Nations & States 3.0: Valhallian Skies

[Dante]

[SIZE="4"]Nations & States 3.0: Valhallian Skies[/SIZE]

EDIT: GM and CO-GM will be me (Pascal) and JM (Jaden Mental)

Introduction

Long ago, the ancient ones spoke of a home of rest for the worthy souls of this world in an age beyond Ragnarok. It was a land held still by the rule of kings and the ambitions of dukes, of undiscovered groves and mysterious mountains, where the earth was claimed under the auspices of many banners, a world medieval. There are many myths about this ancient and magical place, but few as vibrant as the story that we shall play out here. Little did the actors know though, how great the stage was upon which they would soon be called upon to perform. Whether this world would be ruled by blood and iron or by wise council and warm friendship, that fate would be theirs to decide beneath those glorious skies, the skies of Valhalla.

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YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO JOIN! ^_^

Welcome my dear friends and generous patrons, welcome to the stage of another world of Nations & States! We have a special prize for our play tonight, a world stuck forever in a land of knights and damsels, of evil princes and wise kings performed for your pleasure by the greatest crew of RP players to grace our presence. YOU! So will you break out your cloak and slither through the shadows of the night? Or break out your sword to declare freedom to the world, only to trip on a full chamber pot? Unleash your characters upon this world and we shall soon see.

So then, please drop in a character sheet into this wonderful RP and do read the rules and regulations before you are burned at the stake for being a witch for accidentally wearing a digital wrist watch.

The standard form is this for characters (and you can have more then one)

Name:
Age:
Gender:
Trade:
Physical Description:
Emotional Description:
History:

(Optional Things)
Picture:
Quotes:

And for kingdoms (Only one of these per player)

Name:
Ruling Family:
Population:
Cultural Description:
History:
Allies:

(Optional)
Picture:
Primary Exports:

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Rules... boring rules and regulations

A few points of notation however, so that all may enjoy the sandbox of our dreams.

1) This world as noted, takes place exclusively in the medieval era, so our characters are a bit short of guns, lasers and the age of enlightenment altogether. Keep that in mind while you engage in role-play. If you want to advance your mind into the world of high tech gizmos or advanced research in weaponry, I'd suggest N&S 1.0, which has been rather dead lately and could use some really cool space ships.

2) While taking over the world can be fun, it also ends up leaving very lonely role-players. We don't want anyone to be lonely, so we're including some in game mechanics that will make this rather difficult. First, unlike N&S 2.0 or the original, the GMs will not be keeping track of a “world map”, if you wish to do that yourself, that is up to your nation. However, if you push it too far the rowdy fellows in the cities you occupy (or another kingdom that begs to differ) might put you out on your behinds. On top of all of this, the RP is always filled with “wild lands” regions that any role-player at any time can start a kingdom within (After all, there is so much to be explored in this world). Culture and distance are also limiting factors. If a player you defeated a thousand miles away launches a revolt, it will be months before you can get an army down there to try and quell it (and it will take a long time for you to hear about it, especially if they silence anyone heading your way).

3) Then there are general things of good RP etiquette. Do not role-play the actions of another nation or it's citizens – it's just bad style. Nor should any nation create mega-armies to roam around and beat up other players – they'll run out of food and starve to death.

4) No role-play should include any form of meta-gaming nor should actions in character be taken on account of OOC (out of character) relationships. Every role-player should be considered at least a likely friend of yours on the net. These are people with like interests to you and so even though your style or characters may clash you should still be able to look past that as a player.

5) Try to limit your inner munchkin – that is, limit your powers and momento mori.

6) Role-players who are absent from the game for twenty days will have their kingdoms taken over by unruly dukes and drunken peasants. The fools believe themselves a better ruler of their kingdom then you my sire, you may wipe them out and display them in the stocks or put them to death upon your gracious return from a well deserved holiday I suppose, but if one so powerful as a player takes control or another places your city as a protectorate... it might take a bit more diplomacy to get back on the throne.

7) Also, no one should attack another nation while said player is going to be away. In fact, to limit confusion it is recommended that you put a nation lock notification and the time you will be gone for in this thread. That way others can know you're on vacation and act accordingly.

8) Finally GMs will be taking a hands off approach to this RP. That is, we will try not to interfere and just play along as much as possible. That means that most of the decision making is in the hands of the players. If possible before doing any major role-play, please discuss the matter out with those whom you are playing with, especially a war (try to determine even who will win before hand – and don't be ashamed to lose, role-playing is not a competitive game, both sides of the battle are simply trying to make a good story). Also, it's generally bad etiquette to kill off another players named characters without first discussing it with them (they had so many plans for dear barthelomew!) so try to discuss that as well.

Those are our decrees. All those who fail to follow them will be punished with hail and rabid undead chipmunks from the sky!

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Conclusions conclusions...

So then we now pronounce the acceptance of a few brave ladies and fellows to take up their roles within this world! Come one, come all! Join now, for once the magic mystery show begins, you never know where it will end up!

[Jingo Jaden]

For great justice!

Name: Godfrey D'Lancer Sergius.

Nickname: Lancer

Age: 37

Gender: Male

Trade: Duke

Physical Description: Tall, but fairly thin. Has short, brown hair, his skin got a fair amount of complexion. Got pale, gray eyes, has a fairly dark voice. He prefers armor to regular clothing. About 6,1 in height.
Emotional Description: Cold and cunning. His rise to dukedom was largely related to being a mercenary captain and not of royal blood. He priorities merit above blood, but loyalty before opportunity. Although he has a reputation for some notorious actions used to tip the favors too his end, he has also been known to be a fair trader, a trustworthy ally and someone who has promoted art in many forms. He has a fair amount of pride so to speak which is clearly reflected by his temper.

