explain them in brief. You don't actually need to read all of this, but it may be helpful to know for character creation.
This information is true as far as this rp is concerned, provided no obvious mistakes are found. However, it may not be perfectly true for the game itself.
Now, onwards! To character creation!Calradia. A nation torn and bleeding from the constant warring of kings. Raiders roam the land, and pretenders to every throne sit and plot in the shadows.
And an adventurer can make a great deal of money off it.
Do you have what it takes? Many do not. But for those of incredible skill, intelligence, wit or strength, Calradia is a land full of opportunities.
This is a role play based on the Mount and Blade series of games- or, more precisely, Warband- though in-depth knowledge isn't necessary, though it will probably be helpful. This will be a fairly free-form rp, driven entirely by your choices as a player, with my role as a gm being to provide the world's reactions and whatnot. Fairly standard rp setup, as far as that goes.
However, true to M&B fashion, you will be in control of a party varying in size from fifteen to well over a hundred. You can ally with, fight, or merge with any other players' group, should you so choose. These armies will be the basis for most of the combat, with dice rolls dictating who wins and how many soldiers each side loses. Each character will start with fifteen or less soldiers, and gain more from there. If you chose to have more than two players in one party, the limit goes up, but they don't simply add. (I'm thinking it's one and a half normal, in case you're wondering.)
I would prefer you display at least basic competence with the English language; i.e., correct punctuation, not many outrageous spelling errors, basic grammar. You don't have to be a fantastic writer or a grammar nazi or anything, just basic competence would be appreciated.
However, true to M&B fashion, you will be in control of a party varying in size from fifteen to well over a hundred. You can ally with, fight, or merge with any other players' group, should you so choose. These armies will be the basis for most of the combat, with dice rolls dictating who wins and how many soldiers each side loses. Each character will start with fifteen or less soldiers, and gain more from there. If you chose to have more than two players in one party, the limit goes up, but they don't simply add. (I'm thinking it's one and a half normal, in case you're wondering.)
I would prefer you display at least basic competence with the English language; i.e., correct punctuation, not many outrageous spelling errors, basic grammar. You don't have to be a fantastic writer or a grammar nazi or anything, just basic competence would be appreciated.
The scholars have discovered a line descended from the true kings of Calrad, the old Empire. However, before the heir to this house could come to power, one of the kings of the land-or maybe more than one- had the family's ancestral hall burned down, and the family killed. However, the youngest son of the house escaped, and is being sought all across the land. Will you be his savior? His protector, his sword and shield? Or will you ally with the new kings, and hunt him down, in an attempt to curry favor? Your decision will decide the fate of Calradia forever. Chose wisely.
Modern scholars know very little about this nation. They conquered all of Calradia in the long ages ago, and named it for themselves. However, something happened, and the great nation simply fell apart. It's not common knowledge whether it was a civil war, invaders, famine, plague or what that destroyed the nation, but it was, nevertheless, destroyed. And so it came to separate into the six other kingdoms, each claiming to be the true remnants of Calrad. A true heir to the throne of Calrad could seriously endanger the right to rule of every king, so none of them want to see the boy come to power.
The Horde! Mongolia-based, made up of fast, hard-hitting horse archers and pretty much nothing else. If you see a Khergit on foot, he's not likely to be especially important or dangerous. They live in the Steppes of the east, and are currently at war with the Kingdom of Swadia. They're ruled by one Sanjar Khan, with a capital at Tulga.
Think Scandinavia. Cold, hard men from a cold, hard land, in the north. Typically fond of axes, throwing axes and bucklers, with open-faced helms and chainmail or leather armor, though this isn't a hard and fast rule. They are heavy infantry based, militarily, and cavalry is fairly rare. The Kingdom of Nords is ruled by King Ragnar, who rules from the capital at Sargoth. They are, at the beginning of the rp, at war with the Kingdom of Vaegirs.
This nation is based on Flanders, a medieval state in northern Belgium. They live in the mountains, and are relatively poor, having few resources to trade. However, they are excellent at defending their homeland from their enemies, the mounted Swadian knights. As such, the armies typically use many pikes, spiked staves, and crossbows. They are defensive fighters, and their offense suffers for it. Horses are rare here as well. The king is one King Graveth, whose capital is at Jelkala. They are fighting against the Sarranid Sultanate.
