The Court (OOC/Fantasy Medieval RP/OPEN)

[The Central Fascist Empires]

The Court: A Fantasy Roleplay

IC

Decadent and unruly Empire of Qyr stretches far across the known world. From the bitter shores of Blackpeak to the mountains of Kasqyn. The tribes of the South call for freedom. They are as wild as the land that bore them, brutish and uncivilized they roam the great plains and hunt. To the West and past the great Forests, riders of the Kingdom of Tirius amass. An old vassal of the Empire they grow discontent with the emperor's rule. Their liege, King James V of Tirius, is bitter and unforgiving man. The Emperor, himself, is nearing madness and the council questions his rule. As the Empire faces open rebellion, the court grows defiant as members of the court plot against each other and the Emperor. In his youth, when he still maintained his sanity, the Emperor was able to placate the council. In an effort to appease local lords and merchants, he filled the council with a variety of people. Now the divides that he once controlled grow as he slowly loses his mind and his firm grip on the council. Meetings are fraught with disagreements and mockery. His heir, a boy of eighteen years, is hardly versed in politics knowing only how to hunt and fight. Time is dwindling, the Empire faces collapse, and the state of the realm rests in the hands of a broken council. Now, you, a member of the Emperor's court must act to unite the Empire or divide it.

What is this roleplay about?

You are a member of the court of Emperor Janos II of House Blackmoor. Be it is as a lord or merchant in his Great Council, a knight, lowly servant, or member of the royal family, every character has a role to play in the affairs of the realm. As the king descends into madness and the council is seen as incompetent, anger builds in the Empire. Factions fight for control and in the city peasants grow restless. The religious turn to their gods and the people of Qyr turn against one another. You, as a member of the court, may plot to advance your goals whatever they may be. The majority of the roleplay will occur within the Castle but you are allowed to venture into the city and the rest of the kingdom. There is no lore so you have freedom in creating your character and background. I will control members of the royal family. As the roleplay goes on I will create issues that occur in the kingdom. Revolt in the city, or the tribes rise up for indepence, etc. You, in turn, may advice the emperor or stab him in the back and try to seize the throne. Whatever you do has an effect. If the emperor follows your advice there will be unknown consequences that will determine the fate of the Empire. How far this roleplay will go, I don't know, but it is up to you. I will not control you in your roleplay so you may do as you please so long as it follows the rules. Seize the throne or divide the empire, I do not mind. This is a medieval world so there will be no guns or advanced technology. There may be magic but in limited forms. Ambitious and greedy people will probably go far in this roleplay. Also your character can and may die meaning you'll start in another position. Don't see death as an end to the RP rather a continuation of it. It's a way to keep things interesting, however, they won't die without your consent.

1. Be respectful. No insults and no hate.

2. It's alright to post OOC in IC, but keep it to a sentence. This is only accepted if it follows an IC post and is done to clarify something. If you want to talk about an unrelated topic talk about it in OOC I'd be more than glad to converse with you all. Just not in IC.

3. No Godmode.

4. Post with proper grammar. My grammar is not the best, but try to write well. Post in third person and in past tense. This is more personal than anything. I prefer it and think it works best for this sort of roleplay.

5. Connects with rule #3. Do not kill another player without their permission.

6. My word is law.

7. TG me if you need help. I don't mind.

8. There will be a limit on certain court positions

Court Positions

House Blackmoor:
Ruler: Emperor Brandon III Blackmoor
Heir: Edmund Blackmoor
Relatives:
- Syanne Blackmoor, Sister of Janos and Edmund

Vassals:

Council Members:
Chancellor: Vicar Oswin
Marshal: John Barry III Steelhorn
Steward: Lord Arnos III of Kharnavy
Spymaster: King Elkor Warbury
Vassal: Marius, Duke of Tirania
Vassal: Duke Sandros
Vassal: Sir William Loke of Qyr’as
Vassal: *Vacant*
Vassal: *Vacant*
Vassal: *Vacant*

Other Vassals:
- Lord Stephan Ironwood
- Keros Tairunson Kalder
- Valerius Solomon

Physician: Alavius Salavan

Priest: George Blackfire III

Knights:

Squires:

Merchants:

Courtiers:
-Lug
-Zethartha Dukalise

Servants:
-Sylvithia Nyva

Code: Select all

Application:
Name of character:
Appearance:
Age:
Titles:
Position:
House: (Not necessary)
House Words: (Not necessary)
inventory:
Knighthood/Guild (If any):

Skills:
(30 Points to divide between Martial, Stewardship, and intrigue)
Martial: 1-20
Stewardship: 1-20
Intrigue: 1-20
Holiness: 1-20
Loyalty: 1-20
Renown: 1-20

Traits:
(IE: Brave, Cowardly)

RP Examples*:

*If you have no RP examples, just type a few sentences as your character so I get an idea of your ability and what you're going for.


The capital city of Qyr'as sits upon the river Enz, and thus gets trade from both North and South. Qyr'as is a melting pot of a variety of cultures, as traders come to the city from far. There are many great merchant and noble families within the city and beyond. These are the people who own much of the power in the Empire as it crumbles. The Emperor sits mad and so the council often grants prestige, power, and wealth to those nobles favorable to them. The city of Qyr'as sits in the center of the known world.

To the East are the vast and endless mountains of Kasqyn. Here there are few noble lords. These lords often face threats from the mountain clans which often come in great numbers to swarm their keeps and villages. The lords of Kasqyn, however, are wealthy due to the rich deposits of valuable ores that lay within the mountain. These lords and their relatives often find their place in the council and court as they are the primary funders of the Emperor's endeavors. While they face the threat of the clans, their wealth has allowed them to secure strong forces which defend their mountain fortresses. The lords grow discontent with their Emperor as the council, in their feud, is unable to send troops to combat the growing threat of the clans.

To the South are the savage tribes of the Great Plains. Subjugated by the Emperor in his youth they served as good soldiers in his campaigns deep into the Deserts of G'haz further South. His military campaigns and their raids brought the Empire great riches. However, as the Emperor descended into chaos he was no longer able to appease the tribes with wealth. Their elders calls for the freedom to once more roam the Plains and water the earth with the blood of their enemies. Their gods call for blood and the Emperor is unable to provide.

To the West is the Ravens Forest, domain of the Kingdom of Tirius. A once proud Kingdom and rival to the Empire, they fought many wars as the Empire expanded past the Forest. The Kingdom of Tirius promised great wealth and was rich with fertile soil needed for the growth of the Empire. The men of Tiurius are fierce archers and horsemen and are devoted to their lords. Once the Empire defeated them in the Battle of the Wood, their lord, King Jon I of House Tirius, pledged allegiance to the Empire as a devoted vassal. The King maintained complete control over his realm and allowed for the Empire's subjects to settle his fertile lands. His grandson, James V, angered at the Emperor's inaction seeks autonomy at any cost. Bitter at the Empire's transgressions in recent years, he seeks war and vengeance and rallies the Knights and Lords of Tirius to war.

To the North are the cold shores of Blackpeak. There stands the farthest outpost of the Empire. A lone keep and village ruled by the craven lord of an ancient house. From the sea come constant raids and from the South come little reinforcements. The lord has grown weary of the council and looks for allies to help in his cause regardless of where they come from.

Within the Empire there is no one common religion. Instead there are a variety of fringe religions. The Royal Family and many in Qyr'as, however, worship the Four Fathers. There is Vulpus, the God of War, to which men of the sword turn to for guidance and strength. Danos, the father of the Earth, who brings good harvest and new life. Hagon, the father of Knowledge, who imparts of those striving to seek him the true secrets of the world. Lastly there is Qyr, the father of Death, who takes and brings destruction to all life. There are various holy orders dedicated to specific professions which worship lesser gods, or "Children", as they are called in Qyr'as. Such as Varios, the Son of Wine and Dance. Beyond the walls of Qyr'as and far from the heart of the Empire, many find these beliefs to be superstition and instead worship other gods.