History: Grew up as a mercenary squire hired by a rather greedy duke who wanted to annex neighboring lands to fund the construction of several palaces. Fought in a few battles and earned his spurs, but as the knight he was supporting died in a charge he rushed too his horse and took the mantle as a knight in order to help tip the scales of the battle. This proved to aid the battle, but nearly got him killed as he was accused of taking measures that were above his rank. He had however secured the gratitude from the ever more powerful duke and was promoted as a mercenary captain. His band started doing most of the dirty work of the nobles, and so he established himself several ties to ever more influential people. He was known for turning farmers into seasoned warriors and doing much with little resources. In terms of alliance, he was trustworthy, yet cautious. However, he once had his payment betrayed by a Lord who he had made several successful raid-campaigns for. His retaliation became the subject of legend and one arch-duke saw him as a potential threat to chivalry and nearly sent an army after him, but was later persuaded to grant him the land he had invaded and to safeguard it as it was close to hostile territory. As a duke not of noble blood he has made a quick impact with some friends and some enemies, but his ambition is unquestionable.

Dukedom

Name: The Helstad Dukedom.

Ruling Family: Sergius

Population: 8200

Cultural Description: Although the lands have been ravaged by war for ages, it has fertile lands, several towns and most notably a large castle. The population is nearly exclusively human, but most are mercenaries who have for the time being retired from war. It has been a middle ground for conflicting lords, but now it has a stable border with both friends and enemies being near. It's ruler is well known and liked by it's population. The citizens take pride in the wealth they accumulate at the end of the year and the duke finds that he has many favors he can cash in on. However, seeing that he has both aided and fought against many of the lords nearby, he also finds himself forced to be cautious.

The population has a high amount of adept bowmen.

History: Has been the common war ground between several lords and dukes. Whoever secured a foothold in this region was likely the ruler that was going to mount an offensive. Only now has it achieved some level of peace. Peace, but no alliances.

Allies: None.

Primary Exports: Food, art and stained glass.

[USSRGirl]

[Peanut]

Since I literally leave for Israel in a week, I cannot commit to this yet. Though, if its still running when I get back, I will join and bring much ownage with me.

[Dante]

OOC: First, allow me to introduce my kingdom. Oh, and TEMULIN, YOU LIVE! HUZZAH! Also Peanut, I realize your heading out in a week (I'm actually having spring break in about a week), but we would love to have you as soon as you get back!

Name: Kingdom Of Silverwood

Ruling Family: Oneir Family (King Morpheus Oneir)

Population: 9,700

Cultural Description: Nestled among the forest blanketed valleys and streams of Northern Valhalla, just west of the great mountain chains that rim the northeastern coast, the Kingdom of Silverwood is filled with a folk with both nature and adventure close to their hearts. Protected by the shadow of “The Spirits” of rock and wood, most citizens lend their time to cozy cottages scattered about with few connecting trails in between. The main exception, is a main stretch similar to a small town that leads up to the castle of the ruling family. Generally this is what most merchants and other travelers see of Silverwood as they pass through en route to other destinations.

The ruling family itself shares it's quarters as an extension of a locale monastery whose monks are a common sight in the town market. However, both spiritually and ethnically the region display a diverse population, many of whom cling to old ways mixed in with the official “kingdom faith”. This portrays itself most during the town harvest and winter festivals that are rowdy and full of color and good cheer (And being a member of a particular faith seems to exclude no one from taking part in the free meals). The region owes it's fertile soil to mountain streams that continuously replenish local ground nutrients. However, the winters in the north-land are unbearably harsh and spring flooding is not uncommon either. This lends to the regions particularly small population somewhat, but a more prevalent reason is the loss of citizens who fly off to distant lands in search of adventure never to return.

Even still, the people of this land are warm and friendly to new-found adventurers and a meal and good drink can be easily gained for a song or a story in times of plenty. Typical dress is warm during the winter and cool and light during the summer, with a mixture of items and articles of clothing of spiritual importance not uncommon among the people both young and old. While typically un-warlike (and notoriously unorganized) the individuals of this kingdom are prone to a sense of adventure or the passions of their heart and some families have even been known to have two brothers join forces with opposing sides of two warring kingdoms. Their typically innocent lifestyle however makes them better lovers then fighters. Even still, they make deep friendships and far greater loyalties to those they cherish then any banner or flag.

History: Early tribes of people formed in this land after taking refuge from the wars that ravaged Valhalla during a previous particularly violent age. Their many origins lead to a remarkably diverse population, which brought knowledge and practices from a variety of different cultures (which was much needed to survive in this complex environment). While several attempts had been made in the past to form a larger kingdom in the area, they all met with failure on account of the very thing that gave them strength, diversity. In particular, each regional ethnicity thought itself privileged by blood or divinity and brought internal strife to the region again and again. On top of it all, the need for clean water meant that centralizing the city would require a water source, which enjoyed flooding to the delight of death itself, sweeping away the lives of hundreds in a single blow.

So by repeated exposure to devastating consequences, nature bred herself a breed of social creature distasteful to dense cities but enamored to the forests and streams and close interpersonal bonds and few national ones. Consequently, the people of this land learned to live without much of the architecture and workings common in other locations. A few small stone walls or ancient architecture are seen here and there, but all are over-grown with moss and shrubbery, testimony to the failures of previous rulers. Some of these however, cannot be explained by old civilizations, and are thought to herald from an ancient great mining kingdom that lived in these mountains before Silverwood ever existed.

The Wolfe and Oneir families represent the most recent and successful ruling parties of this land, the Archduke of Wolfe representing the families who live higher up among the eastern mountains in small enclaves have the strong support of roughly 2200 members of the kingdom, while King Morpheus Oneir represents most of the inhabitants of the western forests and hills. While the Wolfe supporters are fewer in number, they are harder people with greater unification then the “west kingdom”. They also control a rather extensive mining system within these mountains and consequently most of the national wealth and armory. That is to say, without a doubt the Wolfes could easily control all of Silverwood and have done so several times in the past.

