[FL] Fantasy Lynching Out of Character: Blood alone turns the Wheels of History

[Cracklord]

I welcome ye all, friends and enemies old and new, to this, my latest game.

Character sheets (detail you characters, their persona assets and weaknesses, and their other resources, as well as a picture) and discussion go here. This is for themes, schemes, and dreams. And complaining at me when I'm not doing my job properly, and noting what the other players are stealing off, and other stuff.
You know the way it pans out by now.

Structure of the Game:
For the sake of convenience and clarity, I will put together a map when I have time and inspiration, allowing you all to see where everything is. I will leave out the turn system, that has never worked, but I will try to keep things so nobody is left to far behind.
If you want to play, post a character sheet beneath me. If you're not sure how, wait until somebody who does posts one and reverse engineer. If it's not too stupid/overpowered, I will approve, and toss you a plot hook. However, this is primarily a sandbox game, so be prepared to take charge yourself.

Details of The Game:
At the moment, the land is engaged in a four way struggle for dominance. Da'Hara, headed by Lord Richard Rahl come from the East, wielding powerful magic and with disciplined, effective soldiers all of who are dedicated professionals ready to die for the cause of moral clarity.
In the West is the Empire, a society built on the ruins of Valeria and headed by the immortal King, Galbatorix, who is something more than human. It thrives on control, and persecutes the nonhuman races. While they are seemingly the least warlike of the major kingdoms, in part due to their internal strife, they command the ancient seat of the worlds power, and Galbatorix has shrewdly played his enemies against each other to remain in power, however rarely acts overtly.
The Old World, a barrier between these two powers, has ambitions of conquest and seeks to spread across the known world and bring everything under it's dominant philosophy. It's ruler, Emperor Jagang commands powerful forces and ancient weapons from another time, though many suspect he is not the true ruler, merely a figurehead, and it is by far the largest and most numerous of all the empires, outnumbering the others by a considerable margin.
And the Varden a group made up of angry defectors and melcontents, supported by the old and dying races who have grown less by the spread of man, and seek to topple all these empires and build a single, unified empire atop the entire world, with no distinctions of race or culture. Their leaders are secretive and unknown, as are their power and disposition, but many whisper or suspect they might be the most dangerous force of them all.
Smaller kingdoms, long held in thrall by their larger, stronger neighbors take the opportunity to break away and resolve to be independent again as they were of old. Their rulers crown themselves and declare themselves king or queen, and remember old hatreds.
War stalks the land, and people suffer. The roads are not safe, people starve in the cities, bandits and defectors prowl the countryside taking what they will, the pocked man, bringer of plague has been seen, and famine and the coming of winter threaten starvation. And worse is the stiring of something greater, something old and powerful, that threatens to plunge the world into a new age of despair and darkness from which there will be no escape.
This is a dark age, a bloody age, an age of sword and sorcery, and of high adventure. It is an age of battle and death, of schemes hatched and betrayals plotted, of pain, sacrifice and the worlds ending. Amidst all the fire, flame and fury it is a time, too, of might heroes, of bold deeds and great courage.
Just as well, for in the time ahead, the world needs heroes like never before.

The Wheel

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First Age: Age of Dreams
This is the Age that the Valar walk upon the Earth, Magic is at its greatest, the trees and animals are alive with it, and Morgoth walks the world alongside them, desiring domination. He builds Angbad, breeds dragons that blot out the sky, creates the Moon by ripping away part of the earth, and spreads himself, seeding evil in the hearts of every living creature.
He builds his own race, the valehru, in which he gives a portion of his divine spark, and for a time it seems inevitable that he must conquer all.
The races are reshaped, and we are more then humans as well, we live hundreds of years and are strongest, taller and wiser. The elves come across from Valinor, in several fleets, and Morgoth is defeated and sealed in the void by all the Valar together. But the cost is high, and they diminish themselves in doing it. As a concequnece, they instruct the five remaining Istari to remain in their place and who would teach and guide the peoples of the world. But Shai-tan is only sealed for a short time, and opens up a rip in the North Wastes, in which Chaos makes its way into the world, empowering him and making him more then an equal of all the Valar. However, just when all hope seems lost, Aenarion the Defender, king of the elves after the death of Feanor, rides to do battle to them with the sword that would become Stormbringer and the power of Manwe and the others singing in his veins. Meanwhile Grimnir the Warrior (one of the origonal three dwarves) takes a pair of axes forged by his brother and does the same. They work in concert and all but seal it away, closing the gate and reducing him to exile from the world to the realm of Chaos. Sauron takes over as prime evil.
On Allera, The Slaan rule, and build an advanced civilization of order, at this time the only inhabitants of their land. Harrad is Nerraka, and is the first human civilization, although Gondor is founded a few hundred years later. They are at the height of their power, and advance in ways the other nations would never imitate. In Lothlorien, the Elcrys is planted.
Alagesia is not settled.

