The Information Thread

[Andy 60]

Setting

The RPG takes place in the Midland region of the Kingdom of Lyrea, a Human civilisation in a temperate region of the world, six years after the end of a seven year war with the Satyr.

It is a time of relative peace, with the Satyr pushed back to their own barren lands beyond the Far Reaches, where only minor skirmishes take place between the Kingdom and the Satyr.

The benevolent King Haldric has ruled for the past five years from the ancient Human city of Everholde, which lies in a bay on the south coast of the Kingdom about two days south-west of the main town of Midland.

Our story begins in that town, Midholme, on the main road through the region. It is often host to visitors from Winteroak and Northfort Ridge and has a history with the legendary Dragon Riders who fought bravely for the Kingdom during the war.

The titles of Duke, Earl, and Baron are appointed by the King and are not necessarily hereditary. These men have sworn an oath of fealty to the King, and rule and maintain an area of land on his behalf. They also provide military support to the Kingdom in return.

The normal path to Knighthood begins at the early age of 8-10, when they become a Page.

Pages that show promise become a Squire, in the service of a fully fledged Knight, between the ages of 13-15. With a close yet subservient relationship to their Knight, and with intense training they learn quickly.

By the age of 20-22 they should be ready to be Knighted, which requires them to swear an oath of fealty to their lord.

Occasionally, those who have proven their honour and great skill in combat can also be Knighted.

Anything else you'd like to know; please ask!

Races

Dwarfs

Living below ground in the north of the world, Dwarfs are a proud and noble race, well

known for their honour.

Dwarfish society is a collection of wealthy city-states and they remain largely isolated

from the rest of the world inside their breathtaking constructions.

There is a Dwarf High Council, which resides in the ancestral city of Dwarrow.

Stereotypical alignment: Lawful Good

Typical lifespan: 125 years

Humans

A close relative of the Dwarfs, humans have grown to be a major race above ground, with

various Kingdoms spanning great portions of the world.

The majority of the Human civilisations are feudal in nature, ruled by a hereditary

monarch. They do, however, often disagree with each other; often resulting in

wars between each-other.

At some time long ago in history, Humans were organised into one singular nation, which collapsed and fractured as it expanded across the world.

Stereotypical alignment: Neutral Good

Typical lifespan: 80 years

Primal Dragons

NPC only

The Primal Dragons are a race of huge, wise and ancient sentient dragons, living mostly in difficult to reach places, and avoiding interaction with the other races.

They are closely related to the smaller wild dragons, used by the Dragon Riders. Legend tells them that these non-sentient dragons were cursed by their gods, the Dragonlords, for wrongdoings in the far past and therefore do not care what happens to their cousins.

Stereotypical alignment: Lawful Neutral

Typical lifespan: unknown

Elves

Mysterious and often philosophical, the Elves are highly attuned with nature and normally

work with the forests to create their dwellings.

Many Elven settlements lie within the borders of other civilisations, but act as

independents.

Due to their long life, and at-oneness with nature, they often appear to look considerably younger than their years would suggest, compared to Humans.

Stereotypical alignment: True Neutral

Typical lifespan: 200 years

Satyrs

NPC only

The Satyrs are considered to be demons in physical form. Although acting much like Humans

in terms of expanding their civilisations, they differ in that they care little

for who gets in their way and rarely take the path of diplomacy.

They are deeply superstitious race, constructing temples and statues dedicated to their

gods and employing black magic to strengthen their forces and defeat their

foes.

Stereotypical alignment: Lawful Evil

Typical lifespan: 100 years

Orcs

NPC only

Orcs are tribal in nature, although highly disorganised. Most Orc tribes have been driven far from the Human Kingdoms and even the Satyrs despise them.

They are bloodthirsty and vicious, enjoying the sport of killing for killings sake. It is not unheard of for rampaging Orcs to attack totally unprovoked and without warning.

Stereotypical alignment: Chaotic Evil

Typical lifespan: 70 years

Alignments

I am using the Dungeons & Dragons alignment system. You do not have to stick to the default alignment for your particular race if you can explain why they take a different stance in the character profile.

Lawful Good - The "Crusader" alignment.

Usually act of compassion, upholding a strong sense of duty and honour.

This is the stereotypical alignment of Dwarfs.

Neutral Good - The "Benefactor" alignment.

Guided mostly by their own conscience, and their laws often reflect this, as they try to please everyone.

This is the stereotypical alignment of Humans.

Chaotic Good - The "Rebel" alignment.

Placing a high value on personal freedom, they follow their own moral guidelines and despise bureaucracy.

Lawful Neutral - The "Judge" alignment.

Not commiting to following either Good nor Evil, they have a strict moral code often with basis in laws or tradtions.

This is the stereotypical alignment of Primal Dragons.

True Neutral - The "Natural" alignment.

They normally seek to maintain the balance between good and evil, law and chaos.

This is the stereotypical alignment of Elves.

Chaotic Neutral - The "Anarchist" alignment.

Following their own heart, they act mostly out of self-interest. They do not especially like to see people suffer, but normally only fight against evil if it benefits them to do so.

Lawful Evil- The "Dominator" alignment.

W hile they can normally be trusted to be honourable and keep their word, they are tyrannical in enforcing their views and do not tolerate differences in opinion.

This is the stereotypical alignment of Satyrs.

Neutral Evil - The "Malefactor" alignment.

Typically selfish, they are not bound by tradition or honour and have little regard for laws, they have no qualms about killing or betrayal, but are not needlessly violent unless it benefits them.

Chaotic Evil - The "Destroyer" alignment.

Disorganised and selfish, they have no regard for order, and frequently stop at nothing to get what they want.