[The Central Fascist Empires]

Example Application:

Name of character: Emperor Janos II
Appearance: Scrawny, tall, pale-skinned, bald, graying beard, and light blue eyes.
Age: 58
Titles: Emperor of Qyr, Protecter of the Kasqyn Mountains, Grand Chief of the Tribes of the Great Plains, and Emperor of Tirius.
House: Blackmoor
House Words: As Strong As The Mountains
inventory: Nothing

Skills:
Martial: 1
Stewardship: 1
Intrigue: 1
Holiness: 1
Loyalty: Varies due to madness
Renown: 20
Traits: Insane.
Knighthood: Royal Guard/Horned Guard

Name of character: Prince Brandon Blackmoor
Appearance: Muscular, tall, fair-skinned, straight and short cut blonde hair, short beard, and light blue eyes.
Age: 18
Titles: Heir apparent, Duke of Westlen, and Prince of the Empire of Qyr
House: Blackmoor
House Words: As Strong As The Mountains
inventory: Steel arming sword with horse-head pommel, wears plate armor in combat, plain dark red tunic outside of combat.

Skills:
Martial: 14
Stewardship: 3
Intrigue: 4
Holiness: 2
Loyalty: 15
Renown: 20
Traits: Strong, excellent swordsman, jovial, good huntsman, good rider, little else.
Knighthood: Royal Guard

[Utceforp]

Tag. I'm always up for CK2-style RPs.

[Lorduex]

TAG. Hell yes. Reserve Marshall please?

[Kaledoria]

That sounds relevant to my interests.

Can you provide more info on geography and religion?

[The Central Fascist Empires]

I'll update the OP and provide more info. I was not sure about how much interest there would be so I did not bother fleshing it out as much as other roleplays I did. It'll focus primarily in the court so geography won't play a huge role, however, religion will so long as people make use of it.

[Lorduex]

Application:
Name of character: John Barry III Steelhorn
Appearance: A lean-built, stocky, white complexioned man. Short brown hair, dark brown eyes, and strong-jaw. Approximately 5' 6" and 132 lbs.
Age: 36
Titles: Marshall of his Majesty's Armies, Lord of House Steelhorn, Father of the Horned Guard
House: House Steelhorn
House Words: "Horns strong as steel, steel strong as our honor."
Inventory:
Steel Arming Sword
Hardened Wood w/ Steel Bulkhead Round Shield
Bull-Head Pommel Dagger
Steel w/ chainmail Armor (in combat)
Black and Red tunic (not in combat)
Knighthood/Guild: The Horned Guard

Skills:
Martial: 16
Stewardship: 10
Intrigue: 4
Holiness: 1
Loyalty: 13
Renown: 15

Traits:
Loyal, Strategic Commander, Experienced Fighter, Renowned Leader

RP Example:

Day 1, Petyor

Returning to camp dragging the body of the tree he had felled, a young thing, the Russian arrived back at the makeshift camp to the sight of several of the other settlers up and about. He grunted in approval to himself, a subconscious habit really. The rest of the meat was gone too, but Petyor had expected that. Noting the Father's collection of books, the Slav felt an idea kindle when he espied the volume Ways of Rock and Stone in the pile.

Not having heard the earlier conversation, Petyor enquired if he might borrow the volume, being informed in the affirmative by the father.

"I saw a large rock outcropping west of here as I was cutting wood", the Russian intoned as he settled down cross legged next to the fire, leading through the manual. He had done a fair degree of prospecting in his time in the Urals, and his trusty hammer would break stone as well as most things save a proper mining mattock. A solid dwelling of fitted stone would be a boon indeed.

12pm-6pm: Learn Skill: Mining
6pm-10pm: Mine at rock outcropping
10pm-11pm: Sermon
11pm-5am: Sleep

Day 1
George Larry III

George had just awoken on the shore of the beach wreckage. He coughed a bit, water spraying out of his mouth haphazardly, as he looked at the dawn of the sun rising. He at first weakly covered his eyes, but then as his grogginess wore away, he was able to move more and quicker. He got up and looked at what he'd brought. His winter clothing, a shovel, a pickaxe strangely enough, and his Botany Book. It was late at night when they struck a group of rocks that cut a gash in the ships hull. He just grabbed his closest items and made a run for the skiffs. He must've picked up a pickaxe as he made a break for it. As he could see, everyone else had already gotten to their needs and goals.