All the same, this is not how things currently are. Instead, it is the Oneirs that occupy the title of royal family through the most odd of means, amour. That is another way of saying that the Oneirs are even more well know for their infamous love escapades then they are for their royalty. And their “interests” apparently know no understanding of ethnicity or status; leading to some rather “interesting” scandals throughout the families history. In fact, it is rather rare for any single family within all of Silverwood NOT to have some son, daughter or close relative whose fallen in love or entered into marriage with a member of the Oneir family as a wife or husband – and in the past, more affluent (or brash) Oneir men have taken on several.

Even many members of the Wolfe family have mothers or grandmothers whose maiden name is, unsurprisingly, Oneir. In fact, it is in part to this that the current king, Morpheus Oneir, holds his position; it is his sister of all people who wrapped Archduke Drakemann Wolfe around her finger and married him when he was a young man before anyone else could even approach him. Yet it is this same interest in the opposite sex that has also gained them an interesting position among the people, as almost any culture is almost assured to find a member of their ethnicity within the Oneir Family tree and that provides them a certain sense of pride in this family (despite original protesting at the marriage, I'm sure). As a result, the Oneir's have a special place within the hearts of the people of Silverwood and allow the region to live free of much strife and conflict that would normally have arisen due to ethnic origins.

Even still, it is not King Oneir who has most of the political power, for Archduke Drakemann Wolfe instead controls most of the strings and occurrence within Silverwood, as we would expect, using the King Oneir as a voice-box to acquire the people's agreement. This is well known, but the rare occurrence of the Oneirs bloodline makes them an indispensable component for the Wolfes, while most Oneirs are more interested in parties and women then ruling anyways. The consequence is that the Wolfe family enjoys an impressive mountain castle high among the cliffs overlooking Valhalla, while the royal family shares a midsized manor with monks as a monastery – which has proven equally as difficult on the monks and their stoic lifestyles as it has on the Oneirs who desire a more outlandish lifestyle.

In the current history, things have become surprisingly difficult for the family once again however, as young Prince Aviv Oneir has run off leaving his royal life behind for the common desire of adventure and thrill found so often among young people of this land (and particularly among this family). King Oneir's wife had the boy late in life and so the King has no other children to whom he can will the Kingdom. Because of the weakness seen in other alternatives, the crown would most likely be taken then by none other then Archduke Drakemann Wolfe which could lead to a most difficult circumstance. All the same, the court has decided not to make such matters public for fear that outsiders might view the boy as a pawn for exchange, which would clearly be out of the question to Archduke Wolfe anyways.

Allies: None

Primary Exports: Iron ore, Lumber at higher altitudes and Local Crafts

[Dante]

OOC: Now for some primary (named) characters to play with!

Name: King Morpheus Oneir

Age: 53

Gender: Male

Trade: He's a King!

Physical Description: A pleasantly broad man with a belly laugh as wide as his smile and a royal cloak as warm as his heart. His body is a map of Valhalla itself and borrows from ethnicities from almost every tribe and kingdom. His bright green eyes enchanted the girl of his dreams in youth and enchant wisdom now in his older age. He has a gray hair upon which rests a wooden crown of a sacred Oak lined with blessed blue and green jewels from the eastern kingdom. Beneath a great nose fans an even greater beard and he lines his clothing with leather, the fur of bears and wreath of leaves.

Emotional Description: A jolly and light-hearted character, King Oneir lives up to the family name, with a love of parties , wine and dancing. This seems obvious to any within Silverwood, you can hear his festivities almost every few nights as they echo through the trees in the whole forest. He's quick to brash and wild ends and fancies himself to live for all time. His large frame holds as big a set of lungs as it does a heart and when he speaks, he bellows with charisma and sincerity. His only sorrows are that he could not drink more beer and had more children with his dear wife to cherish and love. All the same, he views his son's disappearance as a natural part of a boy's life and even says he wishes he'd tried it himself – much to the disgruntlement of Archduke Drakemann. He secretly keeps tabs on Prince Oneir once in a while through family ties (and you thought the Oneirs limited their shenanigans to Silverwood?), but even he can't watch where the boy is all the time and recently lost all sense of him, to his slight concern.

History: (OOC: All we know of King Oneir comes from what he tells us and... nobody argues because he's the King)

King Oneir once told the story of his life to audience of his people in a night of drunken revelry around a great bonfire deep within the woods. The rendition of the story as told has been retold throughout the land and the old and senile will likely say that it not only happened, but that they were there doing it with him!

His earliest memories started young at the age of 3, when he killed a bear with a knife and his hands and proceeded to skin it to use later for his cloak. By eight years old he had grown a full chest of hair (not impossible because of some neko-jin family genetics) and could lift an entire cart of goods uphill, in snow to the market when it's wheel broke... both ways. He left home in the same year and lived off fruits and berries in the wilderness for a month before returning home. Then, at the age of ten, he ascended to the thrown after demanding that his father, King Deedle Oneir step down and defeated him in a wrestling match 500 feet up upon a floating arena lifted into the sky by the spirits. Then when he turned thirteen, he left the kingdom for five years in search of the world's most beautiful women, but found none to whom he could give his heart to. Upon returning in sadness to the Kingdom of Silverwood, his eyes instantly fell upon his future wife, Amelia Shepard, and he he demanded she wed him at once. However, Amelia turned him down and demanded that he show her several tasks before she would wed him. Capture the wind from the vaults of a cursed tomb, move a mountain from the south of Valhalla to the north, and defeat the ocean at a game of Go Fish.

