A War of Kings Interest/Discussion (Open., Low fantasy).

[Alleniana]

Do you have a map yet?

Nein. Zein has given some physical description on the last few pages though.

[Utceforp]

If the country is supposed to be like England, then we're going to need some Norman/Roman conqueror-types coming in from the mainland. Just a suggestion.

[Alleniana]

If the country is supposed to be like England, then we're going to need some Norman/Roman conqueror-types coming in from the mainland. Just a suggestion.

I feel like we might be a bit tied up in ourselves to do that. Perhaps a possibility, but I'd suggest sticking to ourselves at first, at least.

[Utceforp]

If the country is supposed to be like England, then we're going to need some Norman/Roman conqueror-types coming in from the mainland. Just a suggestion.

I feel like we might be a bit tied up in ourselves to do that. Perhaps a possibility, but I'd suggest sticking to ourselves at first, at least.

Yeah, I guess. A foreign invasion would detract from all the court intrigue. How about this - On the main continent (if there is one) there's a big, scary powerful country that's fond of conquering. While there's not actually an invasion going on, there's worry in Athura that they could come there next, which colours some of the actions the characters take.

[Alleniana]

I feel like we might be a bit tied up in ourselves to do that. Perhaps a possibility, but I'd suggest sticking to ourselves at first, at least.

Yeah, I guess. A foreign invasion would detract from all the court intrigue. How about this - On the main continent (if there is one) there's a big, scary powerful country that's fond of conquering. While there's not actually an invasion going on, there's worry in Athura that they could come there next, which colours some of the actions the characters take.

Yeah, I'm thinking that would be a good idea. Maybe there'd be some reason it can't invade, but that Athurans aren't aware of.

[Olthenia]

Following the king's murder, the Arthuran court is awash with rumors that the assassin was hired by the country's warmongering neighbor to the south.

The capital city sees a rash of attacks against businesses, shops and warehouses owned by said country's nationals.

[Alleniana]

Following the king's murder, the Arthuran court is awash with rumors that the assassin was hired by the country's warmongering neighbor to the south.

The capital city sees a rash of attacks against businesses, shops and warehouses owned by said country's nationals.

Rumours, I'd imagine, but nothing concrete, nor a consensus. We wouldn't want anybody thinking they know anything, would we know?

[Wolfmanne]

Just giving a few ideas to develop this RP:

1. What role does religion play in all this? Is there a large religious body that's able to exert it's influence across the realm or is it more 'congregationalist'? Is there potential for more 'legitimacy' to the throne to be gained based upon a certain religious artifact?
2. Are there any festivals of note? What impact does it have on the RPing world?
3. What about warfare? Are private armies of professional soldiers maintained, are there Knights serving under a lord, are mercenary bands a common sight?
4. Cities? Where are the major cities? Are you going to take into account that medieval cities often had special priviliges and had an unique relationship with the Crown (i.e. the City of London and the Kingdom of England in real life).
5. The demographics of this land; are there any major ethnic/religious minorities (i.e. the Cornish/Welsh under the rule of England), is there a geographical divide (i.e. wealthy south/poor north), are different languages spoken (for instance, in medieval France many different languages were spoken in different regions), what's the population?
6. Geography of the land? Where is the most fertile land? Where do most people live? Which areas have the most mineral resources? Which areas often face issues with the weather?

[Alleniana]

Just giving a few ideas to develop this RP:

1. What role does religion play in all this? Is there a large religious body that's able to exert it's influence across the realm or is it more 'congregationalist'? Is there potential for more 'legitimacy' to the throne to be gained based upon a certain religious artifact?
2. Are there any festivals of note? What impact does it have on the RPing world?
3. What about warfare? Are private armies of professional soldiers maintained, are there Knights serving under a lord, are mercenary bands a common sight?
4. Cities? Where are the major cities? Are you going to take into account that medieval cities often had special priviliges and had an unique relationship with the Crown (i.e. the City of London and the Kingdom of England in real life).
5. The demographics of this land; are there any major ethnic/religious minorities (i.e. the Cornish/Welsh under the rule of England), is there a geographical divide (i.e. wealthy south/poor north), are different languages spoken (for instance, in medieval France many different languages were spoken in different regions), what's the population?
6. Geography of the land? Where is the most fertile land? Where do most people live? Which areas have the most mineral resources? Which areas often face issues with the weather?

