joshuadim
the writer
Premise
In the seven-hundredth and thirtieth year of the Second Era, the Arathian Empirios stands on a precipice of political and economic turmoil. Tensions between the races of the Empire since the end of the Second Glyrran Revolt have only risen, the looming succession crisis of House Brentor weighs upon the Imperial throne, and the rampant Imperial debt is on the verge of spilling out into the open. For an empire that has stood for just over five centuries, stage has been set for the most difficult political crisis faced by the Empire since the Great Revolt of 452. And yet, its unity is frail, loyalties divided, and the potential for war grows with every day. If a war comes, then it will surely tear the Empire apart. And worse still lies upon the throne itself, for the Emperor is dying… and has not selected a successor from amongst the claimants.
As questions about the future linger on the tongues of many, yet not dare uttered by the Emperor's subjects, a Grand Tournament is being hosted in the Imperial City of Ifosea; attracting denizens and nobility alike from all across the Empire for the purpose of celebration amidst the coming troubles. To distract in revelry rather than wallow in uncertainty. For some, however, this comes as the opportunity in politics to forge alliances with others, or to stake a claim amongst the feuding Imperial factions that all share the same goal of owning the Imperial Seat. For others, this may come as a time to improve their own station and perhaps to rise amongst their political betters.
Various races dwell within the borders of the Empire, whether through conquest by the first Emperor, Arathor, or through continued ties and relations amongst the Men of the land. However, many such ties have been strain in recent decades due to the rule of Medwin V, and his subsequent reaction to the Second Glyrran Revolt which set his sights upon all subjects of the Empire who were not men.
Men
The most widespread of races, not just amongst the Empire but across the known world as well, Men comprise the singular dominant body of political and economic power in the Empire; among whom many exercise such power in greater force in comparison to their non-human counterparts. Humans enjoy a privileged status as citizenry of the Empire, though there exists a stratification amongst classes inherent amongst feudal societies: the peasantry comprise of the vast portion of the population, who toil land controlled by their lords, who in turn pay taxes and levies to their respective lieges. Though there exists those outside this traditional structure, such as landed gentry, craftsmen and artisans, and everything in between.
Elves
Once the rulers of Empires, the Elven people have become a shadow of their former selves with many dreaming of the days in which their people were masters of their own destiny. But now, ever since the Great Retreat and the subsequent annihilation by Arathor, the Elves remain a fragmented people among the Imperial borders with many living in enclosed enclaves and urban ghettos as they prefer to be amongst themselves rather than among others. There too is the Godswood, the last bastion of Elvendom on the continent that is free from Imperial rule, but the journey is not only treacherous but also closely watched by Imperial agents who are tasked with keeping track of non-human activity in the Empire. In most regions, they are among the races looked down upon by Men the most with suspicion and fear.
Glyrrans
Throughout Imperial history there has been two revolts that the Glyrrans of the Redlands and other regions have been involved in, and it is the latest that has driven the current state of affairs for the attitudes of the Imperial throne amongst its non-human denizens. The Second Glyrran Revolt, a violent affair for liberation, resulted in a reaction of retribution that had collateral and in turn made a pariah of the Glyrran people amongst most of the Empire. The cat-folk are viewed likewise with the same suspicions shared amongst the elves, though unlike the Elves it is the Glyrrans that have a place to call home not only within the Empire but just outside its borders, for the Glyrran Confederation has had a hand to play in the latest revolt and in the continued tensions at play.
Wulpines
The wolf-people of the Empire take home in various clans across the more northern regions, with varying histories between them and the Men that inhabit the provinces there that vary between being subjects and retainers to certain houses, such as in the case of House Kragh in the North, or as distant and isolated communities that work oftentimes as sellswords. In all cases, they hold a stronger relationship with the northern regions than in the south, as the southron folk view them the same as other non-humans and greet them with the same distrust as they would with Elves or Glyrrans.
