Intrigue in Court [Fantasy Medieval/Politics/OOC/REBOOTED]

[Lisbane]

Full Name: Dayid Nadhil al-Shaykh Waindur al-Sahra

House Name: al-Sahra

Title: N/A

Social Class: ???

Sex: Male

Age: 32

Appearance: A thin and short man, not 5ft 7. He has caramel skin. He wears a short and well-kept mustache, with piercing - almost unnatural - green eyes, and a short and groomed head of hair. He is strong, but not muscly, one might describe him as athletic. He usually is seen wearing a brown or black cloak, with a hood, or indoors a thick and colorful coat with golden embroidery and black trousers complemented with knee high leather boots and white gloves, often accompanied by a belt with several decorated daggers and purses attached.

Role in Court: Courtier

Backstory: Not much is know about Dayid's childhood, it is known, however, that he grew up somewhere in the southern kingdom's, and eventually became an Imperial citizen as he reached his early adolescence. It is known he grew up as the poor son of a disgraced nobleman, and as such did not have much to his name. He spent most of his days past the age of eleven out hunting, foraging, or stealing. He preferred thievery and blackmail to the hard labour of hunting and foraging, and developed quite the skill in getting what he wanted when he wanted it - through the use of blackmail, thievery, and often violence. In nearly every town he stayed, the local criminals came to know and adore him, for he offered his services for free as long as he was given board and food. Eventually he found his way to the Capital of the Empire, he regarded the entire place as a pit of lies and corruption - not far from the truth. However, this time he found his way into higher circles; Many a local noble or courtier hired him for less than legal missions against their rivals.

A master in the art of assassination, Dayid soon found himself one of the most sought after criminals in the capital, wherever he went the Golden Falcon followed him, closer and closer they got until he finally had enough. He offered his services to the Emperor, or rather, his Fist. In this role he would find himself to be a very valuable asset, for many months he traveled around the Empire carrying out the Emperor's "will", silencing his enemies and blackmailing any who dared to plot against him, Dayid wasn't even sure the Emperor knew about half of the things he did, but he didn't question those who gave him orders, only carrying them out. That was, until he was approached by a group of... he did not even know how to describe them, they were not assassins, not thieves, nor noblemen - for all he knew they could be peasants, for so secretive was their communication and so unknown their goals, he could not describe at all their structure or position. In any case, he was offered a position in their organization where he would know nothing but his handler and his orders.

After several years of both serving the Emperor and what he had come to call the 'Council', Dayid eventually found himself summoned to the court to act as one of the Emperor's courtiers. Dayid himself despised courtly life, seeing it as a dry and boring facade. Alas, he of course answered this call and attended the court post-haste, once he had settled in he eventually found the webs of intrigue spun in every corner of the palace rather interesting, and began to participate himself in many a plot. Whilst settling in, Dayid began several underground enterprises to fund his ambitions, namely brothels and taverns - he also ventured into the business of smuggling and slavery, and runs the biggest smuggling operation the capital has ever seen; bringing in luxuries and strange substances from the south. Upon hearing of the Emperor's death, he jumped at the opportunity to establish himself as an ally to the new Emperor, and of great resource to him in matters of intrigue. As such, he now vies for his attention, and will do anything to present himself as the best candidate for a role in securing the Emperor's position through intrigue rather than force.

Stewardship: 5
Intrigue: 13
Martial: 1
Diplomacy: 4
Renown: 2

Indiana

[Zelphos]

Full Name: Dayid Nadhil al-Shaykh Waindur al-Sahra

House Name: al-Sahra

Title: N/A

Social Class: ???

Sex: Male

Age: 32

Appearance: A thin and short man, not 5ft 7. He has caramel skin. He wears a short and well-kept mustache, with piercing - almost unnatural - green eyes, and a short and groomed head of hair. He is strong, but not muscly, one might describe him as athletic. He usually is seen wearing a brown or black cloak, with a hood, or indoors a thick and colorful coat with golden embroidery and black trousers complemented with knee high leather boots and white gloves, often accompanied by a belt with several decorated daggers and purses attached.

Role in Court: Courtier

Backstory: Not much is know about Dayid's childhood, it is known, however, that he grew up somewhere in the southern kingdom's, and eventually became an Imperial citizen as he reached his early adolescence. It is known he grew up as the poor son of a disgraced nobleman, and as such did not have much to his name. He spent most of his days past the age of eleven out hunting, foraging, or stealing. He preferred thievery and blackmail to the hard labour of hunting and foraging, and developed quite the skill in getting what he wanted when he wanted it - through the use of blackmail, thievery, and often violence. In nearly every town he stayed, the local criminals came to know and adore him, for he offered his services for free as long as he was given board and food. Eventually he found his way to the Capital of the Empire, he regarded the entire place as a pit of lies and corruption - not far from the truth. However, this time he found his way into higher circles; Many a local noble or courtier hired him for less than legal missions against their rivals.

A master in the art of assassination, Dayid soon found himself one of the most sought after criminals in the capital, wherever he went the Golden Falcon followed him, closer and closer they got until he finally had enough. He offered his services to the Emperor, or rather, his Fist. In this role he would find himself to be a very valuable asset, for many months he traveled around the Empire carrying out the Emperor's "will", silencing his enemies and blackmailing any who dared to plot against him, Dayid wasn't even sure the Emperor knew about half of the things he did, but he didn't question those who gave him orders, only carrying them out. That was, until he was approached by a group of... he did not even know how to describe them, they were not assassins, not thieves, nor noblemen - for all he knew they could be peasants, for so secretive was their communication and so unknown their goals, he could not describe at all their structure or position. In any case, he was offered a position in their organization where he would know nothing but his handler and his orders.

After several years of both serving the Emperor and what he had come to call the 'Council', Dayid eventually found himself summoned to the court to act as one of the Emperor's courtiers. Dayid himself despised courtly life, seeing it as a dry and boring facade. Alas, he of course answered this call and attended the court post-haste, once he had settled in he eventually found the webs of intrigue spun in every corner of the palace rather interesting, and began to participate himself in many a plot. Whilst settling in, Dayid began several underground enterprises to fund his ambitions, namely brothels and taverns - he also ventured into the business of smuggling and slavery, and runs the biggest smuggling operation the capital has ever seen; bringing in luxuries and strange substances from the south. Upon hearing of the Emperor's death, he jumped at the opportunity to establish himself as an ally to the new Emperor, and of great resource to him in matters of intrigue. As such, he now vies for his attention, and will do anything to present himself as the best candidate for a role in securing the Emperor's position through intrigue rather than force.

Stewardship: 5
Intrigue: 13
Martial: 1
Diplomacy: 4
Renown: 2

Indiana

Accepted.

[Piscina]

ote]

Edit: I was trying to quote Zelphos to say thanks for responding to my question, but as you can see that went really wrong.

Second edit: Huh. Didn’t know we were allowed to make ??? characters, given the lack of information on them. I thought they were going to be introduced later on as a complication.

Third edit: Are my changes to Voluisses’ additional info approved? I don’t want to godmod, but I think all of that stuff might be quite useful once he inevitably makes a few enemies.

[Of the Quendi]

I have designed this as a suggestion. By all means, please do add your thoughts!

Very well written piece of work. For the most part, it fits how I imagined the Empire's military would function. As of current, I don't have any issue with this, though I would like to see Quendi's input.

So my primary concern about the proposal is its depiction of the Vexian Empire as a feudal-agrarian state. That was not at all the impression I got from the OP which its description of vast cities. I imagined a much more imperial-urban society. But if Zelphos agrees that the Vexian Empire is a feudal-agrarian state, then obviously that's how it is and I can certainly live with that. My secondary concern was the emphasis of cavalry over infantry, but for a feudal society that makes sense.

The described military technologies I have no concerns about. They are obviously in line with the agreed 1400 technological level of Europe. I love the use of proper latin terms for the different types of soldiers.

So I have three minor concerns.

First about the relative insignificance of infantry forces. By 1400 (as I think the proposal recognizes) knights often dismounted and fought as heavy infantry so its not like the only thing infantry can do is fight as missile troops. I believe a number of European countries had developed effective pike tactics for use against cavalry based enemies (the Scots at Bannockburn comes to mind). So while I accept a primarily knight and cavalry based style of warfare I would like for us not to completely discard the use of infantry.

Second about the wagon fort. First, thanks for having my character invent/pioneer it. I don't mind that such tactics might exist in Vexia but given that a consistent use of such a tactic is pretty much unique to the Hussites having it as a main staple of imperial military strategy would seem a bit odd to me.

Finally about mercenaries. Mercenaries usually thrive in places where they have a lot of potential customers. A fragmented renaissance Italy where there is a constant source of employment by rich city-states is a sensible place for mercenaries to operate. A vast unified empire might not be. If the only potential customer is the Vexian Empire surely that will make it rather undesirable to be a mercenary and render the distinction between a mercenary and a standing Vexian soldier rather academic. Maybe if individual nobles and magnates in the Vexian Empire can hire mercenaries we can justify a large number of them existing?

That was my concerns.

-snip-

Wow, first of all awesome animation. I can't even manage to design an organizational template for the imperial army. Love it.

As for the battle itself I imagined it quite differently, but then I imagined it at a time when I imagined the Vexian army as a standing infantry force, so some changes to that idea is inevitable, and overall I think what you are proposing work well.

About the numbers I imagined the imperials being numerically superior. Corineus's fabian strategy calls for only engaging the enemy in pitched battles when the odds are heavily stacked in his favor. But of course if the imperial army in general just isn't very large compared to Khuphate forces then he might have been forced to forgo numerical superiority. Thats really up to Zelphos to determine how large the respective armies are.

About step 1-2 I love the effort Corineus puts into establishing a strong defensive position. It fits nicely with both his character and his strategy. I am a bit concerned about the "flat plain" part though. Even with two rivers covering his flanks facing a cavalry force on a flat plain might be a bit too risky for Corineus so if, without having to change the animation of course, we could place some sort of obstacle, some woodland or marshes in front of the Imperial line to inhibit the Khuphate forces and tilt the scales a bit further towards the Imperials that would be good.

Step 3-5 are good. About step 6 it seems to imply a bit to decisive a victory. How I imagined it Yelu was a clear victory yes, but not a rout of the enemy. It was more like a recovery after the defeats of previous years which set the stage for the Empire to stop playing defense and instead go on the offense.

[Lisbane]

ote]

Edit: I was trying to quote Zelphos to say thanks for responding to my question, but as you can see that went really wrong.

Second edit: Huh. Didn’t know we were allowed to make ??? characters, given the lack of information on them. I thought they were going to be introduced later on as a complication.

Third edit: Are my changes to Voluisses’ additional info approved? I don’t want to godmod, but I think all of that stuff might be quite useful once he inevitably makes a few enemies.

I personally believe the introduction of them through a Player Character allows for greater enjoyment for all. That's just me though.

[Of the Quendi]

Name of Place: The Kingdom of Vitulia
Description: The Kingdom of Vitulia, otherwise known as Imperial Vitulia, is one of the principal regions of the Vexian Empire founded on the basis of the core territories of the preceding Remulian Empire. The addition of Imperial Vitualia to the Vexian Empire began under Emperor [EMPEROR] who invaded Vitulia through the Trihweneto Gap. Aided by numerous local allies the Vexian's quickly added the whole of Vitulia to their empire. Rather than attempt to impose their own direct rule over the vast and diverse Vitualian territory the Vexians wisely opted to place their local allies in charge of fundamentally unchanged local institutions. This policy, largely continued to the present day, has been highly successful and has made Imperial Vitualia one of the largest sources of revenue for the imperial treasury. In its decline the empire has nevertheless lost control of the southern third of Vitualia in a gradual process going back several centuries. Southern Vitualia has fractured into numerous independent city-states and principalities.

Imperial Vitulia is an important region of the Myrrish continent in the southern parts of the Vexian Empire. Its northern borders are dominated by a great mountain chain that for thousands of years have kept Vitulia isolated from the northern parts of Myrr. In the northeast of Vitualia the Trihweneto Gap however opens up to the Vexian Empire and though this gap Imperial Vitulia is connected with the Vexian Empire. South of the mountains the great Eridane river valley is a massive and fertile plateau. Further south Vitulia is dominated by the Spines, a mountain chain running roughly north-south through Vitulia. To the east Vitulia is bordered by the Tourmaline Sea. To the West by the Sea of the Rásna. To the south Imperial Vitulia borders the troublesome provinces of Southern Vitulia over which no emperor holds sway anymore.

A diverse and cosmopolitan region Vitualia was home to four meta-ethnicities when the Remulian Empire rose. In the south the Elenaeans, ruled over and assimilated various native tribes into a maritime confederacy of city-states. In the north the tribal confederacies of the Walhazi lived a rural and agrarian lifestyle on the banks of the river Eridanus. In the center the Rasenna for a time ruled undisputed over the first great civilization of Vitualia before gradually being displaced by the Vitaliotes as their Remulian Empire rose. By the time the Remulian Empire fell the Walhazi had been fully assimilated into the Vitaliote panethnicity, while the three remaining groups had intermarried to a great extent with one another. Since the conquest by the Vixis dynasty immigration of different peoples has arrived in Vitulia yet without fundamentally changing the demographics of the region.

Despite being a geographically and culturally contained unit due to its great size and immense wealth the Vexian Emperors has traditionally been very reluctant to install a strong governor in the region as its resources and defensive borders would make it far too easy for such a governor to attempt to create an independent kingdom. In this reluctance the emperors have found an unlikely ally in their grudging subjects in Vitulia who has no desire for a strong viceroy to live among them. For these reasons the emperors, replicating Remulian governance, has divided Vitulia into a number of separate provinces. While some of the southern provinces has broken away, Imperial Vitulia is home to seven separate provinces; Triwheneto, Further Eridania, Liguscia, Remugnia, Rasennia, Ombriinia and Pupunia and Remania. Each of these provinces has an imperial administrative centre with a governor. As it has turned out however the Vitulians has no greater patience for a local governor than a pan-Vitulian one. The city-states of the Vitulian region routinely ignores their nominal governor appealing directly to the imperial court when they are dissatisfied with the governor. As Vitulia, but for the southern third, is not rebellious, pays immense taxes and requires very little assistance from the empire the region is mostly left to govern itself. The Vitulians however do maintain a royal capital city, Eripapia, in Further Eridania, where they insists every new emperor is crowned king of Vitulia before they will pledge their allegiance.
Part of: The Empire

Name of Place: the provinces of Trihweneto
Description:
Part of: the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the province of Further Eridania (Royal Vitulia)
Description:
Part of: the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the province of Liguscia
Description:
Part of: the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the province of Remugnia (Hither Eridania)
Description: Remugnia, otherwise known as Hither Eridania, is one of the original provinces of Vitulia established by the Remulian Emperors and named after their state. Despite this the history of the region goes back to before the rise of Remulia. While the original inhabitants of the region may have been Walhazi it rose to prominence when the Rasna began expanding into it, making it a prosperous and important part of the Rasenna civilization. When the Remulians warred with the Rasna Remugnia, despite being the Rasna region most distant from the Remulian core territories, was the first to be annexed to the rising empire. Later Remulian emperors would go on to rule the empire from the Remugnian city of Rasna-Venna. After the fall of the Remulian empire Rasna-Venna was briefly the capital of Imperial Vitulia, but after the breakaway of the south the capital was moved. Remugnia, though it has been in decline since before the fall of the Remulian empire, remains however a key region of Imperial Vitulia home to many powerful city-states, institutions and organizations.

Bounded by the Spines to the southwest, the Eridanus to the north, the Tourmaline Sea to the east and the Pupunian plains to the south Remugnia is a crossroads region that borders five of the other six provinces of Imperial Vitulia, with Remulania the only province with no border with Remugnia. As part of the Eridane plain Remugnia is a very fertile region. While it has no mega-cities to match its Triwhenetane or Further Eridane neighbors Remugnia is home to a great number of medium sized cities. The University City of Burlåggnae and the Holy City of Rasna-Venna are the most important. Outside Burlåggnae, and under its jurisdiction, lies the great fortress of Castra Burlgnaes, the most heavily fortified military installation in all of Vitulia.
Part of: the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the City of Burlåggnae
Description: Burlåggnae is an old city with a long and stories history. It was founded as a Rasna city before the rise of the Remulian Empire but during Remulian rule became a multiethnic city of both Rasna and Vitalieote peoples. Unlike most of the cities of the Remignia Burlåggnae fought against the Vexian Empire for a time blocking the southwards expansion of the empire. As a result it was severely sacked when it finally fell. Subsequently the city has gained infamy as a hotbed of anti-imperial sentiments in Remugnia and has played an active role in minimizing imperial influence on Vitulian affairs. The city has recovered and expanded significantly since its fall to imperial control and it has become one of the main commercial trade centers of northern Vitualia thanks to a system of canals that allowed barges and ships to come and go. The establishment of the famed University of Burlåggnae, a major centre of learning, more than three centuries ago has also aided the city's growth, though relations between the increasingly powerful university and the city is often tense.
Part of: the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the University of Burlåggnae
Description: In 737 IY a small community of independent minded scholars gathered in Burlåggnae, seeking to escape the stifling religious environment of the Pantheotikon school of Rasna-Venna. In Burlåggnae they founded a new type of educational and research institution that would become the world's first secular university. While at first little more than a guild of independent academics and educators over time the nascent university would grow to be a powerful and venerated institution famed far beyond Vitualian borders. Founded by academics of all four major ethnic groups of Vitulia the university in 809 IY institutionalized its division into four separate university nations; the Walhaz, the Rasna, the Vitaliote and the Eleni. To this day students attend the nation that best fits them and study in the languages taught there. In addition to the native Vitualian ethnicities the intake of the nations are as follows. The Walhaz, of which there are hardly no native speakers left in Vitualia, welcomes students from most non-Vitualian parts of the Vexian Empire, especially in the north. The Rasna takes students from most of the Southern Kingdoms, Southern Vexia and other parts of the world that is perceived to share, if not the Rasna language itself, then at least an appreciation for the mystical and spiritual tradition of this ancient nation. The Eleni takes only Elenaean diaspora students and the Vitaliotes takes no outsiders. At the university a number of subjects are taught and studied. The Walhaz Faculty of Law is considered the premier law school of the Vexian Empire and an authority of the legal traditions of the empire, while the Vitaliote Faculty of Law, occupies itself solely with the traditional legal system of the Remulian empire, in which it is considered the authority. The Rasna has focused on theology and mysticism and it educates the finest haruspices, sibyls and astronomers in the world. Yet nothing has put the University on the map as much as its medical school. Originally a second thought by those scholars of the Eleni nation not preoccupied with rational, natural and moral philosophy, the medical school of Burlåggnae, shared between the nations, has won great renown throughout the world and has pioneered new and innovative forms of treatment and medicine.
Part of: the City of Burlåggnae, the Province of Remugnia, the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the Holy City of Rasna-Venna
Description:
Part of: the Province of Remugnia, the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the Oracle of Dyeus-Pater
Description: of the three original oracular centers in Vitulia the Oracle of Dyeus-Pater in Rasna-Venna is both the youngest and the least prominent. Founded just twelve hundred years ago and devoted to the Vitalieote god Dyeus-Pater it has risen to prominence under the Vexian Empire when the famous Danan Oracle at Kumai passed beyond imperial rule with the breakaway of Southern Vitulia and the Rasna Oracle at Tibor, both dedicated to the Vexian Sunnon, departed for the east. By a process of exclusion Dyeus-Pater became the foremost oracle in Imperial Vitulia, if not the whole of the Vexian Empire. Being located in a major and holy city allowed the oracle to become famous as pilgrims visiting the shrines and temples of Rasna-Venna would bring the prophecies of the oracle back to their homelands thus increasing the stature and reputation of the Sibyl.
Part of: the Holy City of Rasna-Venna, the province of Remugnia, the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Vexian Empire

Name of Place: the province of Rasennia
Description:
Part of: the Province of Remugnia, the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the province of Ombriinia and Pupunia
Description:
Part of: the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the province of Remulania
Description:
Part of: the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

[Piscina]

ote]

Edit: I was trying to quote Zelphos to say thanks for responding to my question, but as you can see that went really wrong.

Second edit: Huh. Didn’t know we were allowed to make ??? characters, given the lack of information on them. I thought they were going to be introduced later on as a complication.

Third edit: Are my changes to Voluisses’ additional info approved? I don’t want to godmod, but I think all of that stuff might be quite useful once he inevitably makes a few enemies.

I personally believe the introduction of them through a Player Character allows for greater enjoyment for all. That's just me though.

Fair point. One of the reasons I didn’t make my character a ??? was that I was concerned that he would end up as part of a larger plot that would end up being disadvantageous to him, but if you’re okay with that then there’s nothing really wrong with it.
Also, are there rumours that Dayid is performing illegal activities? Because if there are then Voluisse (my character) would definitely be interested.

[Armadillia]

Character Application

Full Name: Markus Friguse Nerva
House (Family) Name: Nerva
Title (if any): Captain Of The Windstard City Guard
Social Class: Noble, but people sometimes view him as a peasant.
Sex: M
Age: 31
Appearance: Tall and imposing, quite strong, mid-long goatee, redhead, green-blue eyes, fair white skin, Northern ancestries, bad case of helmet hair, can usually be found wearing his uniform, when not wearing uniform wears a practical but fashionable coat.
Role in Court: The Captain of the Windstard City Guard


Backstory: An untitled Northern family married into House Nerva decades ago. This is where Markus’s Northern ancestries come from. House Nerva is reasonably wealthy, and has a small web of influential contacts throughout the city, and despite eschewing illegal activity they often use those contacts to help perform shady, but technically legal actions. When Mark was a toddler he posed a very important question to his father, “Why are there people starving when others have all the food they want?” His father then replied, “Because they are not as lucky as us, they do not have the money to buy food.”
Markus then decided that they needed help and eventually he would give it to them.

Several months after Markus turned ten his parents realised Mark would not be a very good noble, due to his constant questioning of noble privilege and the injustice in the empire, so they decided to train him as a knight, knowing that Mark would be more than happy to right injustices, given his natural predisposition for fairness and equality, and hoping that he would eventually be knighted. Mark however, had other ideas.
At sixteen, Mark (Through a long series on events, including a lot of alcohol) ended up in a bar fight against three violent drunkards. This was the first time he had practiced fighting an opponent who really wanted to do him harm, and it turned out that he had a natural talent for combat. He subdued all three drunks, and gained an interesting insight into the nature of poverty and urban violence. (The bartender also gave him a free pint for dealing with the troublemakers)
Mark ended up developing a habit of sneaking out into the city and stopping any crimes that he saw (At least, that was Marks’ rationalisation. The real reason was that his parents restricted his access to the wine cellar in their manor, and that alcohol was cheap in the city). Over the course of several months, Mark gained a reputation among the peasants of being a heroic crime fighter who helped the people, not like the other nobles at all! However, this could not last.
Soon, his parents and tutors learned about this, and his knightly instructors told him to stop disgracing the honour of knighthood. Mark’s reply cannot be repeated in a PG-13 thread.
After his instructors told him to wash his mouth out with soap, and not to reapply as a knight ever again, his parents had no idea what to do next. However, Markus solved the problem by asking to become an officer in the city guard so that he could fight crime legally, as well as being closer to the people he was helping. His parents, despite being distraught over him refusing a prestigious career as a knight, were actually slightly proud of his courage and independence, especially as they had an heir anyway, pulled a few strings so that he could become an officer in the guard. As the years progressed, he rose in rank, as his fairness, integrity, charisma, and combat ability made him a superb guard (His parents making deals and pulling strings with his superiors helped a lot as well). He married the daughter of a merchant, and had a single daughter with her. Eventually, he worked his way up to becoming the captain of the city guard of Windstard, subordinate only to the Golden Falcon Commander himself! However, tragedy was quick to strike. Barely a month after Markus took the position his father was killed in an armed robbery. Mark blamed himself for the tragedy, and vowed there and then that he would do his best to end crime in the city. Formerly having been an easygoing boss in his brief time as captain, he became slightly cold and distant, and would sometimes focus on an individual criminal for weeks at a time, relentlessly hounding him out until he had been caught. This continued for several years, and in that time Windstard did become slightly safer. Once Brandon became emperor and summoned important people from all over the realm, Markus’s mother recommended that he be invited too, to help maintain order in the court. This request was accepted, and Mark left his wife and seven year old daughter at their home, as he intends to take his criminal hunt to the imperial court. He has chosen not to take a suite at the Blue Palace however, and still lives in his house in a good area of Windstard.

Additional info: Markus is still courageous and honest at heart, and will not be tempted by corrupt offers, despite his willingness to circumvent normal procedure when hunting a criminal. His family could also be used to strike at him, as despite being absent often he loves them dearly.