Second Age: Age of Might
This is the age of mortals, where we try to mimic the achievements of the legendary figures in the past. Elves set themselves to create wonders as fine as Feanor, dwarves build their underground kingdoms, and what's left of Feanor's army breed with the men of Númenor, and build Melniborne, which rules the world for a short time. Men led by Elendil the Tall and his son, come to Middle Earth next, and settle it.
Venerable Lord Kroak dies.
But Sauron, as it turns out, shows a subtler hand then his erstwhile master. Rather then trying to win through military complex, he clothes himself in a fair form and comes bearing gifts. He teaches the elves of ring lore, and we all know how that went. But work is slow, and in the meantime he hinges on a second plan. Elric, last king of Melniborne and armed with a weapon even Sauron has right to fear meets him, and Sauron surrenders. But Elric is lulled by poisoned words, by both Sauron and his chancellor, Fistandantilus, and foolishly goes to war against west, marching on Valinor itself. The gods, in return, cause the cataclysm in retaliation, throw down a fiery mountain and cut off heaven from the world. Elric, realizing he was betrayed fought Sauron, and while he failed to best him he wounded him dearly, sapping most of his remaining power and forcing him to rely on the ring for material form. In place of Valyria is Vroengard, the dragons are dead, its line extinct but one survivor, Malekith, and even the land from which they came was all but destroyed by the doom.
Meanwhile, in Nerraka, Nagash is born, and, being the man he is, destroys all the nature spirits that live within the nation out of jealousy at their immortality, making the place almost unable to sustain life, then builds his Black Pyramid that actually distorts the flow of magic by spreading the winds of chaos to the other side of the world, such was it’s power, made of obsidian and silver and mortared with the blood of generations. When he is deposed, he becomes a liche, and casts his great spell that eradicates all life in the desserts and raises them as undead. These were the first, the plague of undead would never really vanish. He is killed, and the desserts swallow the remains of the empire, turning cities to ruins and monuments to nothing, leaving only a few, poor survivors without the knowledge to rebuild their cities. Instead, they become nomads, the Harradrim we all know and love.
In Midkemia, Artur Hawkwing's children take a great army and sail West, hoping to find the land of the Gods and learn why they suddenly departed, but never find it. Instead, they find what they call Seachan. They bicker, and form three kingdoms, Khand, Umbar and Seanchan (Easterlings, as those of Numenor called them), who squabble and lose all ties they once possessed.
It is this time that Sauron strikes his coup.
But they are foolish to look for leadership once more, and Nagash's son (with his brother’s wife) accepts a ring from Sauron, and so ties himself and his people to the shadow in the East. As do King Brona of Angmar, The eleventh Tisroc (Empress) of the Seanchan, and six others, who's names are lost to history. And so Sauron gains an army like none could have imagined, even while building his own horde in Mordor.
Now surpassing even his master in terms of influence, he attacks, and only a Last Alliance is able to stop him. But Isuldur, seeing what Sauron had wrought and desiring to unite the world as he did (though for more noble reasons) keeps the enemies ring.
The dwarfgate wars begin, and with the loss of so many dwarven holds the power they once had all but vanishes, the dwarves becoming a doomed, lonely race slipping into the lonely night.

Third Age: Age of Strife
Sauron continues to spread strife, his power diminished, but not destroyed. This age was characterized by the waning of the Elves. men turn darker, and the harrad actually take to worshipping Morgth at the Black Pyramid of Nagash.
The Alorns, first men, led by Malekith and bearing a few dragon eggs scavenged from the ruins of Valyria, settle on the coast of Alagesia, where they build a kingdom, and battle the exiled remnants of Feanor’s army. They win, and force the elves back to the forrests, building cities on the ruins of the elves. They then fight a war with the Others, servants of Morgoth, the coldwraiths, and apon driving them back with courage and fire, as well as dragons, build the wall. They then divide into two distinct kingdoms, and both become Mageocracies. The Hadrac Dessert, once the site of the most verdant grasslands, is engulfed in war between the wizards, and distorts much of the landscape. Magical weapons that threatened reality itself (including The Sword of Truth and the Boxes of Orden), are built, and at last a wall is created to keep the two nations apart. The Easterners settle along the coast, and drive back the savages who lived there already, who would go west and Become the New World, and plot revenge. Then the Targaryens, the last family with Melnibornian blood rise to prominance, begining the House of Rahl.
Sauron is driven from Mirkwood back to Mordor by the White Council, and his master at last regains enough strength to begin to work to free himself. Several scientists looking for a unifying source of power drill through the gap, and, quite by accident, come close to freeing him. With the Valar no longer around to imprison him, mankind must find a savior of it’s own.
The savior is the figure of Lews Therin and his companions (including the Earth king), who builds an army and throws back the Dark One at the cost of his life, breaking the world as he does. At almost the same moment, the Ring is destroyed, and Sauron’s power is broken, but despite being sealed once more, neither are truly dead. Yet. Lews Therin is betrayed by the female channelers, who do not give the help he was promised. As a consequence, the male half is tainted, and Lews Therin is driven mad and kills his love. Just because it seemed cruel, Ishmael cured his madness so he could see what he’d done, only to drive him mad again. But he is hunted down by The White Rose, one of The Dragon's companions, and burried beneath old Father Tree (The Elcrys) where he can do no harm.
In Alera, The Canin arrive, Trollocs of what were once the Order of the Wolf (long, long ago), deprived of their leader (Melidus had no heirs) and kingdom they went elsewhere, roaming the wilds, and eventually their distant descendants who have forgotten they were once human come to the almost empty continent. They wipe out most of the remaining Lizardmen, who had for the most part perished at the breaking, unable or unwilling to abandon their cities even at the cost of their lives. The Canin then start a civilization of their own.
The dark elves, led by Malekith, settle on the shores of the north on a land unable to support them, conquering Umbar and enslaving it's inhabitants. They take to raiding, and Malekith boasted that wherever a man could smell the sea air, they called him king.
The Morporkian Empire sends soldiers under the command of general Tacticus, who make it to Alera but cannot get away. They learn to use furies (they are taught by the Earth King, Erden Geboran) and set about surviving in a terrible world. The Reavers erupt from bellow the surface at the behest of Shai-tan, the Canin see them as intruders and do their best to kill them, as do the Iceman, and the others. Furthermore, the last of the Slaan die, and with no more Slaan, the Vord are released into the world.
Impossibly, the Alerans thrive.
The age comes to a close with the destruction of the ring by Frodo, and the banishment of Sauron. But far from the end of him, he would find a way to reunite with his lost power, and remain a bane in all the world until the end of the wheel.