Satyrs
The goatmen of the South share a nebulous relationship with the Empire, as many often work as sellswords for Southron lords to bolster their forces or often as tradesmen to carry goods from the Empire outwards. However, Satyrs are also at the forefront of the coming debt crisis the Empire faces as the Free Cities, often headed by Satyr ruling classes, seek to collect upon what is owed to them from the various times they have lent to the Empire to fund its projects and spendings. And word of a tournament being held in Ifosea has only stirred tensions among Satyrs against the Empire for this very purpose.
Vadyeen
Hailing from the Morasses and Riverlands are the Vadyeen, which is but an umbrella term for the various reptilians and amphibious peoples that live in those Imperial regions. Though often difficult to find outside of their homelands, many are renowned for their natural aptitude towards alchemical studies due to their traditions of knowledge of herbs and reagents that would otherwise be unknown to the average layman. Although also targeted by Medwin V in his attacks against non-humans, the Vadyeen were fortunate enough to not only be reclusive in their own regions but also difficult to track and often even harder to fight due to their ancestral knowledge of the lands they regards as their home.
Welcome to the Arathian Empirios, the year is 730 SE (Second Era) and your place in the world is entirely up to you. Do you wish to lead a Great House that plays in the politics of the Empire? You shall create your banner that will be carried amongst your levies and loyal retainers. Are you a lowly sellsword that shifts in loyalties amongst the highest bidder, in search of the best oppurtunity to wealth? Then stake your claim and ready your sword in service to the Lord you find makes the best offer. And anything in between, whether you are a retainer or servant of some kind, or perhaps a figure outside of politics itself, your place will become, likely, central to the coming crises.
If you are interested in participating, feel free to send me a message either through DMs here on RPN or on Discord at joshuadim#4836 (you will need to add me as a friend to message). Additional supplementary lore info exists on a centralized Wiki created and managed by me that can be found here: Drums of War Wiki
Some slots have been reserved in advance with people I have already spoken to about this RP and have in turn wished to create characters. As such, I will only be accepting 4 more players. And I do have guidelines with regards to how I wish posting to be conducted within the thread.
GENERAL RULES
1. Please, be nice to one another. I do not wish to have drama or infighting.2. No power or metagaming. You have a lot of freedom and slack along with my guidance, but I will not allow people to be overpowered or omnipotent.
3. Out of Character (OOC) chat should be in double parentheses, ((so it will look like this when you post OOC)).
4. If you go inactive or drop, your character(s) will be under my control (and may potentially die.) If you let me know you're going to be inactive for a while and can pick back up later, I'll look after your character till you return.
5. This game may involve PvP, and as such PvP must be agreed upon by both parties in advance before being initiated.
6. As GM, I am the supreme god of this setting. New rules and changes can be implemented on the fly wherever and whenever needed to fit with an evolving situation or circumstance.
7. This is an 18+ RP, which means there will be violence and darker themes present in the story.
POSTING CONDUCT
1. I am asking for a quality of posting that is above a few short sentences, as you will be dealing with and responding to situations that necessitates a response that is simply above a single sentence.2. As this is a setting inspired by darker fantasy, foul language is permissive as well as violence that is within the boundaries allowed by RPN site rules. If there is something that violates RPN rules, I have liberty to edit to fit within RPN site-wide rules.
3. If you have ideas or story beats you're interested in your character(s) exploring, first consult me about them so that we may plan ahead accordingly with regards to how they may develop and how they may interact of conflict with other players.
4. There will be no toleration of personal attacks made OOC against another player. Try to go with the flow of the story, because your character will not always win.
Current Player List (8/10)
Infab
K0mori
Worthlessplebian
Emperor Sagan
Breadman
Vexumin
Mirgris
Count of This and That
Infab
K0mori
Worthlessplebian
Emperor Sagan
Breadman
Vexumin
Mirgris
Count of This and That
Last edited:
