Obsidianserpent
Senior Member
Disturbing reports have reached the headquarters of the Order of the Manticore. For months the magistrates of the Ossa Empire have been committing a chain of atrocities; stationing armed fleets along the coast of Akhenaten, and most recently, capturing and sacrificing entire villages before a massive alter used for demonic summoning. The governing bodies of the major nations and tribes have become decadent and corrupt, creating a fertile breeding ground for corsairs and marauders. Tensions between the nations are at an all time high, and the entire continent stands on the brink of war. It had finally become evident to the Order that the actions of the Ossa Empire had crossed a dangerous line; they would have to intervene.
After months of careful planning, the night has finally arrived. Several of the Order's most skilled warriors have set upon the Ossa capital, prepared to infiltrate the High Temple and disrupt a sorcery most foul. Zaid, the High Priest makes his final preparations for the ceremony that will release an old enemy, the demon gargantuan known as the Mortis. For what purpose would the Ossa resurrect this ancient terror? Whatever Ossa's motives, these select warriors must, for the sake of the world, ensure that this malevolent ceremony is never completed...
**You shall play as an elite member of the Order of the Manticore; a group of spies and assassins who seek to eliminate corrupt government officials. Please the lore below to both get a better grasp of the world and create a well thought out character.
Sub-continents of Nassor
Akhenaten- The north most island of the continent is known as Akhenaten. The fertile terrain consists primarily of swamps and forests, both tropical and temperate. While lingering clans within Psamtic Jungles still remain, Akhenatan is home primarily to the descendents of Niut; a proud people led by an order of warrior priests known as the Children of the Sun. The Niut have a powerful Navy, with formidable fleets patrolling the Gulf of Jabari, defending merchant ships from corsairs. The Niut typically value order, duty, and respect for authority and will not hesitate to intervene in foreign affairs. Additionally, they oppose slavery. The Children of the Sun worship Khamet, a strict God who demands a great deal of worship and ceremony from his disciples. Speaking against the priesthood is considered incredibly taboo, and the Children have little tolerance for blasphemy. Recently however, this religious intolerance has reached dangerous proportions. In the wake of the state's declining power, Monsones, the Children's High Priest has begun an inquisition, rounding up the disciples of rival gods, and either imprisoning them, or burning them at the stake, functionally turning the empire into a police state. Such religious intolerance has bred several rebel factions within Akhenatan. Unorganized and without steady leadership, these factions have been able to do little more than desecrate temples and spread underground propaganda. Those suspected of affiliating with such renegade factions are treated without mercy; often subjugated to cruel and unusual forms of punishment.
Kwame- The central Island of Kwame is harsh and treacherous, consisting mainly of red deserts and dry savannas. It is home to three distinct cultures and ethnicities, the militarized Ossa, and the Tribes of the Zuberi and Wekesa. The Ossa are ruled by an elite aristocracy who build their ever growing empire upon the backs of slaves stolen from the Tribes. Their priest class worships Sade, a ruthless God who revels in war and military conquest. The aristocracy values power above all else, and has no moral qualms with stepping on others to achieve their goals. Recently, the highborn have begun to actively expand their territory to the north; stationing fleets along the coast of Akenhaten and seemingly preparing for war. Additionally the noble Lady Palia has called for a 'cleansing' of their empire, rounding up the denizens of immigrant villages within their territory, and sacrificing them to their cruel god. Such genocide has prompted the creation of underground railroads among dissenting common folk and even some highborn; used to temporarily hide immigrants, and help them to flee the Ossa Empire.
As the Ossa’s great empire has expanded over the decades, so has its demand for land and labor, pushing teh Zuberi to the brink of extinction. The Zuberi have stayed true to their tribal origins for thousands of years. They vehemently denounce slavery, having lost many of their kin to the Ossa raids from the north. They do not worship any Gods but rather revere the natural spirits of the land. They were initially led by a High Chief, who alongside the council of the Shamanic Circle, tended to the people's practical and spiritual needs. The Zuberi are at constant war with the Ossa, and treat their prisoners of war without mercy. Recently, the High Chief has fallen under a strange curse, becoming sickly and apathetic, barely able to move or speak, leaving the leadership of the tribe to the High Shaman Kojo, a powerful albeit manipulative man who's lived an unnaturally long life. Under his rule, the Zuberi tribe has become splintered and depraved, leading to bloody battles and small scale civil wars within the tribe. The people look to their leadership for aid, but their cries have fallen on deaf ears.
The Wekesa are a mysterious and reclusive people. Consisting of only a few thousand tribesman, the Wekesa hide within the deepest recesses of the miles of bone yard which litter the southern end of the island. The Wekesa worship a bizarre and unfamiliar Diety known as the Soul Eater. The Wekesa do not seek to expand their territory, and until quite recently, avoided contact with foreigners at all costs, engaging with them only when absolutely necessary. While the motives and culture of Wekesa remain largely mysterious, rumor has it they are not above eating the flesh of their enemies, or sacrificing women and infants to appease their crazed God. Recently however, many of the Wekesa tribe have made a pilgrimage across the Gulf of Jabari to the island of Saleem. It is rumored the Wekesa have devised a way to enter into the Ghostlands unharmed, with many claiming to have witnessed priests of the Soul Eater wandering the lifeless plains, communing with the primordial specters which dwell therein. The priests speak of the imminent return of their Lord, and promise that the Sea of Naveed will turn red with heathen blood.