Fourth Age: Age of Heroes

Fifth age: Age of legends
With the taint from the power cleaned, The Dark One sealed in a way he would not escape 'til the world itself changed again, and the drums of war quieted, progress was made. In Midkemia, Pug the sorcerer begins the first university of magic that exists for no reason but to teach in the place of the two towers, and in time most of the battle magic of old was forgotten. Trade proves more beneficial then war, and real progress is made.
However, this is shattered by the War of the Lance, as Sauron, this time in a female aspect, again attempts to bring dominance to the world. He is thwarted and imprisoned in a temple in Neraka, but not before he passed on some dread secrets to a boy named Raistlin. Raistlin seeks to make himself a god, and steal the power of Sauron, warring with the banished soul of Fistandantilus who had the same idea himself and was possessing him. However Raistlin is able to step beyond his own flaws, and sacrifices his ambition in a selfless act.
The dark Elves and Drow discover each other, and Malus Darkblade leads a crusade that wipes the Drow out. But the cost is such that the Dark Elves lose most of their power, and are now a small nation barely holding on.
Ankh-Morpork becomes one of the worlds greatest nations again, at the forefront of arts, politics and civilization, and global links between the nations makes boundaries ever smaller. While war continued, nations thrived or failed, and men were born, fell in loved and died, what really distinguished this age was progress in engineering and the sciences. The other races fade, dwarves mostly living in human cities, elves returning over the seas and the more warlike races slowly being wiped out.
At the end, the humans had an empire that seemed beyond even that of the age of dreams, had harnessed powers both magical and scientific that seemed beyond comprehension, and seemed on the poise of becoming all powerful. Entire new languages were created to express concepts their ancestors had no words for, machines were built that had functions few could understand, and it seemed nothing could go wrong.
Then a war came, and two nations fought each other in the sky with fire and lightening, and released something that caused the collapse, and end to progress, and a fight for survival.

The Sixth Age: The cataclysm
Little could be produced, but much was still understood. For a while, the world was a strange place, while philosophers pondered esoteric subjects and scientists made themselves immaterial and immortal, barbarian armies clashed with weapons of stone and bronze. While men flew on wings of iron and smoke, others threw rocks. But for all this, evil had not slumbered, and once more saw it’s chance. A figure took control of an empire that showed more promise then most, the kingdom of Granbetan, and gave them a desire to conquer. And conquer they did. The men wore animal masks, and never showed their faces if they could help it. They took all of Midkemia, and began to extend further still, but Dorian Hawkmoon broke the back of their armies, and their empire crumbled. They retreated into the wilds, and slowly their masks became their flesh, until they were men with the faces and mannerisms of animals. Meliadus, Emperor of Granbetan was slain by Hawkmoon, and his men fled, eventually becoming the Canin. Sauron, thwarted again, would wait for a time before his next attempt.
In Middle Earth, Brona, immortal but robbed of his ring, went mad, and thought he himself was Sauron. Building an army of his own he divided the races and kingdoms and thought to take them for his own. However, he failed, and the last heir of Shannara, the only remaining elf house on the shores of this world slays him with the Sword of Truth, at last.
On Alera, The Vord reemerge, and this time resistance is too slow. Alera is consumed, and they attempts to cross, but winter another, greater power, Nagash, arguably the greatest mage ever born, shreds them with dark magic for disturbing his silent rule, and they are no more.
Malekith is killed, and his people are split between his son and his mother. Those that follow Morathi head bellow the surface, where they are enslaved by a dark being, Ungoliant, worship spiders and become the drow. Those that follow his son become the Moredhel, wanderers who attempt to rediscover the ways of their forebears and learn the secrets of Sauron.

Seventh Age
Humanity is lost and without direction when the Valar return once more. The remaining Istari quarrel once more, and the tribes of humanity each fall under a god. It is a time of barbarians and war, a time before empires, in which tiny nations fought and died, and society was a rare thing. It was the days of High Aventure. but it was not to last.
Sauron, in the guise of Torak, scarred and burned due to his fight with Elric, takes the Angarak as his own, and they worship him as they once worshipped Morgoth. Again he is able to dominate Saruman (Now called Zedar, due to a change of tongues and language), and seeral other powerful servants, including Nagash. He plans to take the lands for his own, so builds up his power and that of his people. He recovers Stormbringer, the blade that wounded him in the first place and retains a taste for his blood, and controls it. But Gaborn, Warrior eternal and Dragon reborn, under the guidance of Gandalf (Garath) manages to stall and finally stop the army, and confronts Sauron in his kingdom, after Garath slays nagash for good. The evil spirit however proves not as easily bested as expected, and Gaborn is almost destroyed. And he would have been, but for succeeding in turning the Black Runeblade on it’s master. Sauron was consumed, but it proved too much for even Stormbringer, and both seemed to be destroyed together. In reality, however, the two fused into one being, and come the next age Sauron would be reborn.
But the death of Sauron proved to have dire consequences for the world. While emperor Zakath was glad to be rid of his master, the priesthood searched for a new master, which led them, in time, to the great pyramid of Nagash. Foolishly, they sought it’s secrets, and learned of the bore. Zandramas attempted to open it, and allowed The Dark One into the world once more.

[Corvond]

Gaborn Val Orden, Earth King

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+ The chosen King of the Earth. Soon, every human will die, except for the ones he chooses. Most of those will die as well, and he will feel it happen to each and every one. So he is responsible to decide who is worthy of life and who isn't. It's so hard, his predecessor literally died of a broken heart.
+ All those he has chosen, he can sense if they are in danger and warn the telepathically, allowing him to co-ordinate his chosen with ridiculous efficiency. When choosing, he can read your soul, and decide from your memories and experiences if you are worthy or not.
+ He is more then a man as the chosen of the earth, and is in some ways very different. Some of it is interesting more then useful (for instance, his mere presence makes women more fertile). He is also capable of some degree of Earth magic. Like demolishing walls, and calling up giant world worms. Keep in mind that he's inexperienced at this sort of thing, so doesn't rely on it unless there is no other choice.
+ He has 40 000 forcibles stolen from Raj Ahten. These can be used to take somebody's traits (like, say, strength), remove it from them and add it to yourself. There are huge moral issues with doing this, so Gaborn Val Orden only considers it if he has little choice, but it's common in his world. Raj Ahten for instance has hundreds of thousands and can demolish a castle with his voice.
His endowments are: 2 smell, 2 wit, 2 brawn, 3 stamina, 3 grace, 2 sight, 3 hearing, 5 voice and 2 glamor.
- He needs willing participants to get this traits, and if the vectors (the people he takes the power from) die they cease to work, so they may be very useful, and may be utterly useless. Depends on circumstances.
- He is actually more or less a pacifist, who only fights when his back is up against a wall. Don't make the mistake of thinking this does not make him tough, just because he turns the other cheek doesn't mean he can't beat the hell out of you. He's a good person, who is everything a man should want to be, which makes his terrible burden all the worse.