He got up from the sandy beach, grabbed his items, and then he realized something. He never put on his clothing last night. He looked up and down at himself, to realize he was still in his breeches. Quickly, he got dressed into his winter clothing and then made his way over to the campsite. He saw a Russian man and a priest. The Russian man spoke of the need to dig a hold for trapping game and capturing salt. Although, it seemed a man of Welsh origin set out to do so. He realized it'd be best to just sit there at the campsite and get acquainted with the priest, while reading his book on botany. He said to the man of God, "While it seems God has forsaken us, he may just saved our lives, Father. I am thankful for being alive right not and being able to adventure into the new world with a priest of God to keep my faith strong and make my journeys ever longer."

6pm:
The Russian man said something about mining some minerals. Before the Russian man left he said, "Excuse me, my good man, but you said you were going to mine rocks? I suggest you use this pickaxe I picked up on my way off the ship. I do ask of one thing though my good sir, I'd really appreciate it if you were able to craft a spear for me. I have no knowledge of the woodworks or of how to make one and I'll be sure to need one when I begin exploring."

He began to eat his crunchy vegetable he found in the forest, as well as one of the tubers. It should hold him over he thought. The last tuber he'd keep in the hold with the Botany book.

[spoiler=Day 1]6am - 7am: Walk over to the campsite and get acquainted.
7am - 12pm: Read the Botany Skill Book.
12pm - 12pm: Gain Botany Skill.
12pm - 6pm: Gather food in the forest.
6pm - 6pm: Give pickaxe to Petyor.
6pm - 6:30pm: Dig a hole by the camp site with shovel.
6:30pm - 7pm: Store Botany Book in hole and eat a veggie and tuber.
7pm - 8pm: Receive sermon.
8pm - 6am: Rest
Skills: Botany, Growing, Investigating, Exploring
Items: Shovel, Botany Skill Book, Winter Clothing(wearing), Pickaxe(lending/given to Petyor)
Health, Vitality, Faith: 10, 10, 10

[/spoiler]

[Lorduex]

I'll update the OP and provide more info. I was not sure about how much interest there would be so I did not bother fleshing it out as much as other roleplays I did. It'll focus primarily in the court so geography won't play a huge role, however, religion will so long as people make use of it.

Is it ok, if my Marshall character was the founder of an organization known as the Horned Guard? It would protect the Emperor and be led by the Marshall.

[The Central Fascist Empires]

I'd be perfectly fine with such an organization. I'll add a knighthood section for organizations such as that. I'll add a royal guard for all royal family members. The horned guard would be separate but have a similar function dedicated solely to the Emperor.

[The Central Fascist Empires]

Completely slipped my mind but I'm going to be including a RP example section in the app. Could you go back and edit that in?

[Lorduex]

Completely slipped my mind but I'm going to be including a RP example section in the app. Could you go back and edit that in?

Done.

[Utceforp]

Having some trouble with my ideas but I'm definitely very interested in this. I think the "Horned Guard" concept is a very good one, by the way.

[The Jaclean Empire]

Application:
Name of character: King Elkor Warbury, Earl of Eastwembleyshire.
Appearance:

Age: 54
Titles: Spymaster to His Majesty's Imperial Council, King of Caldon, Baron of Warbury Keep, Earl of The Duchy of Eastwembleyshire
House: Warbury (Cadet House to House Blackmoor)
House Words: Loyalty above all, Honor above most.
inventory: Full suit of blue steel plate armor, with a crown fixed onto the helmet; Steel bastard sword, adorned with magnificent etchings, precious metals, and gems; a medium thickness gambeson for his usual attire, and a great deal of treasure.
Knighthood/Guild (If any): None

