IC: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=475968
This OP, and many of the ideas that went into this RP would never have been made without the help of my amazing friend Tomia, this RP is as much his baby as it is mine.
Nobody truly knows the cost of the crown. Kings and queens are not to be envied. Ask them, they'll tell you.
Imagine being a king or queen. Or even an emperor or empress, most people have dreamt of it some time during their lives. The power, the prestige, the glamour. Everyone bowing down to you, worshiping you and attending to your every need. Being adored, most people would kill for such a lifestyle.
But most people don't see the dark side of rulership. It's not all being rich and glitz and glamour. It's also an enormous responsibility. Being responsible for an entire nation and their well-being, trying to balance governing thousands or even millions of people, making sure your people are okay, your kingdom does well, making alliances and maybe even waging war. It all falls on your shoulders. And if it's a hit or miss, the consequences fall onto you and your people. It's not just about you anymore, it's about your kingdom. Every decision you make is for that. You BECOME the state, you are barely your own person anymore. Running a kingdom is sacrifice. Oh, and that's NOT counting the threat of rebellion, fake friends and unscrupulous nobles either trying to take your throne for themselves, wanting to use you for your own ends, and the numerous plots and attempts at trying to kill you. Living in fear constantly for yourself and your family. A royal court is a lion's den, you have to survive or get eaten. There is no in-between. Now, imagine dealing with all of that at sixteen years old.
To better understand this perilous form of existence, one must know the land upon which these conflicts are built. On the continent of Paralia in the year 210 of third Red Era, there exist four dominant kingdoms.
In the West sits the kingdom of Marseille, an ancient and proud kingdom that traces itself back to an empire that once spanned the entire continent. Marseille is a proud and cultural place where though they value tradition hold often progressive and experimental values. It is a place that combines spirituality and cultural costumes with lavish markets and expensive parties. Marseille has historically engaged in combat when it has needed to, but it is far more known for its history of skillful diplomacy and negotiations to build its empire.
The Eastern lands meanwhile are predominantly ruled by tribal Sturian people. Their land is fairly mountainous and divided and so while many tribes are nomadic and fairly mobile, the tribes are often isolated from each other. Though each tribe has their own cultural and history they are ruled by the Stra, the supreme chief of the tribes. The Stra is chosen through tribal council where each tribe presents a champion for the council of elders to chose from. While many assume that those who live in tribes are barbaric and backwards, the Sturian are rather civilized people. Though they appropriate the sport of combat they are far from blood thirsty and often fuel their economy through mining and trade caravans rather than warring and pillaging.
Meanwhile the Northern Termainian kingdom shares similarities to the Sturians but oddly only half of it. Termain is divided into two provinces that are radically different in culture. The southern province of Orias is a highly urban and coastal place with a heavy emphasis on trade and seafaring. Meanwhile the northern province of Tor is made up of more rural territory, and its cities are smaller and ruled by local lords referred to as Jarls. Tor provides most of the nation's military, when a Torian king sits on the throne it likely means the country is preparing for war.
Finally the south is a lightly populated but vast desert territory controlled mostly by the princedom of Jorik. Little is commonly known about Jorik, because it is mostly isolated from the outside world expect for the occasional war or Jorik traders arriving in foreign cities. It is seen as a mystical place, that is most famous for their feared assassins and impressive fighting styles that emphasize stealth and quickness. Jorik's traditions often class with the other great powers, which can make diplomatic meeting slightly awkward.
Beyond the kings and queens that rule over the continent, magic is a force that rules there as well. Mages play a powerful role in Paralia. Each country employs many mages in the forms of court wizards and witches, as well as forming guilds or magical orders to strengthen and control their magical powers. However many are suspicious of the power of magic and would love a political incident or catastrophe to blame on magical kind.
In Paralia magic is in many ways deeply tied to religion. The dominant religion on the continent is known as the Order of the Colors, often times referred to as the Harmony by its followers. The Order preaches that four gods and goddess rule over the realm of mortals and they are represented by the colors red, blue, yellow, and green. This informs the way the calendar is written, as the order views history as separated by eras, each era dominated by the influence of a particular god. Red is the God Forsen, a war god who represents justice and order. For Forsen war is not chaotic and cruel, but rather necessary and just. Red eras are seen as times of turmoil and sacrifice but often end in great triumph and change. Blue represents Osat, the Goddess of water and tranquility. Blue eras are peaceful and are told to predict economic and political prosperity but also sometimes stagnation. Next is Gorin, the god of green. Gorin is the natural god, his realm deals with natural concepts such as growth, life, and even death. Green eras foretell bountiful harvests and thriving ecosystems but also warn of ending of good times but promise the beginning of them as well. Finally the yellow era is the embodiment of Ausa the Goddess of love and emotion. Yellow eras tend to bring chaos and instability in political and daily life. Ausa is said to spur passion and rash behavior to those who live during her era.
This age is said by many to be a rare phenomenon known as an Orange Era or a Sunset Era...an era of great emotional and political upheaval caused by the turmoil of the winding down Red Era. Signaling both growth and sacrifice, emotional and political development. The instability and chaos with the potential to lead to something great or something horrid...almost like a phoenix having the potential to rise from the flame and ashes. And this is the time in which teenagers are ruling half the continent.
In this, you will be playing one of these young monarchs, you are in charge of an entire country now. Or perhaps you’re an advisor to the young leader. A noble trying to take the throne for themselves for good or bad? Or even a court mage or a merchant, it’s up to you. Whatever your ambition, it will shape and change the course of Paralian history forever.
But before such a tumultuous era began, there was a quiet era of peace. The main kingdoms lived mostly in harmony and were great allies to each other, after they banded together to stop the last Holy War, they were allies and worked together to make the continent a safe place. Long ago, the land had been ravaged by war between three feuding factions...the Order of the Silver Cross, a band of renegade knights devoted to their goddess almost fanatically. The anarchists who wanted to get rid of governments altogether
What will you choose, Your Grace? To help your people or oppress them, to guide them to prosperity or to enrich only yourself? Will you lead your country into a golden age or into absolute ruin? So many decisions, and that isn’t counting your arithmetic lessons.
POPULATION GUIDELINES: Since we have radically different populations cropping up all over the place, a wise player suggested to me that I put up a guideline about what populations would be good depending on size and power, so here we go:
Minor Kingdoms: 500,000- 1 million
Major Kingdoms: 1 million-5 million
Great Powers: 5 million- 20 million
Empires: 20 million to 25 million