1. *points at Zein*
2. I imagine there's a few... why?
3. I'm pretty sure that tech is basically feudal medieval sort of thing. Knights, mercenary companies, levies, etc.
4. I imagine so, too. Being a rather feudal-based RP though, they may not be as strong or numerous as IRL.
5. This is a good question.
6. ^

[Olthenia]

Perhaps a previously peaceful religious minority in a certain part of the country sees the king's untimely death as a portent? A sign to rid their peaceful shires and gentle valleys of unbelievers?

The king is dead! It is a sign!

[Apto]

Sounds nice.

I got an idea for the White Hell and how it's connected with the assasination of the king, the Housecarls and the Lonsan.

Basically Alfus wanted to explore past Athura's borders to see if there was anything to conquer besides White Hell. If there was he'd try to open talks with the Wintermen so he could build a port somewhere in their territory to serve as the launching point for their equivalent of the Age of Exploration. If they refused then he'd have to make do with pre-existing ports because he did not want to waste time and resources conquering a barren wasteland.

Only the King himself and a select few knew about the plan. So while Alfus was busy managing the kingdom a few of his mercantile and noble friends lamented the fact that a lot of their most seaworthy ships were 'mysteriously' disappearing to parts unknown. A few eyebrows were raised but ultimately no one suspected a thing. A few years passed by and one of the ships tasked to explore the world reportedly crashed near the border between White Hell and Alfus, luckily the king's personal intelligence network was the first one to respond instead of some uppity noble's. They found immense caches of precious metals and strange looking trinkets but the logbook and the crew were no where to be found.

The crew were to be the first Housecarls, the things they had seen during their voyage destroyed their humanity and left an empty shell dedicated to ensuring no one has to suffer the same fate as they. What lies beyond the sea was something best left untouched by human hands.
The famished crew marched south and subjugated a few Wintermen tribes along the border via a combination of their newfound martial prowess and extreme luck. They trained them to fight and then marched north under the guise of a mercenary company in order to cause chaos and ensure that everyone's too busy fighting to bother with exploration. The first step in their plan was to assassinate the King and start a never ending Civil War.

The Lonsan weren't inactive, much like the wind they were everywhere. They knew about the King's plan the moment ships started disappearing but were torn on what to do. Killing the King would stop him from negotiating with the inhuman beasts known as Wintermen and unintentionally awakening a sleeping dragon but it would plunge humanity into chaos and divide the holy race of men which would be the same as spitting on Jal's holy mission. In the end they opted for killing the King and ensuring the Civil War ends quickly.

----
Tldr: Alfus wants to look for new land. One ship returns, crew turns into the Housecarls, ravages Wintermen, and marches back north as a mercenary company to tip the balance towards the losing side thus emsuring a never ending civil war. Thinks they assassinated the king. Landos, hates Wintermen and they don't want the king talking to the abominations so they send an assassin to kill him who is supposedly successful, they now want to hasten the civil war.

Sorry for poor grammar and whatever nonsensical things you find, it's late in here.

[Alleniana]

This is why discussion threads are useful.

I'm thinking we should probably leave the assassination as distant, mysterious and mostly unbiased, though. Tying it into the story too much feels like it'd push the plot one way or another. And the housecarls aren't meant to be the main feature, I don't think.

[Utceforp]

I think that, if we're going to, as Alleniana suggested, modify the name "Housecarl" into something else, I think we should go with "Huskkarl" or "Huskarl". It's the original Old Norse version of the word, and having the word "Husk" in there accentuates their creepy, ghostly qualities, I think.

[Alleniana]

I think that, if we're going to, as Alleniana suggested, modify the name "Housecarl" into something else, I think we should go with "Huskkarl" or "Huskarl". It's the original Old Norse version of the word, and having the word "Husk" in there accentuates their creepy, ghostly qualities, I think.

puntastic!
I would prefer a different (original) name, but eh.