Born to the younger twin, and right hand, to the King of Caldon; Elkor never thought he'd rule. He was raised to be a good warrior and knight by his father and uncle. While he was an excellent fighter, he much more valued the strategic aspects of war. And then when he was 12 he overheard some maidens gossiping, and he realized that spying was a rush just like battlefield strategy, and was arguably more important. He began a spy network within his uncle's castle by the age of 15, and had gotten himself quite the reputation. The surrounding city of Warbury castle was always on edge, many feared their neighbor was on the payroll of Elkor. And more often than not, they were. His father died putting down a revolt, and Elkor got very close with his uncle the King of Caldon. Elkor's cousin, Jaher of Eastwembleyshire was his main rival within the court of his uncle. Both of them were nephews to the king and they were the same age. They had similar ambitions of wealth and glory and ran into each other at every turn. As such they grew very hostile attitudes towards each other. Then one day, a peasant riot led by treacherous knights raided Warbury castle and killed the king and all his family. Elkor and Jaher were the only ones to survive. Elkor claimed the throne and his throne wasn't disputed by most, until Jaher said that The King had named him his heir and started a civil war. The war was extremely destructive on Caldon, and the two sides massacred each other at each and every battle. But through his manipulation and unification of local savage tribes Elkor was able to get an advantage and use the barbarians as guerrilla fighters whom would disrupt enemy supplies and use Fabian tactics to weaken his enemies forces. He was able to defeat Jaher's forces by trapping them in a mountain pass. And Jaher surrendered to Elkor. Elkor showed no mercy to Jaher and his kin and killed all of Jaher's family. Elkor personally killed his rivals pregnant wife, and hanged the rest of his family. He kept Jaher alive though, and castrated him. He then stripped Jaher of all titles except the lowly county that was his capital province and allowed him to stay in charge of that single territory. He killed or stripped the titles of many supporters of Jaher, and made their bodies publicly viewed. And then he invited the barbarians who had helped win his throne to a feast, where he then killed them all. And subsequently invaded their tribes burning everything and killing or capturing everyone. He made sure that no one would question his rule again. Using the coffers of his newly taken Eastwembleyshire and other defeated enemies he was able to give his people a tax break for a short time. And spent any extra gold on rebuilding his kingdom. Returning it to one of the wealthiest and chief provinces of The Empire. He built a massive system of roads that connected trading hubs within his country, and build several projects of public works. Including a huge aqueduct in the city of Warbury. Elkor rose to prominence in the Empire due to many reasons. For one, as a spymaster he was tied with few, and second to none. He was also an impressive commander, and a skilled fighter. While not legendary, he could still lead successful wars and campaigns. And his men felt secure whenever they knew "the savage" as he was known, was with them. Finally he was most famous for his excessive cruelty. Combining all of these factors plus a huge ambition and relation to the Emperor, Elkor was destined to reach the Imperial Council. Where he's sat faithfully and dutifully for many years.

Skills:
Martial: 13
Stewardship: 0
Intrigue: 17
Holiness: 3
Loyalty: 14
Renown: 13

Traits:
Cruel, Unyielding, Master Schemer

RP Examples:

Abigail stood in the house felling the tears slowly drip down her face, looking at her father's body all dismembered where the blade he'd swallowed had cut him. Her older sister, Rachel was screaming but Abby had zoned out and could focus on nothing but her father's body. She remembered when her mother was still alive... her siblings, her father, her mother, and her all taking drives to see their grandparents in Virginia. Playing road trip games and singing songs on the radio. Mom reading scary stories as they drove through nowhere in the middle of the night. God how her siblings would get spooked, but not Abby she knew it was all fake... or was it? Sometimes she could swear seeing something move in the darkness and open fields, and she remembered hearing screams and wails out in the distance. It was just her imagination. Right? After mom's death her father had turned from the kind, happy, funny guy into a drunk, abusive, angry person who never talked just stared into nothing. Probably having memories of his loving wife. Her concentration was broken when their elderly, graying neighbor Mrs. Conroy ran in with a police officer and dragged the kids away. "Where too now?" her little brother Tommy asked. "I don't know Tommy." Abby responded. "I don't know..."