His army depends. He might have his wife Iome, he might have his bodyguard Boreson and his wife Mystraa, probably his teacher the Earth Warden Binnesman, he might have the knights Equitable and he might have several massive armies. Depends on what the Storyteller says, though he should probably start off with just a few followers. He works better that way.

Tywin Lannister

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+ The premier Lord in the realm. He was hand of the King when he was younger, and was so good at it many people assumed he was the King, even those that knew better cheered more for him then the king.
+ Very, very rich. His house colors are gold, his hair was blond, and the mines of Casterdly Rock are easily the most prosperous. People joke he craps gold (don't say this to his face, he doesn't have a sense of humor. When he does smile, it means 'I've won, and you're dead'), his armor is burnished with it, and he is very smart with it. He can usually buy the will of the people or the support of lords if he needs to.
+ Expert leader and tactician. Not as good as many other people, but far more pragmatic and cold then them, and will do almost anything for victory. Please explain to him why it is more honorable to kill ten thousand men on battle, rather then a hundred defenseless men.
+ His family are some of the most dangerous alive. Jaime is a master swordsman and lancer, Cercei is queen regent (her children are actually born to Jaime, the twins 'love' each other), and Tyrion, a dwarf with a sense of humor and who is very intelligent and cunning. And that's just the start of it. He has some seriously fearsome people working for him.
+ He does not believe in half measures. Particularly with those who cross him. A Lannister always pays its debts.
+ Magnificent bastard. There is a reason why he tended to win. Ruthless, cunning, cruel and controlling.
+ A fair hand with a sword, he's still fit, but as he's in his fifties most of the other characters would beat him easily.
- Despite all this, he's a total bastard. He had his sons marriage to a crofters daughter annulled, then had his soldiers gang rape her to prove a point, for example.

Massive army in red and gold, most of who are conscripts. Well equipped and provisioned, and generally is kept in pieces so as not to over strain supplies. Also has plenty of knights, and his bannermen, lords who owe him allegiance. Has his three children (Jaime, Cercei and Tyrion (who himself has something of a supporting cast)), His brother Kevan, and his most recognizable minions as a supporting cast.

[Gimliggamer]

Why no Westland?

[Cracklord]

There will be one in the map. Don't worry. But there isn't one yet, because there isn't a map yet. That was just to make everyone understand the political situation.

[doliest]

Doliest Lyncher, of the Twilight Lynchers, reporting in, Mi'Lord.
Lord Soth, Kitaria, The Dragon High Army, Etc.

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Legion of Human and Draconian soldiers.
Small but powerful group of undead knights and banshees.
Group of Blue Dragons and Dragon Riders of various ages.
Soth is a Death Knight, with all the powers that entails and is cursed so that this cannot be undone by anything short of Thaksis herself.
Kitiara is a skilled Rider and swordsmen.
Story Place- A mercenary army that has pledged it's service to the 'Varden' after the loss of a war in their own territory. It's unknown what the Blue Dragon Highlady was promised, but the majority of the Varden believe it to be something immense indeed, based on both the power of the forces she contributes and on her clear distaste for the elven members of the Varden. She is never seen outside the company of her Death Knight bodyguard, who radiates an aura of fear that keeps all but the bravest from even approaching her outside of meetings. Whatever her intentions in joining, many of her dragon-men have been spreading their religion around, offering it as comfort that they have a God on their side unlike those 'Godless servants of Rahl or that heathen Galbatorix and that relic Old World.'

Tasslehoff Burfoot

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Kender wander with a skill with both a knife and survival. Known for spinning tall tales that aren't completely false. He carries with him his Kender Staff, with a name rarely used by none-Kender, his magic knife, and several pouches of items no one else would find useful.
Place in the story- He travels with his long time friend, Tanis Half-Elven, wherever said friend may go.

[AnimeKid]

Auron A.K.A Awesome McBadass

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+Grizzled old disgraced monk that most definitly has super strength as evidenced by his fighting of large fiends and Sin all the while swinging his sword like a toy. His sword also has a piercing effect
+is wise and gives great advice often inspiring others.
+Is an Unsent, meaning that he died once, but due to strong emotional attachments to this world he stayed on this plane of existance, This has the side effect of him not being able to be killed. He can be K.Oed though
+Is more resiliant than normal humans
+could be counted as a magic knight due to his spells and status effect attacks.
-has little patience for adults who act childish
-His serous nature tends to irk more laid back people

Lazlo from Suikoden IV

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+Lazlo is the main character from Suikoden IV
+He is the long lost son of the king of Obel Lino En Kuldes though he doesn't know it.
+He is the bearer and Master of the True Rune of Punishment, It used to take a little of his life the more he used it but when he became the master of it his life was no longer drained when he used it.
+He also bears a warrior rune which increases his strength and defense and a lighting rune (The last runes that I had equiped him with in the game)
+He is also an exellent swordsman that uses dual blades
+At the end of the game he is cast into the sea in a boat that acted as a coffin because his comrades thought he was dead, he wakes as he spots a passing ship and waves them down. This could be where he starts.
+Natural born leader
-Is very silent and only speaks when strictly nessecary.

Link, the Hero of Time

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+Master swordsman capable of wielding the legendary Mastersword
+Has a multitude of useful items that he can use
+Reincarnates everytime he dies due to the power of the Triforce of Courage
+Never backs down from anything and faces all enemies with the courage of a thousand men.
+Can possibly call on the aid of his Goron brothers in time of dire need.
+Has his strong horse Epona to ride on
+Has magic that the goddesses blessed him with.
-Has Navi with him, she often says he already knows but repeats it for memorization.
-His existance is plagued by Ganondorf's, as long as one lives so does the other.