[Wolfmanne]

I think that, if we're going to, as Alleniana suggested, modify the name "Housecarl" into something else, I think we should go with "Huskkarl" or "Huskarl". It's the original Old Norse version of the word, and having the word "Husk" in there accentuates their creepy, ghostly qualities, I think.

puntastic!
I would prefer a different (original) name, but eh.

Hunskkarl maybe? References the Huns, who are stereotypically savage barbarians, and just adds a 'n' between the the 'u' and 's' in 'Husk'.

[Zeinbrad]

I'd also be willing to be a co-OP.

Your hired.
Wolf, I shall answer after I get on a phone.

[Utceforp]

puntastic!
I would prefer a different (original) name, but eh.

Hunskkarl maybe? References the Huns, who are stereotypically savage barbarians, and just adds a 'n' between the the 'u' and 's' in 'Husk'.

I think the Housecarls/Huskarls/whatever are more Viking-inspired than Hunnic.

[Wolfmanne]

Hunskkarl maybe? References the Huns, who are stereotypically savage barbarians, and just adds a 'n' between the the 'u' and 's' in 'Husk'.

I think the Housecarls/Huskarls/whatever are more Viking-inspired than Hunnic.

Of course, but the word 'Hun' implies savagery, brutality etc. It was used as a nickname for the Germans in World War I because of British propaganda about Germans committing atrocities in Belgium (which was partially true, but that's another chapter of history). The origin doesn't matter, it's the definition that matters, and Hun is perfect for that.

[Zeinbrad]

Hunskkarl maybe? References the Huns, who are stereotypically savage barbarians, and just adds a 'n' between the the 'u' and 's' in 'Husk'.

I think the Housecarls/Huskarls/whatever are more Viking-inspired than Hunnic.

Speaking about Housecarls. Here's what they look like.

[Zeinbrad]

A basic app.

Name-
Title-
Size of Fiefdom-
Number of cities.
Number of Huskcarls/Hunskkarls-
Number of Knights-
Number of Men-At-Arms.
Number of Levies.

Any ideas?

[Utceforp]

There needs to be more character-related stuff. Personality, appearance, skills, stuff like that. It would help with the plotting and intrigue stuff, if nothing else.

Also, add limitations to the number section of the app.

[Zeinbrad]

Just giving a few ideas to develop this RP:

1. What role does religion play in all this? Is there a large religious body that's able to exert it's influence across the realm or is it more 'congregationalist'? Is there potential for more 'legitimacy' to the throne to be gained based upon a certain religious artifact?
2. Are there any festivals of note? What impact does it have on the RPing world?
3. What about warfare? Are private armies of professional soldiers maintained, are there Knights serving under a lord, are mercenary bands a common sight?
4. Cities? Where are the major cities? Are you going to take into account that medieval cities often had special priviliges and had an unique relationship with the Crown (i.e. the City of London and the Kingdom of England in real life).
5. The demographics of this land; are there any major ethnic/religious minorities (i.e. the Cornish/Welsh under the rule of England), is there a geographical divide (i.e. wealthy south/poor north), are different languages spoken (for instance, in medieval France many different languages were spoken in different regions), what's the population?
6. Geography of the land? Where is the most fertile land? Where do most people live? Which areas have the most mineral resources? Which areas often face issues with the weather?

One-Jalism is really big in Athura. According to myth Jal's crown is locked in some place, and whoever gains that crown probably will win.

2....I never thought of that.

3-Most rich lords with large fiefs have a sizable number of Knights but mercenaries are also cmmon.

4. Londa is the capital and were the king reigns. Others are up to discussion.

5-Let me see.

Gora-Horsemen nomads that mainly stay in the plains to the west. Very,Very good horsemen.

Seamen-Viking like guys. Can be brought to fight for your cause with the right amount of coin. The south is poorer than the north. The main language is Kingstongue which is like Old English and Latin is called....I can't think of anything.

6. The cliffs that Heaven's Reach is on has a lot of minerals. But again, that's what this thread is for.

Utce-What would be good limits? I think about a hundred for the Huskcarls/Hunskkarls.

[Utceforp]

Utce-What would be good limits? I think about a hundred for the Huskcarls/Hunskkarls.

I'm terrible with population and military numbers, I'd ask Alleniana.

EDIT: But a hundred seems a little low, though I'm basing this entirely on playing CK2.