Saleem- Saleem is dominated almost exclusively by the descendents of Basir; a highly sophisticated people who appreciate culture and the arts above all else. Their entire civilization depends upon the Raj, a massive river which gives life to the sunscorched dunes which span the island. While known for their extraordinary ‘kindness’ to their slaves, they nonetheless permit slavery; labor which has produced many extravagant and ornate palaces. The Basir empire is funded primarily by its production of fine metals, spices and incense and is led by a oligarchy of powerful merchant kings. They typically worship Dalal, a Goddess of culture and beauty, and construct many creative works of art in her name. For the past several years a drought has afflicted the island of Saleem, and many suspect it to be magical in origin. The Raj is nearly completely dry, and while the commoners struggle to find adequate food and water to feed their families, the noble class continues to retreat deeper and deeper into the safety of their palace keeps, hoarding resources and continuing to indulge in their lavish lifestyles while their people starve. Outraged, riots have begun to break out in the streets, and the entire nation teeters on the brink of a violent revolution.
Key Terms
- The Mortis- A massive abomination the size of a mountain, that was birthed when the Goddess Saa was slain by the mortal Zimwe 1000 years ago, who ascended to Godhood and then vanished from the material plane. The Mortis terrorized the world for nearly 50 years, before it was eventually defeated by a group of priests and sealed within the Azure Catacombs.
- The Ghostlands- A mysterious territory in the far southern region of Saleem. Any living thing which enters it is sapped of life force and will die within minutes. Powerful shades are rumored to wander the Ghostlands.
- The Order of the Manticore- A renegade group of warriors from across the continent that have renounced allegiance to their nations, and have formed a small underground organization. The Order works from the shadows, employing spies to gather information, assassins to take out corrupt leaders. Above all, the Order opposes the worship of Gods and Demons, and despise any force that would treat humans as pawns in some cosmic game. While the Order is held in high esteem by many common folk, they are utterly hated by the governments of Nassor, and substantial bounties rest on each of their heads.
Character Creation Template
- Name- Character's name.
- Age- Character's age.
- Gender- Character's gender.
- Ethnicity- See lore above to learn about each ethnicity. Options include Nuit, Ossa, Zuberi, Weseka and Basir.
- Physical Description- Your character's height, skin color, hair color, and any other personal characters such as scars, tattoos, piercings etc. You may also include a picture.
- Biography- Your character's history, and how he/she came to join the Order of the Manticore. This should include how and why your character defected from his/her nation. This should be interesting and thorough. (2 paragraph minimum)
- Fighting Specialization (Choose 1)-
- Heavy Melee- Powerful but slow Melee attacks using large weapons.
- Fast Melee- Fast but weak Melee attacks using light weapons.
- Unarmed- Fast but weak attacks using unarmed attacks.
- Ranged- Attacks involving bows, slings, darts, boomerangs, throwing daggers/axes etc.
8. Unique Specialization (Choose 1)-
- Alchemy- Potions/Weapon Reagents
- Engineering- Traps/Mechanized Attacks
- Shamanism- Plant/Animal Manipulation, Animal Shape Shifting
- Aeromancy- Storm/Weather Magic
- Geomancy- Earth/Fire Magic
- Auramancy- Illusion/Stealth Magic
- Necromancy- Spectral/Death Magic
9. Skills- You must create your own skills. Use the template below: replace energy cost and damage information with the skill name and description.
- Primary Attack Skill: Costs no energy. Deals mild damage to bosses.
- Attack Skill I: Costs 5 energy. Moderate damage to bosses.
- Attack Skill II: Costs 5 energy. Moderate damage to bosses.
- Defensive Skill: Costs 5 energy. Prevents 1 incoming attack.
- Ultimate: Costs 10 energy. Heavy damage to bosses.
*Characters start with 15 energy. Energy is fully restored after each battle.
*These skills will be upgraded as we progress through the game.
*Summoning Attack Skills work the same way as normal Attack Skills; you can summon your minion, but its attacks can only go the length of one post like any other skill. After it attacks it must die or retreat; it will require additional energy to use the skill again.
*Your skills may be a mix between specializations.
*Poison Skills are allowed, but they can only do local tissue damage; meaning that if an enemy were to get struck by a poisonous blade for example, that poison can only cause the flesh at the site of the wound to wither and decay; it can't cause lasting damage wherein the enemy would die after several days.
Rules
1.) Battle Rules: Before a battle, I will state in parentheses whether or not we are fighting a Normal Enemy or a Boss. Battles with Normal Enemies are completely up to you; you can kill them in one hit, parry back and forth for a while, whatever. It's entirely your call how you narrate battles between your character and Normal Enemies. Normal Enemies will refer to 'groups' of enemies. For example, if I post that there are 4 Normal Enemies, this means that there are 4 'groups' of enemies; taking down an enemy means destroying all the monsters in that group.
When fighting Bosses, you must state your intention or what you are attempting to do, and then I will decide whether or not the attack was successful or not, and what the effect was. I do this primarily to gauge the length of battles with bosses.
2.) Each character will have 3 hp, meaning that in boss fights, they will be able to hit up to 3 times before falling unconscious and being unable to participate for the remainder of the battle. Boss attacks will have a 50% chance to hit (I will flip a coin and post the results). Characters will have the opportunity to counter a successful hit (if they choose) by using a defensive skill.
3.) Posting Requirements: I require that players post at least once a week. I don’t think this is asking too much. If a player neglects to post after 7 days the story-line will continue on without them and they shall be left behind.
4.) Be kind and respectful: Treat your fellow RPers with kindness and respect. If there are tensions in character within the RP, make sure that players aren't taking it personally out of character. Absolutely NO racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, or otherwise derogatory language or references will be tolerated whatsoever.
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