Stewardship: 4
Despite being a Noble, Markus was a poor study in accounting and management as a child, preferring to daydream about his next sparring match or the latest girl that had caught his fancy. As an adult, he had little need to practice those skills, as scribes handle the finances of the city guard.
Intrigue: 2
While quite smart, Mark was never good at intrigue, he prefers to go for upfront confrontation rather than plotting, as his direct and straightforward approach, as well as his natural integrity combine to make him a poor plotter.
Martial: 12
Markus is a very capable warrior and a superb commander, trained as a Knight and having been a Guard Captain for several years. His charisma helps him to give rallying speeches too.
Diplomacy: 7
Markus is quite charismatic, despite sometimes being distant and stern. The people of Windstard still like him despite his sometimes draconian methods.
Renown: 3
Markus is known to some nobles as “The peasant knight”. Needless to say, his reputation among the nobility is quite poor because of his life choices, and he personally wouldn’t have it any other way, as he views most of the nobility as fat pigs unwilling to actually get of their behinds and do some work. He is well known among the peasants however, and they view him as very effective, but sometimes far too strict.

P.S The reason my first application was of such poor quality was because I was mostly asleep at the time and had not had my coffee yet. I will try to avoid such horrendous mistakes in future, but I have a habit of posting before I have breakfast, so sorry if I make any similar mistakes.

TRACKING PURPOSES: Indiana

[Lisbane]

I personally believe the introduction of them through a Player Character allows for greater enjoyment for all. That's just me though.

Fair point. One of the reasons I didn’t make my character a ??? was that I was concerned that he would end up as part of a larger plot that would end up being disadvantageous to him, but if you’re okay with that then there’s nothing really wrong with it.
Also, are there rumours that Dayid is performing illegal activities? Because if there are then Voluisse (my character) would definitely be interested.

Yeah probably

[Piscina]

Fair point. One of the reasons I didn’t make my character a ??? was that I was concerned that he would end up as part of a larger plot that would end up being disadvantageous to him, but if you’re okay with that then there’s nothing really wrong with it.
Also, are there rumours that Dayid is performing illegal activities? Because if there are then Voluisse (my character) would definitely be interested.

Yeah probably

Okay, thanks! The reason I was asking is that Voluisse would probably be quite happy to help Dayid with his activities if the opportunity arises. Voluisse also probably doesn’t know that Dayid reports to the Emperor.

[Lisbane]

Yeah probably

Okay, thanks! The reason I was asking is that Voluisse would probably be quite happy to help Dayid with his activities if the opportunity arises. Voluisse also probably doesn’t know that Dayid reports to the Emperor.

Sounds interesting, it would be great to interact with another character. Dayid's masters are unknown to the common man, only a criminal mastermind with such connections in the court as himself could gauge his loyalty to the Emperor, and to the 'Council' - although it would be unlikely they would even find connection to such a secretive group. That or a mastermind agent of the Golden Falcon, of which I don't think there are many, mostly military men they are.

[Lisbane]

So, when will the IC be up?

[Pasong Tirad]

Excellent. I vaguely remember trying to apply for this right as it entered inactivity a few years ago. Any room for a peasant in that imperial court?

[Piscina]

Okay, thanks! The reason I was asking is that Voluisse would probably be quite happy to help Dayid with his activities if the opportunity arises. Voluisse also probably doesn’t know that Dayid reports to the Emperor.

Sounds interesting, it would be great to interact with another character. Dayid's masters are unknown to the common man, only a criminal mastermind with such connections in the court as himself could gauge his loyalty to the Emperor, and to the 'Council' - although it would be unlikely they would even find connection to such a secretive group. That or a mastermind agent of the Golden Falcon, of which I don't think there are many, mostly military men they are.

Yeah, having a mostly reliable partner in crime would be quite useful for both of us. My character might get in trouble if he ever proposes a plot against the empire though.

[Piscina]

Excellent. I vaguely remember trying to apply for this right as it entered inactivity a few years ago. Any room for a peasant in that imperial court?

If you’ve got a good character idea, then certainly!

Edit: By the way, what caused the last thread to go inactive? Just wondering what happened.

[Of the Quendi]

Excellent. I vaguely remember trying to apply for this right as it entered inactivity a few years ago. Any room for a peasant in that imperial court?

We have a whole social class just for them.

[Zelphos]

I have designed this as a suggestion. By all means, please do add your thoughts!

Very well written piece of work. For the most part, it fits how I imagined the Empire's military would function. As of current, I don't have any issue with this, though I would like to see Quendi's input.

So my primary concern about the proposal is its depiction of the Vexian Empire as a feudal-agrarian state. That was not at all the impression I got from the OP which its description of vast cities. I imagined a much more imperial-urban society.

My apologies, I must have overlooked that on the written piece. The description on the military of the Vexian Empire is fine, although I intended for the Empire to be portrayed as an urbanized society, advanced among its peers, as well as being able to maintain a standing military force, which in the lore, is spread out on different fronts (east, south and north), making the Royal Army less effective in handling the threats. Again, apologies for the misunderstanding.

Second edit: Huh. Didn’t know we were allowed to make ??? characters, given the lack of information on them. I thought they were going to be introduced later on as a complication.

Third edit: Are my changes to Voluisses’ additional info approved? I don’t want to godmod, but I think all of that stuff might be quite useful once he inevitably makes a few enemies.

Yes, the changes are fine. The ??? characters are indeed allowed, and the lack of information is the intended purpose. Their background is meant to be mysterious and odd, unusual for members of the court. These too have been invited to the court.

Character Application

Full Name: Markus Friguse Nerva
House (Family) Name: Nerva
Title (if any): Captain Of The Windstard City Guard
Social Class: Noble, but people sometimes view him as a peasant.
Sex: M
Age: 31
Appearance: Tall and imposing, quite strong, mid-long goatee, redhead, green-blue eyes, fair white skin, Northern ancestries, bad case of helmet hair, can usually be found wearing his uniform, when not wearing uniform wears a practical but fashionable coat.
Role in Court: The Captain of the Windstard City Guard


Backstory: An untitled Northern family married into House Nerva decades ago. This is where Markus’s Northern ancestries come from. House Nerva is reasonably wealthy, and has a small web of influential contacts throughout the city, and despite eschewing illegal activity they often use those contacts to help perform shady, but technically legal actions. When Mark was a toddler he posed a very important question to his father, “Why are there people starving when others have all the food they want?” His father then replied, “Because they are not as lucky as us, they do not have the money to buy food.”
Markus then decided that they needed help and eventually he would give it to them.

Several months after Markus turned ten his parents realised Mark would not be a very good noble, due to his constant questioning of noble privilege and the injustice in the empire, so they decided to train him as a knight, knowing that Mark would be more than happy to right injustices, given his natural predisposition for fairness and equality, and hoping that he would eventually be knighted. Mark however, had other ideas.
At sixteen, Mark (Through a long series on events, including a lot of alcohol) ended up in a bar fight against three violent drunkards. This was the first time he had practiced fighting an opponent who really wanted to do him harm, and it turned out that he had a natural talent for combat. He subdued all three drunks, and gained an interesting insight into the nature of poverty and urban violence. (The bartender also gave him a free pint for dealing with the troublemakers)
Mark ended up developing a habit of sneaking out into the city and stopping any crimes that he saw (At least, that was Marks’ rationalisation. The real reason was that his parents restricted his access to the wine cellar in their manor, and that alcohol was cheap in the city). Over the course of several months, Mark gained a reputation among the peasants of being a heroic crime fighter who helped the people, not like the other nobles at all! However, this could not last.
Soon, his parents and tutors learned about this, and his knightly instructors told him to stop disgracing the honour of knighthood. Mark’s reply cannot be repeated in a PG-13 thread.
After his instructors told him to wash his mouth out with soap, and not to reapply as a knight ever again, his parents had no idea what to do next. However, Markus solved the problem by asking to become an officer in the city guard so that he could fight crime legally, as well as being closer to the people he was helping. His parents, despite being distraught over him refusing a prestigious career as a knight, were actually slightly proud of his courage and independence, especially as they had an heir anyway, pulled a few strings so that he could become an officer in the guard. As the years progressed, he rose in rank, as his fairness, integrity, charisma, and combat ability made him a superb guard (His parents making deals and pulling strings with his superiors helped a lot as well). He married the daughter of a merchant, and had a single daughter with her. Eventually, he worked his way up to becoming the captain of the city guard of Windstard, subordinate only to the Golden Falcon Commander himself! However, tragedy was quick to strike. Barely a month after Markus took the position his father was killed in an armed robbery. Mark blamed himself for the tragedy, and vowed there and then that he would do his best to end crime in the city. Formerly having been an easygoing boss in his brief time as captain, he became slightly cold and distant, and would sometimes focus on an individual criminal for weeks at a time, relentlessly hounding him out until he had been caught. This continued for several years, and in that time Windstard did become slightly safer. Once Brandon became emperor and summoned important people from all over the realm, Markus’s mother recommended that he be invited too, to help maintain order in the court. This request was accepted, and Mark left his wife and seven year old daughter at their home, as he intends to take his criminal hunt to the imperial court. He has chosen not to take a suite at the Blue Palace however, and still lives in his house in a good area of Windstard.