The tasks were long and hard, but before two years he had returned claimed his love, by who's side he ruled, even to this day.

Quotes:

King Orein:“I am the king! I decree every day a holiday!”

Servant: “But then we'll starve from lack of food!”

King Orein: “The we'll live on beer! Let us dance!”

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Name: Prince Aviv Affinity Orein

Age: 14

Gender: Male

Trade: Beggar and Friend really! "YOU THIEF! GET BACK HERE WITH MY COIN!" Gotta run!

Physical Description: A slender boy, Aviv typically has the most un-princely appearance in the world. He's gone from riches to rags and wanders about in a mixture of commoners apparel and items of sacred meaning to him that he's found on his “journey”. In many ways, he looks like a common traveler from the Kingdom of Silverwood, often taking elements of nature into his dress and the only evidence that he's a member of the Orein family is a markedly pan-ethnic appearance. All the same, he certainly doesn't smile like a commoner (and has no apparent problem looking a noble in the eye) and his eyes are bright with the fire of excitement and adventure that he seeks around every corner.

Of his more interesting characteristics from other cultures are his big ears (which are almost animal in nature) with distinct coloring markings going down his face and marking his wide eyes. His nose forms a small muzzle that extends slightly further out then most humans and his canines show markedly greater length as well. To put it comically, he's a royal mutt. Other features include a heel that is slightly higher and an interesting variation of having four fingers and toes on each hand/foot instead of five. This is readily observable as his shoes long ago wore out from walking so far from his home and money is to be spent on food so he doesn't starve and not foot articles (he's well gained calluses by now anyways, but still prefers soft earth to hard cobbled roads of horses).

Emotional Description: Aviv is full of life and a thirst for adventure. The world seems so much more real to him then it seems to everyone else and he feels absolutely that he must understand just why he lives within it. And for that matter he feels he should figure out why everyone else is there as well. Often times, you'll find him simply wandering around a tree or feeling the ground just to “experience it”. He loves nature and people since he was younger and often talked about meeting every person in all of Valhalla before he went on his journey. Time spent there has caused him to be a little more cautious, but once you've shown that you're not going to kill him or hurt him he's quite friendly and open to anyone who will strike up a conversation with him. He doesn't plan on ever returning to his life as a prince and has found that he prefers “other things” in life to parties and wealth – which he always viewed as the values of a royal family despite distinctly unique differences seen in reality.

He inherits his father's big heart and used it to have almost no sense of global justice and instead stands purely on the side of mercy in all situations. This is good and bad, to one end, it let's him forgive others with ease and let go of the things that would normally trouble him. On the other hand, it lends itself to a loose conscience in his own heart, and he's probably one of the few princes in Valhalla with experience at picking locks and pockets. Something that has landed him in the stockades a number of times, but fewer with every day. All the same, he carries around a small dagger from the armories of Silverwood with which he can protect himself if need be, but generally can get his way out of any serious danger with words and his amiable personality.

History: Aviv lived a typical life of adventure and enjoyment within the wooded areas and hills of the Kingdom of Silverwood. The party life of his father was a perfect time for him to escape on night journeys into the living (and often dangerous) forests that surrounded the village. Running down hidden paths that only the people of that land know, he'd often gather his friends and steal away into the mysterious pools, ancient ruins and cob-web draped groves with swords of wood to battle and play impromptu duels. Most often with his closest friend, a member of the Wolfe Family and his first childhood crush. As time went on however, his thirst for adventure grew and when his teen years hit along with the deeper questions about life, he took little planning in deciding to run off and answer them and leave his life as a prince behind.

His life is actually rather untypical of what we would expect from a prince, that sort of sheltered and often confined lifestyle instead possessed that of his friend, who was unable to join him and soon took part in adult affairs upon reaching his teen years instead.

Quotes: “Why do people build walls around a city with a sign that says Welcome?”

“The true nature of the human soul only reveals itself when refracted through the darkest of crystals.”

“Thank you for the food. Do you happen to accept payment in dish cleaning or mopping?”

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[Dante]

Name: Archduke Drakemann Wolfe

Age: 48

Gender: Male

Trade: I'm the Archduke you fool!

Physical Description: With a body carved out like Ryuken Storm and eyes as cold as the northern winters he endures annually, the Archduke Wolfe is a frightening and seemingly cold figure almost everyone. Every feature of his body, like the mountains in which he lives seems angled and sharp to the tip. Wrapped in military armor and cloaked in bright reds and brilliant purples he lives the life of a noble-warrior among the rarer, more hardened souls that live in the eastern kingdom. There he is honored with unquestioning resolve and leaves King Orein to rule in the west only to satisfy the wishes of his wife (King Orein's sister) and out of pragmatism. With thick boots and gloves made of the hides of leather, he daily stands watch over operations in the north and takes part in aiding when necessary.

Emotional Description: DOES THIS MAN EVEN HAVE EMOTION! If you ask him, he'll say “no, you can't drain tears from a rock.” And to most people that is exactly how he acts. The only exception being his dear wife, Archduchess Wolfe, who owns the secret keys of his heart. Filled with ambitions, the death of King Orein is the only thing that keeps him from becoming not only king, but emperor of Silverwood. The only thing he views King Orein as, is a useful puppet for his nation so that he may gain the food the eastern kingdom needs to survive during each winter. His son's disappearance is an unfortunate event for pragmatic reasons, but inwardly he knows that he finds the event pleasant.