[industrious]

I'm going to say that Tamriel isn't on the map; it'll be on the other side of the world. And therefore not affected by its state of affairs directly. My three characters can get called upon by the Daedric Princes(probably Azura) or the Aedra(either Akatosh, given the Champion's relationship with Martin, Ark'ay, given why the Champion is currently missing).

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Mutual Backstory:

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200 years before the events of Oblivion, two Fiends left the Abyssal Planes to take up residence in Tamriel. They named themselves the "Ehothorn family" and established their estate several kilometres from Cheydinhal. The Fiend who would later come to be known as Allecia Ehothorn was essentially the brains of the partnership, where as her companion was the brawn. And though she was obviously submissive to him, she recognized his weaknesses due to his lack of subtlety in his approach.

Eager to gain some manner of control over Tamriel, yet knowing that taking a direct hand in conquering the realms would be suicide, the Ehothorns opted to use a more subtle approach to achieve their ends. They found a young man who could be easily coerced, and they began to train him in the ways of a leader. Their victim was a boy by the name of Cleon, who had been born into a farming family and longed for escape from his menial existence, and the opportunity to make his name in the pages of history. So desperate was he to achieve greatness that he was completely oblivion to the Ehothorns manipulating control over him, as he evolved from a farming boy, into a soldier and steadily progressed through the ranks.

At some point in time his burgeoning abilities and insight as a tactician finally removed the veil from his eyes, allowing him to see precisely how the Ehothorns were controlling him. He refused to listen to their advice any more, and vowed to make his name as a soldier in his own way. Knowing that they couldn't afford to lose him after having invested so much effort, Allecia Ehothorn decided to try a different approach. Without the Fiends knowledge, she created a new name and image for herself -Alleria- and made herself an important figure in Cleon's life, Eventually the two were married, and through subtle manipulation and underhanded subversion she managed to sway Cleon back into the Fiend's thrall.

Finally, with Cleon now ordained a General, the time had come for their march across Tamriel to begin. Cleon led his armies to the city of Armindale and promptly destroyed the city, slaughtering everyone. With the Fiend whispering advice in his ear, he tore apart the city and demonstrated to the realms just how dangerous an enemy he was.

He then continued his march towards Imperial City, eliminating some of the smaller cities and destroying all who opposed him. He was looking very much unstoppable, however his own bad habits soon became his downfall. One night while drinking with his soldiers in celebration of their latest victory he was waylaid by a group of Assassins, forced into a back alley and murdered. His body was then taken to the leaders in Imperial City, who decided on a somewhat radical course of action. So desperate where they to prevent his return to the realm (by resurrection or other means) that they took his body to castle Anvil, and there he was entombed in an unmarked, hidden crypt beneath the Castle Blacksmithy. Those who knew of his precise whereabouts took their own lives and the secret of his tomb stricken from history.

Realising how close they had come to being discovered, the Ehothorns opted to remove themselves from public eye for a time. Knowing that their immortality would draw attention over time, they decided to adopt new names (still remaining underneath the Ehothorn Family banner) and created stories about how their "parents" (former pseudonyms) had died, spreading this story throughout Cheydinhal, and alleviating any concerns regarding the fact that they did not age. Throughout the years up until the Player's discovery of Allecia Ehothorn's true identity, Allecia would continue to use this naming trend in order to maintain a certain level of anonymity.

Regardless of this, rumours still abounded of a Fiend that had taken up residence on the outskirts of Cheydinhal (though few in the town ever indicated that it was the Ehothorns), and eventually the rumours attracted the attention of Edward Pellew - an aspiring Hero who had been blessed (or cursed) with Celestial blood, granting him ridiculously long life, and a certain level of control over Fiends, Demons, and the downright Evil. As a hero, Edward Pellew had been constantly met with failure, and so desperate was he to make a name for himself (and thus live up to his ancestors ascendency) that he swore to eradicate this Fiend and free Cheydinhal forevermore. Travelling with him was Maris, a Bounty Hunter (or Hunter as he called himself) who had become enraptured after seeing Pellew's abilities in action, and had volunteered to serve as Pellew's companion in his quest to rid Tamriel of all fiendish entities. The two of them began tracking down the Fiend's trail, which naturally pointed them in the direction of the Ehothorns. A number of close calls saw the Ehothorns evading Pellew and Maris by the narrowest of margins, and Pellew's desperation increasing to dangerous levels.

In a dream, Allecia Ehothorn prognosticated (prophesised) her companion's demise at the hands of Pellew and the Hunter, and so she delved deep into Tamrielic lore, and knowledge of the occult, searching for a way for him to escape his fate. Finally, she found her answer, and approached the Fiend with her idea. the two of them would begin a process that would transferred the Fiend's soul from his body to some manner of catchment device, and would then transfer that soul into an empty vessel - the body of a child- which would essentially allow the Fiend to live on after death.

Needing a place to complete their work, they opted on the Ruins of Armindale, and constructed a chamber there in which they could begin the process of preparing for the reincarnation. The two of them snuck into an orphanage not far from Imperial City and kidnapped a child of suitable age and appearance whose body would serve as the vessel for the Fiend's pre-incarnation. In order to escape pursuit by the guards, the Ehothorns set fire to the building and left it to the burn to the ground.

Yet while they escaped, their actions did not go unnoticed, drawing the attention of Pellew and Maris (who at this point were struggling to discern where the Ehothorns had been hiding all this time). They followed Allecia and the Fiend back to the Ehothorn Estate, and waited until Allecia left the Estate on an errand. They then burned the building to the ground, killing the Fiend and completely destroying the Estate.

Allecia fled to the Ruins of Armindale where she began the process of transferring the Fiend's soul from the catchment device to it's new vessel - the body of the child. The process of this forced the original soul out of the body, thus killing it and sending it to the Abyss of the Faithless - the realm in which those who have made no patronage to a particular God are sent to live out eternity after death. However, before the process could be completed Maris the Hunter attacked Allecia, breaking his enchanted weapon in the process and destroying the catchment device. Allecia fled with the child, narrowly managing to escape Pellew and the Hunter.