Additional info: Markus is still courageous and honest at heart, and will not be tempted by corrupt offers, despite his willingness to circumvent normal procedure when hunting a criminal. His family could also be used to strike at him, as despite being absent often he loves them dearly.

Stewardship: 4
Despite being a Noble, Markus was a poor study in accounting and management as a child, preferring to daydream about his next sparring match or the latest girl that had caught his fancy. As an adult, he had little need to practice those skills, as scribes handle the finances of the city guard.
Intrigue: 2
While quite smart, Mark was never good at intrigue, he prefers to go for upfront confrontation rather than plotting, as his direct and straightforward approach, as well as his natural integrity combine to make him a poor plotter.
Martial: 12
Markus is a very capable warrior and a superb commander, trained as a Knight and having been a Guard Captain for several years. His charisma helps him to give rallying speeches too.
Diplomacy: 7
Markus is quite charismatic, despite sometimes being distant and stern. The people of Windstard still like him despite his sometimes draconian methods.
Renown: 3
Markus is known to some nobles as “The peasant knight”. Needless to say, his reputation among the nobility is quite poor because of his life choices, and he personally wouldn’t have it any other way, as he views most of the nobility as fat pigs unwilling to actually get of their behinds and do some work. He is well known among the peasants however, and they view him as very effective, but sometimes far too strict.

P.S The reason my first application was of such poor quality was because I was mostly asleep at the time and had not had my coffee yet. I will try to avoid such horrendous mistakes in future, but I have a habit of posting before I have breakfast, so sorry if I make any similar mistakes.

TRACKING PURPOSES: Indiana

Don't worry, I've been there before haha. Thanks for revising your application. I'm curious to see how your character interacts with other characters at court with sinister motives. Accepted.

So, when will the IC be up?

I'm looking to get the IC up sometime today or tomorrow, though due to my schedule, it looks like putting up the IC tomorrow is more convenient for myself.

Excellent. I vaguely remember trying to apply for this right as it entered inactivity a few years ago. Any room for a peasant in that imperial court?

Gladly. Though be warned, a peasant in an imperial court will not be taken lightly by the more prestigious nobles (which is precisely what makes it interesting).

Edit: By the way, what caused the last thread to go inactive? Just wondering what happened.

I had personal matters to attend to that consumed my time, and seeing as how I was the OP, eventually died out, though surprisingly the IC and OOC persisted for some time after I left NS. That, and the characters in the IC were stuck in the same starting scene (the formal ball), which also contributed to its dying out.

Name of Place: The Kingdom of Vitulia
Description: The Kingdom of Vitulia, otherwise known as Imperial Vitulia, is one of the principal regions of the Vexian Empire founded on the basis of the core territories of the preceding Remulian Empire. The addition of Imperial Vitualia to the Vexian Empire began under Emperor [EMPEROR] who invaded Vitulia through the Trihweneto Gap. Aided by numerous local allies the Vexian's quickly added the whole of Vitulia to their empire. Rather than attempt to impose their own direct rule over the vast and diverse Vitualian territory the Vexians wisely opted to place their local allies in charge of fundamentally unchanged local institutions. This policy, largely continued to the present day, has been highly successful and has made Imperial Vitualia one of the largest sources of revenue for the imperial treasury. In its decline the empire has nevertheless lost control of the southern third of Vitualia in a gradual process going back several centuries. Southern Vitualia has fractured into numerous independent city-states and principalities.

Imperial Vitulia is an important region of the Myrrish continent in the southern parts of the Vexian Empire. Its northern borders are dominated by a great mountain chain that for thousands of years have kept Vitulia isolated from the northern parts of Myrr. In the northeast of Vitualia the Trihweneto Gap however opens up to the Vexian Empire and though this gap Imperial Vitulia is connected with the Vexian Empire. South of the mountains the great Eridane river valley is a massive and fertile plateau. Further south Vitulia is dominated by the Spines, a mountain chain running roughly north-south through Vitulia. To the east Vitulia is bordered by the Tourmaline Sea. To the West by the Sea of the Rásna. To the south Imperial Vitulia borders the troublesome provinces of Southern Vitulia over which no emperor holds sway anymore.

A diverse and cosmopolitan region Vitualia was home to four meta-ethnicities when the Remulian Empire rose. In the south the Elenaeans, ruled over and assimilated various native tribes into a maritime confederacy of city-states. In the north the tribal confederacies of the Walhazi lived a rural and agrarian lifestyle on the banks of the river Eridanus. In the center the Rasenna for a time ruled undisputed over the first great civilization of Vitualia before gradually being displaced by the Vitaliotes as their Remulian Empire rose. By the time the Remulian Empire fell the Walhazi had been fully assimilated into the Vitaliote panethnicity, while the three remaining groups had intermarried to a great extent with one another. Since the conquest by the Vixis dynasty immigration of different peoples has arrived in Vitulia yet without fundamentally changing the demographics of the region.

Despite being a geographically and culturally contained unit due to its great size and immense wealth the Vexian Emperors has traditionally been very reluctant to install a strong governor in the region as its resources and defensive borders would make it far too easy for such a governor to attempt to create an independent kingdom. In this reluctance the emperors have found an unlikely ally in their grudging subjects in Vitulia who has no desire for a strong viceroy to live among them. For these reasons the emperors, replicating Remulian governance, has divided Vitulia into a number of separate provinces. While some of the southern provinces has broken away, Imperial Vitulia is home to seven separate provinces; Triwheneto, Further Eridania, Liguscia, Remugnia, Rasennia, Ombriinia and Pupunia and Remania. Each of these provinces has an imperial administrative centre with a governor. As it has turned out however the Vitulians has no greater patience for a local governor than a pan-Vitulian one. The city-states of the Vitulian region routinely ignores their nominal governor appealing directly to the imperial court when they are dissatisfied with the governor. As Vitulia, but for the southern third, is not rebellious, pays immense taxes and requires very little assistance from the empire the region is mostly left to govern itself. The Vitulians however do maintain a royal capital city, Eripapia, in Further Eridania, where they insists every new emperor is crowned king of Vitulia before they will pledge their allegiance.
Part of: The Empire

Name of Place: the provinces of Trihweneto
Description:
Part of: the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the province of Further Eridania (Royal Vitulia)
Description:
Part of: the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the province of Liguscia
Description:
Part of: the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the province of Remugnia (Hither Eridania)
Description: Remugnia, otherwise known as Hither Eridania, is one of the original provinces of Vitulia established by the Remulian Emperors and named after their state. Despite this the history of the region goes back to before the rise of Remulia. While the original inhabitants of the region may have been Walhazi it rose to prominence when the Rasna began expanding into it, making it a prosperous and important part of the Rasenna civilization. When the Remulians warred with the Rasna Remugnia, despite being the Rasna region most distant from the Remulian core territories, was the first to be annexed to the rising empire. Later Remulian emperors would go on to rule the empire from the Remugnian city of Rasna-Venna. After the fall of the Remulian empire Rasna-Venna was briefly the capital of Imperial Vitulia, but after the breakaway of the south the capital was moved. Remugnia, though it has been in decline since before the fall of the Remulian empire, remains however a key region of Imperial Vitulia home to many powerful city-states, institutions and organizations.