[Lorduex]

Application:
Name of character: Lord Elkor Warbury, Earl of Eastwembleyshire. (If possible I'd like him to be The Emperor's cousin or something like that)
Appearance:

(Image)

Age: 54
Titles: Chancellor to His Majesty's Imperial Council, King of Caldon, Baron of Warbury Keep, Earl of The Duchy of Eastwembleyshire(Do we make up titles?)
House: Warbury (Cadet House to House Blackmoor)
House Words: Loyalty above all, Honor above most.
inventory: Full suit of armor, Steel bastard sword.
Knighthood/Guild (If any):

Skills:
Martial: 8
Stewardship: 7
Intrigue: 10
Holiness: 1
Loyalty: 16
Renown: 12

Traits:
Cruel, Socializer, Genius

RP Examples:
Coming soon I just have to go search back and find one

Hmm.

[The Central Fascist Empires]

Titles are just made up. They are there to add to your character and flesh them out a bit more.

[The Central Fascist Empires]

I added a section on religion and the lore behind the Empire. I don't entirely know if it's sufficient or not but hopefully it'll give you guys an idea of what's going on.

[The Central Fascist Empires]

Having some trouble with my ideas but I'm definitely very interested in this. I think the "Horned Guard" concept is a very good one, by the way.

Feel free to TG me if you need help with anything, I can give advice and what not.

[The Jaclean Empire]

Application:
Name of character: Lord Elkor Warbury, Earl of Eastwembleyshire. (If possible I'd like him to be The Emperor's cousin or something like that)
Appearance:

(Image)

Age: 54
Titles: Chancellor to His Majesty's Imperial Council, King of Caldon, Baron of Warbury Keep, Earl of The Duchy of Eastwembleyshire(Do we make up titles?)
House: Warbury (Cadet House to House Blackmoor)
House Words: Loyalty above all, Honor above most.
inventory: Full suit of armor, Steel bastard sword.
Knighthood/Guild (If any):

Skills:
Martial: 8
Stewardship: 7
Intrigue: 10
Holiness: 1
Loyalty: 16
Renown: 12

Traits:
Cruel, Socializer, Genius

RP Examples:
Coming soon I just have to go search back and find one

Hmm.

Did I mess something up?

[The Central Fascist Empires]

Both apps are looking good. I'll say accepted. If anything comes up or if I catch anything I'll inform you guys. I'll say now skills can be raised through the course of RP. Your character can get more involved in intrigue and become better at plotting, spying, etc.

[The Tricolour]

Remember me?

Application:
Name of character: Magnus O'Brien
Appearance:
Age: 35
Titles: Chancellor of the Empire, Lord of Gwyven
House: Lelari
House Words: Saltus Regis
inventory: His clothes, a sword, and a horse. However, he can refill at Gwyven
Knighthood/Guild: None

Skills:
Martial: 10
Stewardship: 15
Intrigue: 17
Holiness: 1
Loyalty: 18
Renown: 20

Traits: Very, very clever, but also very full of himself.

RP Examples: Orphans of Mason.

How is life in the Global Roleplay Region?

[The Central Fascist Empires]

Things are going pretty good over there. For the RP example I want something from the forums. Such as character roleplays. If you don't have any write something in your character's perspective. Also add more traits. There should be some that can be negative in certain situations.

[The Central Fascist Empires]

Also evil twin? I saw that in your sig.

[Altegonnia]

Application:
Name of character: Yaren Illdellion
Appearance:face
clothing
Age:42
Titles: High Priest of Vrash
House: (Not necessary)
House Words: (Not necessary)
inventory: -ceremonial clothing (shown above)
-regal staff
-book of laws (sometimes not on him)
-book of Emperor's proclamation's (not always on him)
-recent court notes (not always on him)
-Chancellors stamp for documents and letters (not always on him)

Knighthood/Guild (If any):

Skills:
Martial: 1-20
Stewardship: 1-20
Intrigue: 1-20
Holiness: 1-20
Loyalty: 1-20
Renown: 1-20

Traits:
(IE: Brave, Cowardly)

RP Examples*:

*If you have no RP examples, just type a few sentences as your character so I get an idea of your ability and what you're going for.

[Everhall]

Tag

[Utceforp]

Hmmmm... Whether to be a low-ranking noble or servant whose unofficially the empire's loyal spymaster, or a king from the west who was unprepared for war and fled with much of his court and soldiers to Qyr'as when Tirius rebelled...