Knowing that she would not be able to run forever and unsure as to whether or not the reincarnation of the Fiend had succeeded, Allecia decided to leave the Child in an Orphanage in Imperial City, branding him with a number of runes (which read "Ehothorn") that would guide the child down the path of his Legacy, should his memory remain in tact.

For a time Allecia roamed the lands of Tamriel, however a conversation with a former Argonian Shadowscale (Ruined-Tail by name) revealed to her the importance of Home. She returned to Cheydinhal, and there she constructed a new Ehothorn Estate, continuing the charade of the "cursed Ehothorn Family", which always resulted in only one family member being alive at any one time. Though she knew that Pellew and Maris may well strike at her, she doubted they would do so while she remained in the open. And without a reason to attack her, she felt safe enough to remain in the Estate. And so it was that she remained there, biding her time and hoping that her Companion's, -the Fiend's- reincarnation would return to her with his memories restored and his desire to remain with her intact.

Soon after this Maris and Pellew parted ways. Maris opted to return to life as a Bounty Hunter -having seen Pellew as being nothing more than an abject failure in light of Allecia's escape, and the devestation that was caused to the Orpahange before they managed to eliminate the Fiend. Where as Pellew continued his hunt for the Child that Allecia had left in Imperial City. He knew the race, the gender, and the Legacy of the Child -which he did not doubt would begin to show itself in time, manifesting as a seemingly unbeatable individual who would doubtless leave his mark on Tamriel-, yet there was no way for him to locate the Child until the Legacy had begun to manifest itself. He devoted himself to discerning all the potential candidates within Imperial City, and removing names from the list as they fell out of contention. During his search, his poverty stricken family (a wife and son) dies of illness due to having no money to pay for treatment. This in turn was due to Pellew having squandered the family fortune in his hunt for the Fiend.

And so the Player's tale began. He defeated Mankar Cameron and Dagon, placed Martin Septim on the Throne and closed shut the gates of Oblivion forevermore. The Player made a name for himself, and demonstrated that he harboured something more than that of an ordinary mortal citizen of Tamriel.

And all the while, Edward Pellew watched closely...

Lady Allecia Ehothorn

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After the Champion returned to her, she has since been redeemed from her evil ways, and seeks redemption for all that she has done.
1. A Demon of low birth but great cunning
2. Skilled in the arts of mortal magic-even while hiding her true potential, was known as a mage of no small renown. Possess the power of prognostication(can see the future. Occasionally).
3. Agelessness
4. A very large array of resources, including gold, connections due to her assumed title, and the staff Apotheosis. Currently the recognized lover of the Champion of Cyrodiil.
5. Master of ritualistic magics based on the soul. However, they require between several hours and several days to prepare, and she has sworn to never use them again. She still knows them, though.

General Cleon, the Butcher of Armindale

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Returned from the dead by the Champion in an attempt to redeem the both of them, he too seeks redemption. The battle to rid himself of his demons has been a difficult one, but his knowledge of his second chance has bolstered his resolve.
1. Military genius-able to see into the minds of his opponents
2. Expert swordsman-wields the fabled swords Goldenbrand and the Ebony Blade. Both were given to him by the Champion.
3. Mithril chain armor
4. Moral certainty-not of what is right, but what is wrong.
5. A rather...infamous reputation. He was killed and his tomb buried so that nobody would ever bring him back, after all. Thankfully, because of this, his face has been since forgotten.

Sir Edward Pellew, Paladin

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He had hunted the Fiend for so long, only to find that in the end, the Champion had rejected him. His family lies in ruins at the wayside of his obsession, yet he alone remains. Seeking to spend his final years in quiet retirement, he cannot help but feel that he will be needed once more.
1. Born of Celestial stock-has resulted in an increased lifespan, and a very good moral compass.
2. Master swordsman
3. Wields the Sword of the Celestial-a magic sword with power over fiends and creatures of darkness. Or at least he did, before he gave it to the Champion. More on this soon.
4. Due to his Celestial blood, can wield Name-Magic; using the power of one's True Name, can banish or slay fiends and the like.
5. Old; somewhere between 70 and 150 years old. He isn't what he used to be. Not by far.

The Champion, aka Sir Not Appearing in This Game:

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He had journeyed into his mind, and rejected the Fiend that had sired him, had refused his Dark Legacy. He had journeyed into the Abyss of the Faithless to bring back one of his Pre-Incarnations great evils, and by doing so, sought to redeem both himself and the Butcher of Armindale. He had turned Allecia from evil to good, knowing that by doing so, he was reassuring himself that he too could be redeemed.

But even though his acts were noble, and his intentions pure, even though he had saved Cyrodiil several times over, he knew it was not enough. He had lived in his body for over 40 years, and would continue to live in it for far longer, thanks to his infernal heritage; he was still in his prime. Yet he was not his body's original owner; that soul had been damned to the Abyss of the Faithless, and then, as he sought to bring that soul into the living world for the first time, the soul had been further dragged into the Infernal Plane to be tortured for all time. The one whose body his Pre-Incarnation had stolen was mistaken for his Fiendish predecessor, and burned in hell while he enjoyed the comforts of the living. And the Champion could not stand to allow that to continue.

Thus, after months of research to obtain ways back into the Infernal Plane, and bidding his companions adieu, he set off to free a man from Hell; not out of love but from self-hatred. And despite the urgings of his companions, his greatest weapon, the Sword of the Celestial, with its power over fiends and demons, remained in their home at Rosethorn Hall. For he knew that it would shine too brightly in the dark.

Rand Al'Thor: The Dragon Reborn

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1. The Dragon Reborn: Prophesied to end the world and save it at the same time. Kings kneel at his feet. He is the Chief of Chiefs of the Aiel.
2. The most powerful channeler alive. Unambiguously.
3. Over 450 years of knowledge from his previous life: he knows practically everything about the One Power. His previous life, was, after all, the former leader of the Aes Sedai.
4. The strongest ta'veren ever. The bizarre is commonplace for him. And he and he alone can actually reverse the Dark One's Taint upon the world in the area around him. Unconsciously.
5. Master swordsman-blademaster. Wields a Power-forged blade.
6. Self-control and self-acceptance. He knows what must be done, and accepts it. Calm and centered-Messiah-like.
7. Callandor; currently the most powerful sa'angreal in existence.
8. Bonded as a Warder to four women.
9. Currently missing his main a gauche(left hand).