Bounded by the Spines to the southwest, the Eridanus to the north, the Tourmaline Sea to the east and the Pupunian plains to the south Remugnia is a crossroads region that borders five of the other six provinces of Imperial Vitulia, with Remulania the only province with no border with Remugnia. As part of the Eridane plain Remugnia is a very fertile region. While it has no mega-cities to match its Triwhenetane or Further Eridane neighbors Remugnia is home to a great number of medium sized cities. The University City of Burlåggnae and the Holy City of Rasna-Venna are the most important. Outside Burlåggnae, and under its jurisdiction, lies the great fortress of Castra Burlgnaes, the most heavily fortified military installation in all of Vitulia.
Part of: the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the City of Burlåggnae
Description: Burlåggnae is an old city with a long and stories history. It was founded as a Rasna city before the rise of the Remulian Empire but during Remulian rule became a multiethnic city of both Rasna and Vitalieote peoples. Unlike most of the cities of the Remignia Burlåggnae fought against the Vexian Empire for a time blocking the southwards expansion of the empire. As a result it was severely sacked when it finally fell. Subsequently the city has gained infamy as a hotbed of anti-imperial sentiments in Remugnia and has played an active role in minimizing imperial influence on Vitulian affairs. The city has recovered and expanded significantly since its fall to imperial control and it has become one of the main commercial trade centers of northern Vitualia thanks to a system of canals that allowed barges and ships to come and go. The establishment of the famed University of Burlåggnae, a major centre of learning, more than three centuries ago has also aided the city's growth, though relations between the increasingly powerful university and the city is often tense.
Part of: the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the University of Burlåggnae
Description: In 737 IY a small community of independent minded scholars gathered in Burlåggnae, seeking to escape the stifling religious environment of the Pantheotikon school of Rasna-Venna. In Burlåggnae they founded a new type of educational and research institution that would become the world's first secular university. While at first little more than a guild of independent academics and educators over time the nascent university would grow to be a powerful and venerated institution famed far beyond Vitualian borders. Founded by academics of all four major ethnic groups of Vitulia the university in 809 IY institutionalized its division into four separate university nations; the Walhaz, the Rasna, the Vitaliote and the Eleni. To this day students attend the nation that best fits them and study in the languages taught there. In addition to the native Vitualian ethnicities the intake of the nations are as follows. The Walhaz, of which there are hardly no native speakers left in Vitualia, welcomes students from most non-Vitualian parts of the Vexian Empire, especially in the north. The Rasna takes students from most of the Southern Kingdoms, Southern Vexia and other parts of the world that is perceived to share, if not the Rasna language itself, then at least an appreciation for the mystical and spiritual tradition of this ancient nation. The Eleni takes only Elenaean diaspora students and the Vitaliotes takes no outsiders. At the university a number of subjects are taught and studied. The Walhaz Faculty of Law is considered the premier law school of the Vexian Empire and an authority of the legal traditions of the empire, while the Vitaliote Faculty of Law, occupies itself solely with the traditional legal system of the Remulian empire, in which it is considered the authority. The Rasna has focused on theology and mysticism and it educates the finest haruspices, sibyls and astronomers in the world. Yet nothing has put the University on the map as much as its medical school. Originally a second thought by those scholars of the Eleni nation not preoccupied with rational, natural and moral philosophy, the medical school of Burlåggnae, shared between the nations, has won great renown throughout the world and has pioneered new and innovative forms of treatment and medicine.
Part of: the City of Burlåggnae, the Province of Remugnia, the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the Holy City of Rasna-Venna
Description:
Part of: the Province of Remugnia, the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the Oracle of Dyeus-Pater
Description: of the three original oracular centers in Vitulia the Oracle of Dyeus-Pater in Rasna-Venna is both the youngest and the least prominent. Founded just twelve hundred years ago and devoted to the Vitalieote god Dyeus-Pater it has risen to prominence under the Vexian Empire when the famous Danan Oracle at Kumai passed beyond imperial rule with the breakaway of Southern Vitulia and the Rasna Oracle at Tibor, both dedicated to the Vexian Sunnon, departed for the east. By a process of exclusion Dyeus-Pater became the foremost oracle in Imperial Vitulia, if not the whole of the Vexian Empire. Being located in a major and holy city allowed the oracle to become famous as pilgrims visiting the shrines and temples of Rasna-Venna would bring the prophecies of the oracle back to their homelands thus increasing the stature and reputation of the Sibyl.
Part of: the Holy City of Rasna-Venna, the province of Remugnia, the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Vexian Empire

Name of Place: the province of Rasennia
Description:
Part of: the Province of Remugnia, the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the province of Ombriinia and Pupunia
Description:
Part of: the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the province of Remulania
Description:
Part of: the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Nicely done. Please let me know when you've completed it so that I may review it, and if accepted, added to the Locations tab on the OOC. Good work thus far.

[Piscina]

So my primary concern about the proposal is its depiction of the Vexian Empire as a feudal-agrarian state. That was not at all the impression I got from the OP which its description of vast cities. I imagined a much more imperial-urban society.

My apologies, I must have overlooked that on the written piece. The description on the military of the Vexian Empire is fine, although I intended for the Empire to be portrayed as an urbanized society, advanced among its peers, as well as being able to maintain a standing military force, which in the lore, is spread out on different fronts (east, south and north), making the Royal Army less effective in handling the threats. Again, apologies for the misunderstanding.

Second edit: Huh. Didn’t know we were allowed to make ??? characters, given the lack of information on them. I thought they were going to be introduced later on as a complication.

Third edit: Are my changes to Voluisses’ additional info approved? I don’t want to godmod, but I think all of that stuff might be quite useful once he inevitably makes a few enemies.

Yes, the changes are fine. The ??? characters are indeed allowed, and the lack of information is the intended purpose. Their background is meant to be mysterious and odd, unusual for members of the court. These too have been invited to the court.

Character Application

Full Name: Markus Friguse Nerva
House (Family) Name: Nerva
Title (if any): Captain Of The Windstard City Guard
Social Class: Noble, but people sometimes view him as a peasant.
Sex: M
Age: 31
Appearance: Tall and imposing, quite strong, mid-long goatee, redhead, green-blue eyes, fair white skin, Northern ancestries, bad case of helmet hair, can usually be found wearing his uniform, when not wearing uniform wears a practical but fashionable coat.
Role in Court: The Captain of the Windstard City Guard


Backstory: An untitled Northern family married into House Nerva decades ago. This is where Markus’s Northern ancestries come from. House Nerva is reasonably wealthy, and has a small web of influential contacts throughout the city, and despite eschewing illegal activity they often use those contacts to help perform shady, but technically legal actions. When Mark was a toddler he posed a very important question to his father, “Why are there people starving when others have all the food they want?” His father then replied, “Because they are not as lucky as us, they do not have the money to buy food.”
Markus then decided that they needed help and eventually he would give it to them.

Several months after Markus turned ten his parents realised Mark would not be a very good noble, due to his constant questioning of noble privilege and the injustice in the empire, so they decided to train him as a knight, knowing that Mark would be more than happy to right injustices, given his natural predisposition for fairness and equality, and hoping that he would eventually be knighted. Mark however, had other ideas.
At sixteen, Mark (Through a long series on events, including a lot of alcohol) ended up in a bar fight against three violent drunkards. This was the first time he had practiced fighting an opponent who really wanted to do him harm, and it turned out that he had a natural talent for combat. He subdued all three drunks, and gained an interesting insight into the nature of poverty and urban violence. (The bartender also gave him a free pint for dealing with the troublemakers)
Mark ended up developing a habit of sneaking out into the city and stopping any crimes that he saw (At least, that was Marks’ rationalisation. The real reason was that his parents restricted his access to the wine cellar in their manor, and that alcohol was cheap in the city). Over the course of several months, Mark gained a reputation among the peasants of being a heroic crime fighter who helped the people, not like the other nobles at all! However, this could not last.
Soon, his parents and tutors learned about this, and his knightly instructors told him to stop disgracing the honour of knighthood. Mark’s reply cannot be repeated in a PG-13 thread.
After his instructors told him to wash his mouth out with soap, and not to reapply as a knight ever again, his parents had no idea what to do next. However, Markus solved the problem by asking to become an officer in the city guard so that he could fight crime legally, as well as being closer to the people he was helping. His parents, despite being distraught over him refusing a prestigious career as a knight, were actually slightly proud of his courage and independence, especially as they had an heir anyway, pulled a few strings so that he could become an officer in the guard. As the years progressed, he rose in rank, as his fairness, integrity, charisma, and combat ability made him a superb guard (His parents making deals and pulling strings with his superiors helped a lot as well). He married the daughter of a merchant, and had a single daughter with her. Eventually, he worked his way up to becoming the captain of the city guard of Windstard, subordinate only to the Golden Falcon Commander himself! However, tragedy was quick to strike. Barely a month after Markus took the position his father was killed in an armed robbery. Mark blamed himself for the tragedy, and vowed there and then that he would do his best to end crime in the city. Formerly having been an easygoing boss in his brief time as captain, he became slightly cold and distant, and would sometimes focus on an individual criminal for weeks at a time, relentlessly hounding him out until he had been caught. This continued for several years, and in that time Windstard did become slightly safer. Once Brandon became emperor and summoned important people from all over the realm, Markus’s mother recommended that he be invited too, to help maintain order in the court. This request was accepted, and Mark left his wife and seven year old daughter at their home, as he intends to take his criminal hunt to the imperial court. He has chosen not to take a suite at the Blue Palace however, and still lives in his house in a good area of Windstard.