This is the stereotypical alignment of Orcs.

Classes

More guidelines than rules, these may help you pick a role for your character.

Combat Classes:

Footman/Town Guard - Basic military unit. In war time, they made up the majority of the infantry. During times of peace, they act as town guards.

Knight - Officers and noblemen. They serve in and around the town keep, guarding the interests of the Duke. In times of war, they act as heavy infantry and cavalry.

Archer - Trained in long-range fighting using bows, crossbows, etc. Often stealthy but generally not suitable for prolonged hand-to-hand combat. They have little uses during peace time save as scouts and town guards.

Ranger: Jack-of-all-trades. Trained to survive in the wilderness alone. Exceptional scouts and hunters. Some rangers tame animal companions to assist them (hawks, wolves, etc).

Dragon Rider: These courageous men and women appeared in the skies during the last war. They are tough and most likely insane for wanting to capture, tame and ride dragons into battle. Though they turned the tide of the war, leading to victory, the kingdom had little use for dragon riders afterwards. Those riders who survived were forced to either abandon their dragons or start up travelling flying shows or take on jobs as swift messengers.

Magic Classes:

Sorcerer/Sorceress - Able to tap into the unseen cosmic powers of the arcane magic. Can cast spells using incantations, wands or hand gestures (for the more skilled). Able to create various potions. Some spells include casting damaging arcane bolts, forming magical shields, and teleportation.

Conjurer - An offshoot of the sorcerer, the conjurer can use his or her arcane powers to summon magical creatures to entertain, aid or fight.

Priest - A devout believer in the gods, the priests use their holy magic primarily to heal the body and mind. They also have the ability to combat the forces of darkness through smiting evil-doers and casting out spirits and demons.

Paladin - A mixed-class cross between a knight and a priest. These holy warriors, in times of old, brought the light of the gods to the other races. In times of peace, they protect the church and the priests.

Warlock - Users of shadow and demon magic. Using blood rituals and incantations, a warlock can cast dark spells, curse people and summon demons to fight for them. As dark magic is forbidden in Lyrea, warlocks (and necromancers) are rare and they keep their actions secret.

Necromancer - An offshoot of the warlock, the necromancer can use their dark magic to reanimate the dead and bend them to their will.

Elementalist/Shaman - Able to call upon the elemental forces of nature (earth, air, fire and water) and focus them to their needs. Shamans can call upon such abilities as lightning bolts, walls of fire and healing rains. More powerful practitioners of this magic are able to call upon elemental golems.

Rogue Classes:

Swashbuckler/Pirate - A rambunctious sword-wielding adventurer. They live a carefree existence, taking all that can enjoy from life and rarely giving back. As the town is not near any large bodies of water or major trading rivers, piracy would be a minimum or they would be retired from that occupation.

Spy - A master in subtlety, stealth and subterfuge, the spy can infiltrate enemy forces and garner information. Little use in peace time.

Assassin - Similar to the spy only they kill people without being seen. They are proficient in various poisons and concealed weapons. Little use in peace time.

Treasure-Seeker/Prospector: They have a keen eye for things that are hidden and a strong desire for lost riches. Their desires can often lead them into trouble as they can pursue their goals while paying little attention to danger.

Character Profiles

Additional notes on creating your character:

Your alignment does not have to be the stereotypical alignment for that particular race.

It is worth mentioning that most adventurers are considered to be "Chaotic Neutral".

"Evil" alignments are reserved for NPCs only.

If you need help fleshing out your character with any history of the world, catch me on MSN or PM me.

For now we are limited to two characters each.

Playable races are currently: Human, Dwarf, Elf.

Please post your profiles in the following format:

Name:

Age:

Gender: (male or female, obviously)

Race:

Alignment:

Class:

Occupation: (if different than class)

Weapons:

Background:

Appearance: (either a picture or written description is fine)

Edited November 11, 2008 by Andy

[Andy 60]

Just so we are clear, and apologies for not specifying earlier...

The Path to Knighthood

For those of noble or wealthy families, the normal path to Knighthood begins at the early age of 8-10, when they are sent to a nearby castle to become a page for the lord of the castle and his family and guests.

As a page, the boy would run errands for the lord while also learning manners and etiquette, reading and writing, , as well as skills to prepare him for the duty of serving as squire.

Around the age of 13-15 they were apprenticed to a fully fledged Knight, becoming a squire, and training becomes more combat focused. With a close yet subservient relationship to their Knight, they learn quickly the rules of chivalry and honour.

By the age of 20-22 they should be ready to be Knighted, which requires swearing an oath of fealty to their lord and the Kingdom.

Also, those who have proven their honour, great skill in combat and service to their lord can be granted a Knighthood without having been apprenticed to a Knight.

[Andy 60]

Magic

All living beings have a pool of 'mana', and those who are skilled in magic can use their mana to cast spells.

After an intense period of spellcasting the mana pool may become so depleted that it exhausts the caster, or maybe even incapacitate them.

Mana is restored simply be resting.

Low-level magicians use various instruments and reagents--such as runes, scrolls and wands--to enhance their spellcasting ability, but those with higher skill levels can simply use their mind to cast spells.

Various types of magic exist, most notably White Magic for good spells, and Black Magic for harmful or destructive spells. The term Green Magic is often applied to spells that affect or enhance nature. Also, some magicians can enchant weapons to temporarily enhance their strength; this is often done just before a battle.

Religion

For the people of Lyrea, faith is a personal matter, and the Kingdom does not have an official religion.

Various chapels exist, but are mostly non-denominational; being simply a place of prayer and meditation.

While magic is normally separate from religion, many religious leaders are skilled in healing spells.

Edited November 7, 2008 by Andy