[The Shoveler]

Legolas

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+Elvenkind, son of Thranduil, king of the Silvan Elves. Actually a Sinda Elf, though still noble and has a mild air of regality
+Longer lifespan and higher alertness than most humans.
+Can fight in most terrains but is unstoppable in a forest (classic elf)
+Great Archer, can shoot three arrows from his bow at a time and can rapid-fire with pin-point accuracy. Also can slide on shields
+Is highly knowledged in historical data on most living things. This springs from his age (2931, by most counts)
+Can easily ride horses with skill and has knowledge on magic and its workings.
-Is weaker in close range battle. However this doesn't mean he's useless at fighting close range, as seen by his ability to fight next to Gimli in the Battle of Helms-Deep.
-Cannot actively cast magic.
-His home is the wood. It will be difficult for him to seperate from it.
-Is a very good person.

Gimli

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+Close to the royal line of the Longbeards, but not enough to give him a say in anything.
+A beast with the axe, ripping apart enemies with ease. Just like any other Dwarf
+Superhuman strength.
+Combat reflexes and a common knowledge of magic.
+Old, only beaten out by Legolas in the Fellowship of the Ring.
+Representative of the Dwarven Empire.
+Patched together the Dwarf-Elf alliance.
+Good friends with Legolas.
+Armor that could block most blows and a hardy frame to support it. Also the Beard of the Gods!!.
-Stubborn, like a dwarf one might say.
-Will fight to the death for man and country.
-Very weak against magic, prefers tradition anyways...
-Is a good person.

Tanthalas

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+Half-Elven with the best traits from both sides.
+Agile, quick-witted, and good with both the bow&arrow and the sword.
+Can easily navigate the wild.
+A ladies' man.[/joke]
+Very charismatic and a natural leader.
+Possessor of the Wyrmslayer.
-In a love triangle with Kitiara and Laurana.
-Will die to protect his friends.
-Outcast from Human and Elven society due to the nature of his birth (rape is what they believe)
-Has a family and is a generally good person.

I have no idea where any of my characters will start out, so I'll leave that up to the Lord of Crack

[AnimeKid]

How is being a good person a negative?

[The Shoveler]

'Tis the way I view things.

Think of it this way: A good person is more likely to save someone or risk the lives of others in addition to their own to accomplish the goal. This makes for a very dead character in many cases. Evil people have more self-preservation.

A reminder that all of that was generalized. It doesn't apply to everyone.

[doliest]

None of the Empires are good people. Therefore, being a good person is not helpful.
Think about it-
Galabatorix, while running a largely upstanding empire, is some type of Eldritch Creature, or at least a demon.
The Varden, while not inherently bad people, are still largely willing to do whatever is needed, including employing Soth and Kitaria.
Rahl is Rahl. This is a man who has personally mowed down an army of villains who's 'crime' was being pacifists.
The Old World...I'm not too sure, but they aren't good guys.

So yes, being a good person cuts off from allies.

[industrious]

I've got a demon, a man whose claim in the history books is his brutal conquest of Western Cyrodiil and the massacre of every man, woman, and child of a pacifist town, and a Celestial paladin.

Guess which one of them is the best of the bunch? Hint: It isn't the paladin.

[The Shoveler]

None of the Empires are good people. Therefore, being a good person is not helpful.
Think about it-
Galabatorix, while running a largely upstanding empire, is some type of Eldritch Creature, or at least a demon.
The Varden, while not inherently bad people, are still largely willing to do whatever is needed, including employing Soth and Kitaria.
Rahl is Rahl. This is a man who has personally mowed down an army of villains who's 'crime' was being pacifists.
The Old World...I'm not too sure, but they aren't good guys.

So yes, being a good person cuts off from allies.

That too. Now my random "spur of the moment" placing of GOOD as a negative wasn't completely unrelated to the game and totally didn't spur from my Angel Food Cake spurred hysteria. :shiftyeyes:

EDIT: I'm going with Demon.

[industrious]

Wrong answer. A cookie to whomever gets it right!

[doliest]

None of them. Duh. And a cookie to anyone who can help me undo the brain damage I obtained from watching the Highlander Animated Series while looking for a character. I...I just...Wow. And I thought Highlander 2 was bad.

[AnimeKid]

So does this mean that the majority of the characters in this game are going to be either evil, or jerkasses?

[doliest]

Not necessarily, but most of the people with an army behind them likely will be. Again, I refer you to the my explanation of the four major players.

[industrious]

None of them. Duh. And a cookie to anyone who can help me undo the brain damage I obtained from watching the Highlander Animated Series while looking for a character. I...I just...Wow. And I thought Highlander 2 was bad.

Wrong! Or right. Either one. I was going for "all of them." The demon is attempting to make reparations for her acts, likewise the general, though he was manipulated since he was born to be their instrument, so he's somewhat off the hook, and the paladin was obsessed with killing the demon for over one hundred years, and ended up abandoning his dying wife and children in his mad quest to slay them both.

[darkblade]

None of them. Duh. And a cookie to anyone who can help me undo the brain damage I obtained from watching the Highlander Animated Series while looking for a character. I...I just...Wow. And I thought Highlander 2 was bad.

Watch Spoony's reviews of all the bad Highlander sequels.

[doliest]

I do....but nothing quite prepares you for the animated series. I'd argue the only worse Highlander item is The Source....which I own.
.
..
Excuse me, I think I'm about to slip into a bad-movie-coma. Do not revive me.

[darkblade]

Time to post my contributions to this game.

Just a simple merchant, and his dying Pagan Wolf Goddess girlfriend.