Bog-standard medieval state, in a nutshell. They're located centrally, sharing borders with four other kingdoms, and trade caravans are a fairly common sight. They are reliant on heavy cavalry, with their infantry and marksmen suffering for it. The marksmen they do have tend to use crossbows, while the infantry tends towards swords. The cavalry use lances and swords, as well. They are at war with the Khergit Khanate, but there is discontent on every border, and King Harlaus has good reason to fear more war, in his great hall at Praven.
I haven't the slightest who these guys are based on. It seems like Eastern European medieval states, and I don't know much about those. They occupy the north-eastern part of Calradia, in a taiga. Anyways, they're the most diverse of the armies. Here, you can find an example of every kind of fighting. As such, they tend to have large, well-balanced armies, but not well-equipped or well-trained. As a general rule, however, the majority of archers you see will use bows on foot, the infantry often use clubs and axes, and the cavalry use large, two-handed axes. Again, this is only in general, and you can often find the exact opposite in any company. They're at war with the Nords, and are ruled from the city of Reyvadin, by a King Yaroglek.
Based on the middle-eastern nations, they live in the great deserts of the south, and utilize fast-hitting cavalry in combat. They're an odd combination of many other nations' armies, and suffer for it. The archers are tough and can take a few hits, but aren't very good with their bows. Their infantry carries throwing weapons so they're not helpless against archers and cavalry, but aren't as solid as most other infantry. Their cavalry, however, is second only to the Swadian knights, having less armor in exchange for faster horses. They're presently at war with the Kingdom of Rhodoks, and are ruled by a Sultan Hakim from Shariz.
The equipment slots from M&B may be filled or not, at your discretion. A horse, gloves, boots, a hat/hood/helm, and body armor. In addition, all four weapon/shield/quiver slots can be filled, as per the game. If it isn't mentioned, it is assumed they have a basic level item for that slot, for the armor. If you only mention the character carrying a sword, it is assumed that the other three weapon slots are empty until they pick another up in the rp.
You don't have to start with any particular faction, and if you choose to, you don't have to comply with the above guidelines for their troops, but it would be preferred.
Name: You should know what to put here.
Gender: Male/female.
Age:X years old.
Appearance: You know how it works. How do they look? Be as detailed as possible.
Personality: What's your character like? Are they a joker, or the most serious person ever? A true romantic, believing in chivalry and honor, or are they a pragmatist?
Notable Skills: Things your character does well. Include specific weaponry they're more skilled with, etc.
Equipment: Things they've got on, as well as whatever's in their packs. Also, how many denar they have. You don't need to have an exact number or anything, just a general idea. (Make it all consistent with bio, please.)
Location: Where your character starts. City, town, village, countryside, whatever. I would suggest this for selecting a location.Please note, parts of that map are in Turkish. EDIT: Found a better map, in English. It's still the best one I could find. If you have another you prefer, feel free to use it instead.
Bio: The big one. Who they are, why they're here. You can use the M&B system of "Their father was... So they grew up as... And became, when they were older,... But then left because..." or not, as you choose. Work in how they got all of their kit, why they wanted to become an adventurer, who the party is and why they're with them, the works.
Gender: Male/female.
Age:X years old.
Appearance: You know how it works. How do they look? Be as detailed as possible.
Personality: What's your character like? Are they a joker, or the most serious person ever? A true romantic, believing in chivalry and honor, or are they a pragmatist?
Notable Skills: Things your character does well. Include specific weaponry they're more skilled with, etc.
Equipment: Things they've got on, as well as whatever's in their packs. Also, how many denar they have. You don't need to have an exact number or anything, just a general idea. (Make it all consistent with bio, please.)
Location: Where your character starts. City, town, village, countryside, whatever. I would suggest this for selecting a location.
Bio: The big one. Who they are, why they're here. You can use the M&B system of "Their father was... So they grew up as... And became, when they were older,... But then left because..." or not, as you choose. Work in how they got all of their kit, why they wanted to become an adventurer, who the party is and why they're with them, the works.