History: Early in life, the Archduke was trained in the military arts by the most well-versed figures in the eastern kingdom (and hence in the whole kingdom). His father was strict with him since he was young and worked hard to create “the heir to the Archduke”. Starting at thirteen he sent the boy to live on his own to make a life among the world so that he could learn to survive and at fifteen ordered him to leave Silverwood to do battle under a foreign flag. The kingdom for which he fought was eventually destroyed on account of the foolish workings of their own leaders, but the experience proved invaluable for the Archduke who experienced the world through eyes tainted by war, a rather rare occurrence for Silverwood.

At 27 he would inherit the title of Archduke when his father died in a fall from one of the cliffs and since then he's continued the Wolfe Legacy of providing a strong and imposing ruler to the people.

Quotes: “Every man shall work for his salt, those who won't shall perish in the next winter. Do not be fooled, those who live among the mountains must have hearts of stone, and weak will be crushed against the same.”

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OOC: Let's have a villian!

Name: Meister Malthusias Aethau

Age: 73

Gender: Male

Trade: Court Astrologer

Physical Description: A frail and twisted figure, Meister Aethau is often seen in a dark purple robe strapped with talismans and binding seals. It's not known why he needs more spiritual protection then any other living creature in all of Silverwood, especially given that his appearance frightens small children and likely ghosts as well. His skin is as pale as death and his ear pointed on the tips to accent his sharp long nose and a face full of unhappy wrinkles. Two dead eyes stare out at the world constantly and he mumbles almost all the time beneath his breath in a language imperceptible to human ears.

Hunched over he constantly reads from his books as he wastes away his life under dark candle-light in search of the panacea.

Emotional Description: Crooked and twisted, he seems to gain pleasure out of the fears of others. He is the carnal psychopath and gains pleasure out of using his emotional expressions and lies to twist the arms of others, but generally does so to the best wishes of Archduke Wolfe. Certainly though, this character has far more sinister ends in mind and his existence does not bode well within the stars for Silverwood.

History: Nothing is known, but you can probably guess that Meister Aethau is not from the Kingdom of Silverwood originally. In fact, he claims to have come from a kingdom that does not exist and then generally mumbles under his breath that they should have heeded his knowledge. Where-ever he came from, he's apparently well versed alchemy and forming lies. What his intentions are in Silverwood however, are unknown.

[acgifford]

Ooooo. Cool! Heres my character.

Name: Layla Smith

Age: 19

Gender: Female

Trade: Swordswoman, works for a blacksmith

Description: Long flowing brown hair. Bright green eyes. Sort of short and slender. She wears a pair of baggy brown pants, baggy dirt white tunicand a pair of weathered boots.

Emotional Desciption: She is very tomboyish. Chivilrous. A little wild. Stands up for what's right. Loves sword fighting. Hates it when others try to descourage her from her love(sword play).

History: Her father died in a war when she was 7 and ever since she wanted to become a warrior like her father. Not much else to tell other than that she has had a fairly happy life.

[Althaia]

Name: Salvia Efa
Age: unknown
Gender: female
Trade: Silk
Physical Description: tall graceful and strong
Emotional Description: calm is not angered by a lot of things
History: not much is known other then her family was killed in her uprising to the throne

(Optional Things)
Picture: link
Quotes: "there are many things wrong about order but also many things right"

And for kingdoms (Only one of these per player)

Name: Undina
Ruling Family: the Efa's
Population: 20,000
Cultural Description: though its a small country her people specialize in the arts known for their great musicians and artists
History: the country has grown since Salvia's takeover since her family was dictatorial where as her rule is more of a monarchy. their queen has earned the title of the Queen of Healers for she took upon her self to learn medicine and so built an infirmary in her castle for wounded civilians and soldiers.
Allies: none as of yet

Primary Exports: spices

[Dante]

YAY New vict- I mean players! Welcome! Welcome acgifford and Raven err... I mean Althaia!

[AnimeFoxGirl]

Name: Renwing

Ruling Family: Reynolds Family (King Luther Reynolds)

Population: 10,000

Description: Beyond the forests near Silverwood, past the vast open meadows, the kingdom of Renwing is filled with a population of sage diplomats. Being the main source of political welfare in Valhalla, most travellers come here for insight. Most young people from various other kingdoms are sent to Renwing to be educated so as to become diplomats themselves. Even Renwing's sage ruler, King Luther Reynolds, is said to be one of the wisest diplomats in all of Valhalla.

The owl and fox are the symbolic creatures of Renwing; the owl representing wisdom and knowledge and the fox representing sharp-mindedness, the three most valued traits those born and raised in Renwing are instilled with. As such, the commoners of Renwing, including the royal family themselves are often seen caring for owls and/or foxes that they've taken in as pets, as well as some still wild owls and foxes who are allowed to come to and exit from Renwing as often as they please.

Besides being a source of diplomacy for young adults and adolecents of Valhalla, it is also the most advanced kingdom in the military department. As a matter of fact, many powerful army leaders from other kingdoms from all over Valhalla have often trained their armies at the traing grounds of Renwing in preparation for long and dangerous wars.

Allies: none yet

Primary export: diplomacy and Military training
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Name: King Luther Edmund Reynolds

Age: 54

Gender: male

Trade: King of Renwing

Physical Description: King Luther is a sleek-looking, semi-muscular man with navy blue eyes, medium length gray-streaked bronze-amber hair and a somewhat tan complection and stands tall at 6'3''. His appearance makes him look intimidating and yet also strangely charismatic as well. The colors of his regal outfit are that of the owl and fox, giving his apperance a wild and natural tint as well.

Emotional Description: Wise and sharp-minded, King Luther rivals the wise councils of Silverwood and Dukedom. He is also caring, and philosophical. He can also have quite the temper if anyone provokes him enough but otherwise is a good man.