Craft Lawarance

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+ Skilled Merchant, knowledgeable in most tradeable goods and markets with contacts in every major city.
+ Member of the Merchant Guild, able to petition them to his aid in the event of legal trouble within most kingdoms.
+ Skilled with his fist and a knife in the events that he gets into a fight.
- Will not take a human life.
- Scared of wolves.
- Only a normal human being no supernatural powers to help him survive the almost certain trouble that will befall him in this game.

Holo the Wise Wolf

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+ A Pagan Wolf Goddess
+ Able to transform into her giant wolf form when offered a sacrifice of blood or wheat. (Note she can take these sacrifices by force if needed)
+ Super strong and fast in her wolf form.
+ Super human senses of hearing and smell regardless of form
+ Centuries of accumlated knowledge of the world.
+ Comands dominace over wolves and other wild dogs and invokes fear in domesticated animals
- She is dying due to lack of worship Holo only surives via inhabiting the last batch of wheat grown by her former worshipers that she wears in a leather pouch around her neck. If anything happens to that wheat she will cease to exist.
- Is hunted by the various churches for being a rival deity.
- Has distinctive wolf ears and a tail even in her human form that she often has to hide in a cloak.
- Is addicted to apples, to the point of losing focus in combat if apples are present.
- Lacks non canine teeth, often chocks on stupid potatos.
- Her human form body is only physically sixteen years old and rather fragile.

I should probably work out what good they are carrying before the game actually starts.

[industrious]

You could always pull a Willy Loman on his goods.

[Cracklord]

Rahl is Rahl. This is a man who has personally mowed down an army of villains who's 'crime' was being pacifists.
The Old World...I'm not too sure, but they aren't good guys.

So yes, being a good person cuts off from allies.

Not to mention kicking a ten year old girls face in. In the first book. And felt good about it. And was praised for it.

The Old World villains are such strawmen he seems a good guy by comparrison. They have to be. Jagang rapes or tortures someone in every single appearence he makes.
Which is all the better, as he's so unrealistic that you can't take him seriously as a character, so Richard only seems all the worse.

Also, the best summary of Harry Potter is 'Every book could have reached a better resolution if Harry just sat on his ass and did nothing!'
Unfortunately, it's true.

So does this mean that the majority of the characters in this game are going to be either evil, or jerkasses?

Yeah, I suppose it does. Also, post Link a character sheet anyway, alright?

[industrious]

Also, the best summary of Harry Potter is 'Every book could have reached a better resolution if Harry just sat on his ass and did nothing!'
Unfortunately, it's true.

Not really. Chamber of Secrets, and the last 2 books. As for the others...yeah. Especially the tri-wizard tournament. If it was me, I'd just stand there. And do nothing.

EDIT: Tamriel as a separate continent that isn't politically involved is fine, right? Because after Oblivion, that continent has it's own problems; the line of their emperor, who was actually chosen by the gods to rule, has been destroyed, their provinces are beginning to rebel, and the acting governing body has its hands full with domestic affairs.

[Cracklord]

The Midlands is made up of a loose confideration of kingdoms, all of whom are more or less independent. Until Richard starts conquering them 'for their own protection'.
Past them is the Border States, which are even more independent and chaotic, with small kingdoms appearing and being swallowed up more or less over night.
If neither of them suit you (and they would make it easier to get you involved) then yes, sepperate continent.

[industrious]

Since the Tamrielic Empire is a) really really old and b) quite massive, with 9 provinces other than Cyrodiil. Remove either of those and a lot of my characters' backstory gets invalidated. So we'll have to go with the Seperate Continent theory.

Though quests via the Daedra/Aedra aren't too unheard of. Having Azura appear before them and tell them to go on a ship to the Other Continent would be easily possible. And since Cleon and Allecia are probably praying for the Champion's safe return, it would be quite in character for them to accept. As for Pellew...he's a Paladin and of diluted Celestial blood. He knows about duty. Though he'd probably need an Aedra to convince him; Daedra worship is...frowned upon. Not considered wrong, per se, but not the norm.

Map:

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They're currently in the island in the middle(Imperial City). They can then take a ship from Anvil(Westmost port in Cyrodiil) to the continent.

[Cracklord]

That's a 'if you want, though we could just as easily do it here.'

The Midlands is big enough for Goodkind to pull a different race of people with a totally different way of acting whenever the plot demands whenever he wants. There are plenty of huge kingdoms that we can replace with yours. Afterall, there are nearly a hundred countries there, many of which are pretty big. And it can easily be ancient, they all seem to have left over artifacts and kingdoms established during the wizard war three thousand years ago. And they don't even intefere with each other.
It also puts you right between the four powers, and will force you to make tough decissions.

But if you'd rather not, then yes, it's a sepperate continent. So why would you be sent over? To make an alliance or what?

[industrious]

Problem is it wouldn't make me make tough decisions. I'm not playing the most important hero of Tamriel(The Champion). I've put him on a bus(because playing the main character of an RPG is too generic). Of the three characters, I'm playing the wife of the Champion, a man who is thought to be long dead and was buried specifically so he would NEVER return, and a paladin so old that most people know him only as a children's tale. None of them would have much input in decisions of the state.

EDIT: They'd be sent over because Allecia, while praying for the Champion's safe return from Hell, would get a vision from Azura/Akatosh/Ar'kay telling her that the Champion would receive their blessing if they helped with the affairs of some other country. And because Cleon and Allecia are still both seeking redemption for their past crimes. And Pellew would be there to make sure they aren't going to slip back into past habits, and because somebody has to wield the Sword of the Celestial. Can't be the Fiend, and the general isn't comfortable with being the agent of a higher power.

[Cracklord]

Alright, we can work that in. Satisfied.

I don't suppose you'll be willing to play Rand as well? I know it's a lot of work, but I need someone to.

[industrious]

Playing Rand would be...difficult. He's far too tied to Randland, in my opinion.

I could, however, play Mat, since he's off on his quest to free Moiraine from the Aelfinn and Eelfinn. If you insist on me playing Rand, though...I don't know if I could do him justice. I could try, but Mat seems a far easier character to be. Far less bound by prophecy, for one thing.