Recently Mephras constructed a giant palace complex called The City of Celestial Harmony, to serve as the monarch’s seat. However in style it is much more akin to an East Asian Versailles or Forbidden City/Summer Palace, albeit on a somewhat grander scale. I have wanted to attempt an RP of court life in my nation for a long time, and several months ago applied to be in a thread by Zinaire (I think) that never got off the ground. Fear of a Court RP basically existing as a party banquet RP that will quickly die off had stopped me in the past, as the premise was something I hoped would have some longevity. Recently, I came up with the idea of a format with posts as diary entries, where the players recap the day’s events through the eyes of their characters. This would prevent the RP from stalling as people stopped posting, while allowing people to continually enter the RP, giving maximum flexibility. Of course, this would limit the direct interaction of characters, but diary entries could reflect the outcomes of dealings between characters. If people really want to do direct RP, it could probably be done, but would need to be agreed upon between the two posters beforehand.
As far as characters and activities, the possibilities are practically endless. Beyond the Empress and her immediate family, who will be RPed by me, all other court figures can be taken up other people. Mephran nobles, diplomats from your nation, artists, philosophers, hangers on, servants, guards, etc, pretty much anyone you can think of who might be part of a royal court can be there. Of course, use some sort of judgment, for example, beggars probably wouldn’t be there. You can play several characters at a time. Activities wise, there are typical noble entertainments such as banquets, polo, poetry, gambling, fencing, hunting, but feel free to do modern things rich people might do. Affairs, intrigue, gossip are also highly encouraged. Again, use some common sense, don’t kill or maim others, don’t openly attack people (well, you could probably openly insult or challenge someone to a duel, but overly aggressive behavior would likely get the character expelled from the City). Basically, try to use some judgment and if you aren’t sure you can ask here. I reserve the right to ignore unreasonable posts and posters.
Finally, a few notes on the Mephran court. As a nation based off of East Asian cultures, particularly China, the buildings are in a generally East Asian style, and are named generally as halls. For example, Hall of the Ebbing Moon, Hall of the Eastern Sea, Hall of the Jade Beaver, etc, feel free to make places up, and they can be funny. Outdoor spaces can be gardens, forests, or courtyards, but you can also leave specific places vague. If you decide to play a Mephran, naming conventions follow a similar rule of adjective+noun, for example, Spring Blossom, Mossy Stone, Billowing Snow, again, humorous is fine. (If you've read English translations of Chinese texts, you might have encountered names like this.) As far as noble rankings go, Prince/Princess> Duke/Duchess> Count/Countess> Baron/Baroness, although as a general rule, Lord and Lady are fine. Mephran nobles will generally wear silk robes and similar things, but this doesn’t need to be a rule. In general, there isn’t a rigid court protocol, so feel free to do things as you wish. If you have any other questions on society or anything feel free to ask.
So, before launching this, I wanted to gauge interest, and see if anyone had questions, foresaw any problems, or had any suggestions. Thanks for reading!