History: At six years of age, King Luther's father, the former ruler of Renwing 'Owen Patrick Reynolds', had begun training him in becoming a diplomatic ruler, as well as trained him to become a well skilled soldier. Soon, after many years, Luther had come of age as a promising young heir, though his life had not been without difficulty, for, before he turned twelve, his mother had grown ill with a fiercely severe case of Scarlet Fever. Every royal servant in Renwing had tried everything they could to save her, but in only a few short months, she had soon died. Forty-four years passed and Luther took on the duties and throne as the new ruler of Renwing, his father passing on by then.

Quotes: "The mind and heart must work together as one, for without the mind we cannot plan and without the heart, we cannot discern."

[Jingo Jaden]

Co-Gm character.

Name - Nikail
Age - Looks to be about 11.
Gender: Male
Trade: None.

Physical Description: Very thin overall. Has a slight silver tinted hair. He is however not a human, but part of one of the other major races classified as Neko-Jin. Tends to wear overly-baggy clothes a few sizes above his own. Tries to hide whatever of his appearance that does not look human in most cases. Has several rings made of bone which would be considered jewelry for the poor.

Emotional Description: Has a melancholic first impression. However, he finds great joy in the simpler treasures in life. In particular, he loves to fish.

History: Try to find out. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[Jingo Jaden]

A few noticeable facts that should be taken into consideration.

Number one - The level of weaponry now centers around bows and short swords. Long swords exists, but nothing on the level of Zweihanders or claymores. Composite bows are unheard off and early crossbows might be considered to be under development, but at an early stage.

Number two - The level of enlightenment in this age is really, really poor. There is a fundamental hierarchy that exists which says some are meant to rule, and others are meant to serve. Challenging this position now would be damaging too yourself, so no Napoleonic moves is expected in the early parts of this rpg. Adding a sense of Chivalry would be a massive advancement on it's own, but that would take some time to develop, along with other theories.

Number 3 - There are several races in this rpg. Humans are plentiful, Neko-jin's exist. Several mythical creatures have also made their appearance known, but some of these are more welcome into society than others. There are also a few predominately hostile creatures living in anything from caves to forests, this is a time that demands safety, and you would all do yourselves a favor to be protected wherever you go. Although your RP character cannot be killed without permission, if he acts recklessly, he will have to face the consequences for it.

Number four - Seeing that education is out of the picture and that only the top gets any form of teachers to aid them, don't expect to find many professors in villages. Most are just trying to get by another day.

Number five - Although you might jump on the alchemy thread early, have in mind that not all nobles are appreciate of this art and that early gunpowder is very, very ineffective, although scary both for enemies and allies alike. Trying to advance anything too quickly is sure to cause you problems. A well drilled infantry however is never penalized, and there are plenty of drills not yet invented.

Number six - In case of combat, one will be requested to submit their tactics to go about their battles to either me or Pascal. Should either I or Pascal find ourselves in a conflict with any of you, then do use the neutral GM to match up tactics. Tactics will play a good role in deciding the outcome of a battle. If you intend to use spear men against heavy cavalry then that is great, but against mounted cavalry archers you can expect them to be massacred. You don't have to write references from Alexander the great or Napoleon to make your military point, we don't expect an essay-lenght description of your approach. However, terrain, types of units, types of approach, what position to adopt and all such factors will aid you. Have a bit of foresight and it will go a long way for you. This is not as big as it sounds and it will be fairly informal, but if you got archers standing in a valley and your opponent orders a heavy cavalry charge, you are in some big trouble stats-wise.

Number seven - There is a no aggression act if any member is on holiday or something like that. This will expire if there is no activity within a month or so if we are not notified further.

Number eight - We won't hold it against you if you create an entirely new culture from that of human development. In fact, we would encourage it, but try to be smart about this process.

Number nine - Enemies and allies are plentiful, but betrayal is not uncommon. This can be your greatest enemy or your best ally, but prestige and trustworthiness can take you a long way.

Number ten - Being a crusading hero for a cause usually has its advantages, but it can easily backfire to a greater degree than you would expect. Not all that many nobles really care about the concept of virtue and vices. Whatever position you take is for you to decide, but regardless of what path you choose, you are bound to make some enemies. Caution is advised, but so is action.

[acgifford]

Name:Ufaria
Ruling Family: Emachia( Queen Raissa Emachia)
Population:7,652
Culture description: The people are extremely friendly, peaceful, and hospitable. They specialize in hunting and tracking. Also they have many blacksmiths and swordsmen. Also they have quite a few farmers.
History: Ufaria is still a young nation and finding it's way in the world. Their Queen is very diplomatic and been able to prevent a war or 2 in the past years.
Allies: none yet.

[acgifford]

Name: Queen Raissa Emachia

Age: 21

Gender: Female

Trade: She is a Queen.

Description: Long blond hair. Crystal blue eyes. Slender and tall. Fair skin. Slender face.

Emotional Desciption: Kind, composed, loving, strong, a natural born leader(of course), careful, careing.

History: She became queen at the age of 20 when her mother and father suddenly fell ill and died.

[rocklobster]

Name: Kaylan
Age: 20
Gender: female
Trade: freelance adventuress
Physical Description: Athletic build
Emotional Description: Determined. She's tough-minded and something of a snarker, but has a pure heart.
History: Kaylan was raised by monks and taught how to swordfight. Kaylan has been having dreams in which angels have been giving her messages. She has decided to act on those dreams as a freelancer. She is a formidable opponent with a staff and a sword, as well as unarmed.

[Peanut]

Reading through the rules Jaden has posted has brought to my mind a question, are Ninja Monkeys an optional race in this RP? This is in no way suggesting that I want to play as or will have an army of Ninja Monkeys. Its just...if there is one thing Of Nations has always had, its Ninja Monkeys. They're like our unofficial mascot...well, them and the ZPEB...