[Wolfmanne]

Just giving a few ideas to develop this RP:

1. What role does religion play in all this? Is there a large religious body that's able to exert it's influence across the realm or is it more 'congregationalist'? Is there potential for more 'legitimacy' to the throne to be gained based upon a certain religious artifact?
2. Are there any festivals of note? What impact does it have on the RPing world?
3. What about warfare? Are private armies of professional soldiers maintained, are there Knights serving under a lord, are mercenary bands a common sight?
4. Cities? Where are the major cities? Are you going to take into account that medieval cities often had special priviliges and had an unique relationship with the Crown (i.e. the City of London and the Kingdom of England in real life).
5. The demographics of this land; are there any major ethnic/religious minorities (i.e. the Cornish/Welsh under the rule of England), is there a geographical divide (i.e. wealthy south/poor north), are different languages spoken (for instance, in medieval France many different languages were spoken in different regions), what's the population?
6. Geography of the land? Where is the most fertile land? Where do most people live? Which areas have the most mineral resources? Which areas often face issues with the weather?

One-Jalism is really big in Athura. According to myth Jal's crown is locked in some place, and whoever gains that crown probably will win.

2....I never thought of that.

3-Most rich lords with large fiefs have a sizable number of Knights but mercenaries are also cmmon.

4. Londa is the capital and were the king reigns. Others are up to discussion.

5-Let me see.

Gora-Horsemen nomads that mainly stay in the plains to the west. Very,Very good horsemen.

Seamen-Viking like guys. Can be brought to fight for your cause with the right amount of coin. The south is poorer than the north. The main language is Kingstongue which is like Old English and Latin is called....I can't think of anything.

6. The cliffs that Heaven's Reach is on has a lot of minerals. But again, that's what this thread is for.

Utce-What would be good limits? I think about a hundred for the Huskcarls/Hunskkarls.

1. That's something good to work with, but how is the Jalist faith structured? Is there a large, all-encompassing church ran in an episcopal fashion (similar to Catholicism, the Orthodox Church, Roman Paganism etc), or do religious leaders have a lot of autonomy from each (similar to Protestantism, Islam, Buddhism etc)? Are there different sects and denominations proclaiming different beliefs?
2. It's just something to consider, to add a bit of depth the RP. Think a bit about the culture too.
3. As I'd expect.
4. Right.
5. Why is the South poorer than the North? How are the Gora/Seamen different from the majority in terms of culture, faith, language etc?
6. What minerals? Limestone? Clay? Gold? Where else?

[Zeinbrad]

One-Jalism is really big in Athura. According to myth Jal's crown is locked in some place, and whoever gains that crown probably will win.

2....I never thought of that.

3-Most rich lords with large fiefs have a sizable number of Knights but mercenaries are also cmmon.

4. Londa is the capital and were the king reigns. Others are up to discussion.

5-Let me see.

Gora-Horsemen nomads that mainly stay in the plains to the west. Very,Very good horsemen.

Seamen-Viking like guys. Can be brought to fight for your cause with the right amount of coin. The south is poorer than the north. The main language is Kingstongue which is like Old English and Latin is called....I can't think of anything.

6. The cliffs that Heaven's Reach is on has a lot of minerals. But again, that's what this thread is for.

Utce-What would be good limits? I think about a hundred for the Huskcarls/Hunskkarls.

1. That's something good to work with, but how is the Jalist faith structured? Is there a large, all-encompassing church ran in an episcopal fashion (similar to Catholicism, the Orthodox Church, Roman Paganism etc), or do religious leaders have a lot of autonomy from each (similar to Protestantism, Islam, Buddhism etc)? Are there different sects and denominations proclaiming different beliefs?
2. It's just something to consider, to add a bit of depth the RP. Think a bit about the culture too.
3. As I'd expect.
4. Right.
5. Why is the South poorer than the North? How are the Gora/Seamen different from the majority in terms of culture, faith, language etc?
6. What minerals? Limestone? Clay? Gold? Where else?

1. Catholic like.
5 and 6-I am no expert on Medieval economy or minerals. Sorry.

Also, so I don't confuse you two, are you the one from Malta or the one that makes Polandball flags?