Additional info: Markus is still courageous and honest at heart, and will not be tempted by corrupt offers, despite his willingness to circumvent normal procedure when hunting a criminal. His family could also be used to strike at him, as despite being absent often he loves them dearly.

Stewardship: 4
Despite being a Noble, Markus was a poor study in accounting and management as a child, preferring to daydream about his next sparring match or the latest girl that had caught his fancy. As an adult, he had little need to practice those skills, as scribes handle the finances of the city guard.
Intrigue: 2
While quite smart, Mark was never good at intrigue, he prefers to go for upfront confrontation rather than plotting, as his direct and straightforward approach, as well as his natural integrity combine to make him a poor plotter.
Martial: 12
Markus is a very capable warrior and a superb commander, trained as a Knight and having been a Guard Captain for several years. His charisma helps him to give rallying speeches too.
Diplomacy: 7
Markus is quite charismatic, despite sometimes being distant and stern. The people of Windstard still like him despite his sometimes draconian methods.
Renown: 3
Markus is known to some nobles as “The peasant knight”. Needless to say, his reputation among the nobility is quite poor because of his life choices, and he personally wouldn’t have it any other way, as he views most of the nobility as fat pigs unwilling to actually get of their behinds and do some work. He is well known among the peasants however, and they view him as very effective, but sometimes far too strict.

P.S The reason my first application was of such poor quality was because I was mostly asleep at the time and had not had my coffee yet. I will try to avoid such horrendous mistakes in future, but I have a habit of posting before I have breakfast, so sorry if I make any similar mistakes.

TRACKING PURPOSES: Indiana

Don't worry, I've been there before haha. Thanks for revising your application. I'm curious to see how your character interacts with other characters at court with sinister motives. Accepted.

So, when will the IC be up?

I'm looking to get the IC up sometime today or tomorrow, though due to my schedule, it looks like putting up the IC tomorrow is more convenient for myself.

Excellent. I vaguely remember trying to apply for this right as it entered inactivity a few years ago. Any room for a peasant in that imperial court?

Gladly. Though be warned, a peasant in an imperial court will not be taken lightly by the more prestigious nobles (which is precisely what makes it interesting).

Edit: By the way, what caused the last thread to go inactive? Just wondering what happened.

I had personal matters to attend to that consumed my time, and seeing as how I was the OP, eventually died out, though surprisingly the IC and OOC persisted for some time after I left NS. That, and the characters in the IC were stuck in the same starting scene (the formal ball), which also contributed to its dying out.

[spoiler=Of the Quendi]

Name of Place: The Kingdom of Vitulia
Description: The Kingdom of Vitulia, otherwise known as Imperial Vitulia, is one of the principal regions of the Vexian Empire founded on the basis of the core territories of the preceding Remulian Empire. The addition of Imperial Vitualia to the Vexian Empire began under Emperor [EMPEROR] who invaded Vitulia through the Trihweneto Gap. Aided by numerous local allies the Vexian's quickly added the whole of Vitulia to their empire. Rather than attempt to impose their own direct rule over the vast and diverse Vitualian territory the Vexians wisely opted to place their local allies in charge of fundamentally unchanged local institutions. This policy, largely continued to the present day, has been highly successful and has made Imperial Vitualia one of the largest sources of revenue for the imperial treasury. In its decline the empire has nevertheless lost control of the southern third of Vitualia in a gradual process going back several centuries. Southern Vitualia has fractured into numerous independent city-states and principalities.

Imperial Vitulia is an important region of the Myrrish continent in the southern parts of the Vexian Empire. Its northern borders are dominated by a great mountain chain that for thousands of years have kept Vitulia isolated from the northern parts of Myrr. In the northeast of Vitualia the Trihweneto Gap however opens up to the Vexian Empire and though this gap Imperial Vitulia is connected with the Vexian Empire. South of the mountains the great Eridane river valley is a massive and fertile plateau. Further south Vitulia is dominated by the Spines, a mountain chain running roughly north-south through Vitulia. To the east Vitulia is bordered by the Tourmaline Sea. To the West by the Sea of the Rásna. To the south Imperial Vitulia borders the troublesome provinces of Southern Vitulia over which no emperor holds sway anymore.

A diverse and cosmopolitan region Vitualia was home to four meta-ethnicities when the Remulian Empire rose. In the south the Elenaeans, ruled over and assimilated various native tribes into a maritime confederacy of city-states. In the north the tribal confederacies of the Walhazi lived a rural and agrarian lifestyle on the banks of the river Eridanus. In the center the Rasenna for a time ruled undisputed over the first great civilization of Vitualia before gradually being displaced by the Vitaliotes as their Remulian Empire rose. By the time the Remulian Empire fell the Walhazi had been fully assimilated into the Vitaliote panethnicity, while the three remaining groups had intermarried to a great extent with one another. Since the conquest by the Vixis dynasty immigration of different peoples has arrived in Vitulia yet without fundamentally changing the demographics of the region.

Despite being a geographically and culturally contained unit due to its great size and immense wealth the Vexian Emperors has traditionally been very reluctant to install a strong governor in the region as its resources and defensive borders would make it far too easy for such a governor to attempt to create an independent kingdom. In this reluctance the emperors have found an unlikely ally in their grudging subjects in Vitulia who has no desire for a strong viceroy to live among them. For these reasons the emperors, replicating Remulian governance, has divided Vitulia into a number of separate provinces. While some of the southern provinces has broken away, Imperial Vitulia is home to seven separate provinces; Triwheneto, Further Eridania, Liguscia, Remugnia, Rasennia, Ombriinia and Pupunia and Remania. Each of these provinces has an imperial administrative centre with a governor. As it has turned out however the Vitulians has no greater patience for a local governor than a pan-Vitulian one. The city-states of the Vitulian region routinely ignores their nominal governor appealing directly to the imperial court when they are dissatisfied with the governor. As Vitulia, but for the southern third, is not rebellious, pays immense taxes and requires very little assistance from the empire the region is mostly left to govern itself. The Vitulians however do maintain a royal capital city, Eripapia, in Further Eridania, where they insists every new emperor is crowned king of Vitulia before they will pledge their allegiance.
Part of: The Empire

Name of Place: the provinces of Trihweneto
Description:
Part of: the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the province of Further Eridania (Royal Vitulia)
Description:
Part of: the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the province of Liguscia
Description:
Part of: the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the province of Remugnia (Hither Eridania)
Description: Remugnia, otherwise known as Hither Eridania, is one of the original provinces of Vitulia established by the Remulian Emperors and named after their state. Despite this the history of the region goes back to before the rise of Remulia. While the original inhabitants of the region may have been Walhazi it rose to prominence when the Rasna began expanding into it, making it a prosperous and important part of the Rasenna civilization. When the Remulians warred with the Rasna Remugnia, despite being the Rasna region most distant from the Remulian core territories, was the first to be annexed to the rising empire. Later Remulian emperors would go on to rule the empire from the Remugnian city of Rasna-Venna. After the fall of the Remulian empire Rasna-Venna was briefly the capital of Imperial Vitulia, but after the breakaway of the south the capital was moved. Remugnia, though it has been in decline since before the fall of the Remulian empire, remains however a key region of Imperial Vitulia home to many powerful city-states, institutions and organizations.