[Dante]

Yes, Ninja Monkeys have and will always be welcome in N&S by my book . Of course, the medieval thing might be interesting, but I've been drawing my characters and finding that my culture has a rather Native American twist to them so...

[Dante]

[SIZE="4"]Prince Aviv Affinity Orein[/SIZE]

Posting a picture of Aviv, it took me longer to draw this then expected. I'm planning on working out King Orein, Archduke Wolfe and my evil villain as well. Don't let the cute look fool you, he's an Orein, he's just trying to steal the hearts of your kingdom's young women - or perhaps a free meal is more on his mind at the moment. If you call him over, you had better have a snack ready :tease:. And on top of it all he's - he's not even a half breed! So ignore the cuteness, the cuteness is a trap!

I figured I'd work out some of the more interesting opportunities available to me in this pic. In particular, it allowed me to work out an almost native american influence to the Silverwood Kingdom culture - along with a display of their rich pan-ethnic/pan-species background. This archetype (The one that models Aviv) has been following me awhile through various RPs that I've been in, so it's no wonder it's shown up here as well. I wonder what it will do in this rendition.

More to come ^_^,
-Pascal

EDIT: On another note, I would like to note that I'm going to try to get the RP started after spring break for me (which starts roughly on this Monday and ends the following week). I wish I could jump to it sooner, but I'd rather start the RP a little later then leave it stagnant the week after it's creation. Alternatively, I could ask to have it up this week and just place my nation on a temporary lock in accordance to the game rules (so that would mean a limited amount of interaction with my nation during the time... if you desire to send out information, just assume they got lost en route )

[Jingo Jaden]

Here is Nikail

Sorry for the reduced quality. XD

[Kaligraphic]

--- Ruler ---

Name: Pius Maximus

Age: 37

Gender: Male

Trade: Pontiff of Vatica

Physical Description: A slight man with a narrow face, brown hair, and a glow of holiness. Typically wrapped in various pontifical garments.

Emotional Description: A man of true devotion, Pius Maximus derives both strength and direction from his faith. Whatever happens, he seeks to find the will of God in it.

History: Pius was a son of Vatican nobility, and his father had expected him to enter politics. Pius entered the priesthood instead, as a priest-scholar, and, over the years, obtained the respect of his contemporaries, and was chosen as successor by the previous pontiff.

--- Kingdom ---

Name: Vatica

Ruling Family: Rulers chosen by decision of predecessor, non-familial.

Population: 32,000

Cultural Description: Vatica is the center of organized religion in Valhallia.

Vatica is comprised of one major city and a great deal of agricultural land, worked by smaller villages. In the villages, people tend to be simple and devout, and the cities are teeming with priests. Most priests study religion in Vatica before being posted elsewhere, so there are always large numbers of students.

History: Vatica was formerly the capital of the now-defunct Vatican Empire. As the empire declined and was cut off from its capital, the city of Vatica and its adjoining lands, despairing of help from the empire, recently turned to the strong religious leadership for help. The makeup of the city has changed rapidly, and, without the shipments of food and goods from the empire, it has declined markedly in population. The villages, residences and sources of income for wealthy and middle-class landowners, have been all but overrun by poor people from the city seeking food. While the religious leadership has wide support, the Pontiff of Vatica has more experience blessing kings, than he has of being one. Still, under his leadership, Vatica is once again beginning to grow.

Allies: Much of Valhallia shares religion with Vatica, and may be inclined to aid, but Vatica's separation from the empire left it with little in the way of formal political relations.

Primary Exports: wine, priests

(Disclaimer: I know everyone has their own views of the Papacy and Catholic doctrine, but, while Vatica occupies a similar social and political niche, the doctrinal side will be abstracted. In fact, for the purposed of the game, the entire religion will be treated generically. Yes, it's Generic RP Faith, and any attempts to bring real-world doctrinal disputes into the game will be met with cries of heresy. I'm not going to come up with historical responses from every theological viewpoint for you. It's too much work.)

[~darkelfgirl~]

(xD @ Temulin!)

Man, this brings back so many memories of LOL with ninja monkeys and raving nekojin!

Buut I can't participate this time---my schedule suffocates me as of lates. T__T Have fun, though!!

[Dante]

Ah, oh well, sorry you couldn't jump in on the fun this time darkelfgirl! Sorry about the spring break delay, I am going to try to get this up and running starting tomorrow.

-Pascal

[Tsukuyomi]

May your nations be long living *salutes* u_u/

http://www.christiananime.net/showthread.php?p=1382628#post1382628

[Dante]

Hooray! And the RP is up! JM should be making a post soon and I'll be following that up with a post myself! Happy RPing!

[RidleyofZebes]

I lurked the last Nations & States thread. Never signed on because I had a tight schedule at the time, and then forgot about it later. I think I might join in this time, though. I must make a Bio first, but color me interested.

[Dante]

Alright! Look forward to having you!

[Ella Edric]

Ok, since Jaden so kindly asked me, I guess I will join.
Name: Selena Owen
Age: 19
Gender:Female
Trade: Bounty hunter
Physical Description: Dark red hair, hazel eyes, olive skin.She always wears some sort of leather, and has her long hair tied back behind her head.
Emotional Description: Serious and tough.
History: During a plague, her family all died and now she is all that is left of the Owens. All her life she has struggled to survive. Stealing form markets, and doing whatever needed to survive.

[Jingo Jaden]

Approved!

[Peanut]

Name: Vance Draco Ishtare III

Age: unknown

Gender: Male

Trade: mercenary, gambler, poet and drinker

Physical Description: Our hero looks like what you would expect a Mercenary with gambling and drinking problems to be: a mess. His crimson red hair is long, causing Vance to pull it back into a pony tail when he is conscious enough to notice that its gotten into his face. His armor is unpolished, and caked with dirt and other stains of unknown origin. On his hips are two swords. One a dark blue blade in a black hilt, adorned in gold leaf. The other, a crimson red blade, which is broken, in a white hilt adorned with gold leaf. He looks like he's in his late twenties, but every time he is asked his age he says he's immortal.