Name: Goldwyn Long-Shaft
Gender: Female
Age: 29
Appearance: Goldwyn is tall, with long blonde hair in a braid most of the way down her back. She is powerfully built, with long, sharp facial features and stormy gray eyes.
Personality: Goldwyn is harsh. She was raised in the north, a spearwife and the captain of a sea galley. She is used to being obeyed without hesitation, and demands a great deal from those under her. However, she does genuinely care about their well-being and will never drag them into a hopeless battle.
Notable Skills: She's a warrior first and foremost, fighting with spear and shield, in the Nordic spearwife tradition. She is also a capable navigator in a ship, and an adept tactician.
Equipment: She's currently wearing her captain's armor, thick, warm cloth and fur over chainmail, a thick, but well-worn iron shield, and a long, sharp spear. She has nearly no denar.
Location: Richaveg.
Bio: Goldwyn is the illegitimate daughter of one of the Nordic lords, from a thrall he took once. She clawed her way up to respectable levels, working as a bounty hunter until she could buy a ship and hire a crew. After this, she entered the service of King Ragnar, hunting the sea raiders that plague the coasts. It's here she obtained her weapons and armor, either bought with coin from her fighting, or taken from the corpses of her enemies.
After a few years of this, she became restless, and began to help with the war with the Vaegirs, leading the assault on several castles, though they were quickly retaken. For her valiant efforts, she was awarded the fief of Kulum. However, the lord, on hearing his bastard daughter was rising in the world, began to plot against her. He had her framed for a false-flag attack on Buillin, claiming she wanted to expand her territory. Ragnar ruled against her, and she was cast out. She found herself amid the Vaegir at Richaveg, penniless and alone save for her loyal crew. She swore vengeance, and began to work with the Vaegirs to fight the Nords, though she doesn't like working with her old enemies. She's heard the rumors of the Calradian heir, and would seek him out as a husband, and conquer the world with him.
Gender: Female
Age: 29
Appearance: Goldwyn is tall, with long blonde hair in a braid most of the way down her back. She is powerfully built, with long, sharp facial features and stormy gray eyes.
Personality: Goldwyn is harsh. She was raised in the north, a spearwife and the captain of a sea galley. She is used to being obeyed without hesitation, and demands a great deal from those under her. However, she does genuinely care about their well-being and will never drag them into a hopeless battle.
Notable Skills: She's a warrior first and foremost, fighting with spear and shield, in the Nordic spearwife tradition. She is also a capable navigator in a ship, and an adept tactician.
Equipment: She's currently wearing her captain's armor, thick, warm cloth and fur over chainmail, a thick, but well-worn iron shield, and a long, sharp spear. She has nearly no denar.
Location: Richaveg.
Bio: Goldwyn is the illegitimate daughter of one of the Nordic lords, from a thrall he took once. She clawed her way up to respectable levels, working as a bounty hunter until she could buy a ship and hire a crew. After this, she entered the service of King Ragnar, hunting the sea raiders that plague the coasts. It's here she obtained her weapons and armor, either bought with coin from her fighting, or taken from the corpses of her enemies.
After a few years of this, she became restless, and began to help with the war with the Vaegirs, leading the assault on several castles, though they were quickly retaken. For her valiant efforts, she was awarded the fief of Kulum. However, the lord, on hearing his bastard daughter was rising in the world, began to plot against her. He had her framed for a false-flag attack on Buillin, claiming she wanted to expand her territory. Ragnar ruled against her, and she was cast out. She found herself amid the Vaegir at Richaveg, penniless and alone save for her loyal crew. She swore vengeance, and began to work with the Vaegirs to fight the Nords, though she doesn't like working with her old enemies. She's heard the rumors of the Calradian heir, and would seek him out as a husband, and conquer the world with him.
Feel free to ask anything, correct me, make comments, whatever. If you need to ask, it's possible (read: probable) I haven't thought of it yet.
I hope to have all of it set up and ready to get started around the first week of December. I have all day on the seventh free, so I'll hopefully start finalizing the lineup by then. We'll just see how it goes.
EDIT: Found a better map.