Bounded by the Spines to the southwest, the Eridanus to the north, the Tourmaline Sea to the east and the Pupunian plains to the south Remugnia is a crossroads region that borders five of the other six provinces of Imperial Vitulia, with Remulania the only province with no border with Remugnia. As part of the Eridane plain Remugnia is a very fertile region. While it has no mega-cities to match its Triwhenetane or Further Eridane neighbors Remugnia is home to a great number of medium sized cities. The University City of Burlåggnae and the Holy City of Rasna-Venna are the most important. Outside Burlåggnae, and under its jurisdiction, lies the great fortress of Castra Burlgnaes, the most heavily fortified military installation in all of Vitulia.
Part of: the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the City of Burlåggnae
Description: Burlåggnae is an old city with a long and stories history. It was founded as a Rasna city before the rise of the Remulian Empire but during Remulian rule became a multiethnic city of both Rasna and Vitalieote peoples. Unlike most of the cities of the Remignia Burlåggnae fought against the Vexian Empire for a time blocking the southwards expansion of the empire. As a result it was severely sacked when it finally fell. Subsequently the city has gained infamy as a hotbed of anti-imperial sentiments in Remugnia and has played an active role in minimizing imperial influence on Vitulian affairs. The city has recovered and expanded significantly since its fall to imperial control and it has become one of the main commercial trade centers of northern Vitualia thanks to a system of canals that allowed barges and ships to come and go. The establishment of the famed University of Burlåggnae, a major centre of learning, more than three centuries ago has also aided the city's growth, though relations between the increasingly powerful university and the city is often tense.
Part of: the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the University of Burlåggnae
Description: In 737 IY a small community of independent minded scholars gathered in Burlåggnae, seeking to escape the stifling religious environment of the Pantheotikon school of Rasna-Venna. In Burlåggnae they founded a new type of educational and research institution that would become the world's first secular university. While at first little more than a guild of independent academics and educators over time the nascent university would grow to be a powerful and venerated institution famed far beyond Vitualian borders. Founded by academics of all four major ethnic groups of Vitulia the university in 809 IY institutionalized its division into four separate university nations; the Walhaz, the Rasna, the Vitaliote and the Eleni. To this day students attend the nation that best fits them and study in the languages taught there. In addition to the native Vitualian ethnicities the intake of the nations are as follows. The Walhaz, of which there are hardly no native speakers left in Vitualia, welcomes students from most non-Vitualian parts of the Vexian Empire, especially in the north. The Rasna takes students from most of the Southern Kingdoms, Southern Vexia and other parts of the world that is perceived to share, if not the Rasna language itself, then at least an appreciation for the mystical and spiritual tradition of this ancient nation. The Eleni takes only Elenaean diaspora students and the Vitaliotes takes no outsiders. At the university a number of subjects are taught and studied. The Walhaz Faculty of Law is considered the premier law school of the Vexian Empire and an authority of the legal traditions of the empire, while the Vitaliote Faculty of Law, occupies itself solely with the traditional legal system of the Remulian empire, in which it is considered the authority. The Rasna has focused on theology and mysticism and it educates the finest haruspices, sibyls and astronomers in the world. Yet nothing has put the University on the map as much as its medical school. Originally a second thought by those scholars of the Eleni nation not preoccupied with rational, natural and moral philosophy, the medical school of Burlåggnae, shared between the nations, has won great renown throughout the world and has pioneered new and innovative forms of treatment and medicine.
Part of: the City of Burlåggnae, the Province of Remugnia, the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the Holy City of Rasna-Venna
Description:
Part of: the Province of Remugnia, the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the Oracle of Dyeus-Pater
Description: of the three original oracular centers in Vitulia the Oracle of Dyeus-Pater in Rasna-Venna is both the youngest and the least prominent. Founded just twelve hundred years ago and devoted to the Vitalieote god Dyeus-Pater it has risen to prominence under the Vexian Empire when the famous Danan Oracle at Kumai passed beyond imperial rule with the breakaway of Southern Vitulia and the Rasna Oracle at Tibor, both dedicated to the Vexian Sunnon, departed for the east. By a process of exclusion Dyeus-Pater became the foremost oracle in Imperial Vitulia, if not the whole of the Vexian Empire. Being located in a major and holy city allowed the oracle to become famous as pilgrims visiting the shrines and temples of Rasna-Venna would bring the prophecies of the oracle back to their homelands thus increasing the stature and reputation of the Sibyl.
Part of: the Holy City of Rasna-Venna, the province of Remugnia, the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Vexian Empire

Name of Place: the province of Rasennia
Description:
Part of: the Province of Remugnia, the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the province of Ombriinia and Pupunia
Description:
Part of: the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Name of Place: the province of Remulania
Description:
Part of: the Kingdom of Vitulia, the Empire

Nicely done. Please let me know when you've completed it so that I may review it, and if accepted, added to the Locations tab on the OOC. Good work thus far.

[/spoiler]

Thanks, this clarifies a bunch of stuff.

Edit:
Umm... No idea what went wrong there.

[Union Princes]

Question, How do you guys feel of a Bank Guild or a Knightly order residing in their fort?

[Zelphos]

Question, How do you guys feel of a Bank Guild or a Knightly order residing in their fort?

By fort are you referring to the capital?

[Union Princes]

no, their own fort, maybe in the mountains

[The Verdantderm Lands]

no, their own fort, maybe in the mountains

Well, I imagine that it would depend on how their loyalty was judged by the Emperor.

Are they a religious-monastic Order?

Do they have some special function?

Why would any Emperor tolerate their presence?

[Pasong Tirad]

Excellent. I vaguely remember trying to apply for this right as it entered inactivity a few years ago. Any room for a peasant in that imperial court?

Gladly. Though be warned, a peasant in an imperial court will not be taken lightly by the more prestigious nobles (which is precisely what makes it interesting).

Then it sounds like a peasant involved in the political life of the Imperial court would make things very interesting! I'll look for the old application I had and resurrect it with some edits.

[Union Princes]

no, their own fort, maybe in the mountains

Well, I imagine that it would depend on how their loyalty was judged by the Emperor.

Are they a religious-monastic Order?

Do they have some special function?

Why would any Emperor tolerate their presence?

They operate like a special border patrol unit with their fort being a gate that guards one of the major trade routes through the mountains. They're armored knights still, just doing patrols around the border

[The Verdantderm Lands]

Just felt like writing. Thought I would do a little set up for the IC....

PROLOGUE:

He was always cheered to receive letters from home, a home that he’d not been allowed to see for the last seven years. It had been brought to his apartments, on a silver tray, by his manservant, Julles. Was ‘manservant’ really the correct term, he sometimes thought, as Julles was only thirteen years of age? Just a year younger than himself. He had a ‘maid’ as well, Effricka, also thirteen, who maybe he ought to call his maiden? If he were to ponder the distinctions overly, it would be proof that he had too much free time on his hands and that he needed to find something more worthwhile to pursue. The was seal on the paper had been broken. In the last seven years, he’d never been given a letter with an intact seal.

He excused Julles. When the boy had gone, he turned his attention to the letter and read:

Dear Son,

As always, it has been painful for your father and I to be parted from you, seeing you only at the times your Uncle, The Emperor, would permit. I would caution you to not make a nuisance of yourself by approaching your Cousin, the new Emperor, with any requests about returning you to Ye-ayn. Yes, perhaps it is a chance to forge a better relationship with the Empire and we might travel wherever and whenever we please, but for now we ought to be respectful of your Uncle’s passing and give your cousin time to assess the political situation for himself.

Your Aunt Talia has agreed to take on a new lady in waiting, from Ye-Ayn. It is the Count of Mêl’s daughter, Siwan. I know it has been years since you have seen her, the last time you met you were both only seven years of age, do you remember her? She has blossomed into a very fair maiden. I hope that the two of you will educate each other, you in telling her about life in the Imperial Capital and she in the goings on of our homeland. Of course, she is your Aunt Talia’s charge and responsibility, however, whenever you are in her presence, I expect you to act as a gentleman and her protector.

Your Loving Mother,
Joyanna

The Count of Mêl’s daughter? Siwan? That was such a long time ago that only the girl’s name was familiar. Wait, he remembered hearing tales about a Count's daughter who was reputed to be an amazing beauty..., was that her? He wondered. Still, his heart soared. It would be a chance to talk with someone from home.

Home. Was it at all like he remembered it? He would have a chance to find out. Prince Dayvith Jakar Fawr looked out his window. His world now seemed a little more hopeful.