Emotional Description: Whether its his habit of drinking or something to do with the sun, Vance is completely loony. He consistently tells people that he is an immortal prince from a city that resides under the sea. He claims that his father was possessed by the spirit of a fox responsible for Ragnarok that now resides inside him. This causes him to babble to himself constantly about roses and violence and curses towards some dude called Peanut. Despite his insanity, he's an accomplished poet who writes about love and life along with being a surprisingly competent strategist. Guess looks can be deceiving

History: No one is really sure where Vance was born or what his family was like. All that is known is that he appeared in a far away country in the far east with promises of glory and riches for whoever followed him. He was almost killed in an unsuccessful coup but was rescued by a group from a neighboring island. There hope was that he was what he said he was and that he would usher in an age of peace, prosperity, and Go Fish. Yes, it is now in our story that we should mention that the eastern countries are inhabited completely by Ninja Monkey's. Those lovable, silly Ninja Monkey's. Sadly for this group, Vance was not the savior they were looking for and his actions instead brought about a civil war. Those who were still loyal to him fled with him to become a mercenary and assassin's guild known as the Invisible Hand. They became widely feared and respected in that area despite the rather small size of their group.

Name: Thantos

Age: Unknown

Gender: Male

Trade: Assassin, Mercenary, and General

Physical Description: Tall, Silver back guerrilla who wears dark black armor that is polished to a surprisingly bright shine. Is occasionally seen wearing an all black cloak as well, complete with a hood.
Emotional Description: A surprisingly calm individual even in the face of certain danger. He is charismatic and renowned for his insanely deep voice that is said to give chills to whoever here's him speak
History: While Vance is the leader of the Invisible Hand by name, Thantos is in many ways the man behind the curtain pulling the invisible strings. Not because he is a schemer seeking to undermine Vance's authority, but because if he didn't do it, the Invisible Hand would probably be slaughtered mercilessly. Besides, when Thantos was chosen by Vance as his second in command, both of them knew that he would be the one cleaning up after any of Vance's ill advised mistakes. Thantos is a highly skilled fighter and assassin with a sharp mind. Of all the Invisible Hand members, he is the one that no one should trifle with.


Name: The Brotherhood of de Luit

Ruling Family: The Invisible Hand

Population: 6,000

Cultural Description: Culturally sophisticated and open minded, de Luit is a nation of scholars instead of warriors. This does not mean that they aren't able to defend themselves. Service in the King's Guard (an elite unit of mounted and heavily armored soldiers) is mandatory for all males between the ages of 18 and 21 for two years and, like most nations, all males who can fight will fight if the nation is threatened. Their thriving ports have made them a hot spot for trade along the eastern shore and also has given the entire nation an open mind towards other people groups. This and their history of political instability allowed the Invisible Hand to live in and eventually rise to power.

History: The Brotherhood of de Luit's started as individual cities-states that warred with each other throughout the coastal plains they were located on. It wasn't until a king known as Aster came into power. With him, his city-state of Cragston (located, coincidentally at the very center of the coastal plains) quickly conquered one port city after another. With power consolidated, the first golden age began. Because of this, Aster would be remembered as Aster the Great, and the time of his rule is the stuff of legends. However, before his son would die, this golden age would pass and an age of struggle would begin.
The first golden age was highlighted by the creation of an artificial port that would become the new location of the nation's capital along with a slew of wisdom literature. The port's name was Casterton, and it was destined to become the very corner of the kingdom.

After the first golden age, came an age of war and civil war. It's land's valued by the nations around it, The Kingdom of de Luit was invaded again and again. After the death of Aster's son, the entire country descended into chaos. Civil war broke out as the cities once again warred with themselves. It wasn't until a general named Alastor repelled the invaders and reconquered every city that fell into rebellion. Alastor was crowned king shortly there after bring about another age of peace. Unlike Aster, Alastor was a cruel king who used his military might to keep the country together. The kings who followed him were even worse then him. This period came to be known as the false golden age since only the ruling family enjoyed its spoils. During this period, however, the King's Guard was created, which was destined to become the best military unit within the nation.

This age ended when another batch of wars broke out as the Kingdom of de Luit was dragged into the wars of Vallhallia. During this period of wars and rumors of wars, de Luit stayed in tact and did not fall apart. A sense of pride grew in the people as their accomplishments, and when the wars ended, a true golden age began. Trade with other nations caused the economy within the Kingdom of de Luit to expand rapidly and grow. It was during this time, that Vance and the Invisible Hand washed up on de Luit's shores and quickly found themselves in the perfect situation to take over.

During this true second golden age, a sentiment quickly passed through the nation that the ruling family should be gotten rid of, and a fairer government be installed. The King of this time, Aster the Feeble, was a weak king who barely enforced his rule except when he felt he was being under appreciated. After the arrival of the Invisible Hand, an incident occurred where Aster used the King's Guard to take control of Cragston. The move outraged the citizens of de Luit and soon, a plan was hatched to install the Invisible Hand and their leader Vance as ruler of de Luit. There was one condition, a ruling body of individual's elected by the people had to be created with equal power to the Invisible Hand and their leader, Vance. With the future government in place, the night that would change the nation took place. In the dead of night, Invisible Hand agents assassinated every member of the royal family including Aster the Feeble. By morning, Vance and the Invisible Hand were in power with plans for an election to be held. Thus began a new chapter in the history of de Luit, where it changed from being a kingdom to being a brotherhood.

Allies: currently, none

Primary Exports: Exotic goods, technology, Assassination's and Military force