Both Needed Interested in a Large, Open World (purely original) Story with Multiple POVs and Locations? [3 PLAYERS CURRENTLY ACTIVE, NEED 3 MORE!]

[RK.]

Also there definitely are monster-hunter type people just due to the threat which the creatures pose, so I don't see why making such a character would be a problem. Have to hear Vincious' word on the matter though of course

 

[Vincious Macabre]

As far as the Wilds go, I was thinking there should be a deep, dark forested and marshy region at least partially around Denhart, where monstrous creatures live, like leshuns, werewolves (like Ylva), dryads, drowners and other necrophages, witches and clever women, wights, hags, and ghosts stalk between the trees and in the marshes. I actually wanted to change my character, I think...I'd like to make a mercenary who hunts these beasts for contract, a master hunter and walking bestiary, like a Witcher. Would that be alright? Can there be such a thing as a Witcher in this world? A specialized monster hunter to cull the beasts around Denhart and in the surrounding lands? Can he be mutated in order to defeat these beasts?

That is already in Denhart haha. It has a lot of different environments sure (aka forests, swamps, volcanic lands) but it definitely has these! It has things like forest clearings with an enormous lake, where a big island in the middle hosts a tower full of spooky evil witches :p

And yeah ofc there can be! Obviously in a world such as this, where monsters are constantly harrying people, a group or some individuals will have some reason to seek vengeance upon monsters, or help people from other kingdoms kill monsters. Now, the royal family, the Korakis, are very proud of the monsters in their lands, so people who specifically are out to kill monsters (even the ones who sneak out of their borders!) are seen as... well... enemies. In fact, rumour has it that the Korakis house a leviathan-scale basilisk under their castle, who eats monster hunters when they are caught! I think it could make for a very interesting relationship if Allara, Princess Koraki, comes across your character somehow :>

I love those photos. The first one really captures the kind of witchy vibe I want to have!

 

[Vincious Macabre]

Perhaps there could be a relatively newly founded smallish organisation (like 12 people) of monster hunters, who sit along the country's borders and kill monsters which try to sneak out of Denhart. Maybe @Atomic Soul your character formed this group/is the leader, or is somehow friends with the leader, or they just joined, whatever you wish. I would like to leave the details of this to you because I think this is largely your unique contribution to the world.

 

[Atomic Soul]

I like the idea that the Korakis are proud of and territorial of their monsters, and would be out to get monster hunters who kill their creatures for contract or parts. I think I'll make my character a member of the twelve individuals, each who takes on the mantle of a different beast and trains their fighting style in that manner. In this case, he's of the griffin class: griffins are known to be noble creatures, but are actually cruel, tearing their prey apart over the course of days until they finally die a horrific, painful death. He's hardened, cynical, self-serving, and only works for fair pay -- never for free. I'd like him to have some mutations, such as better vision and quicker movement, but these mutations are transfused at the risk of death and place him in a middle ground between monster and human -- outcasted by humans generally speaking, and risking death by Denhart's elite for his profession. I'd definitely be interested to see how he and Allara interact!

 

[Vincious Macabre]

Here's some inspiration I got:

What if the thing that brings our characters together is:
The Korakis are really annoyed with monster hunters killing their creatures. They see it as an affront to nature, which raises tensions between the lands. This upsets the fae, who constantly have to deal with monsters slipping out of the dark forests of the Denhart kingdom, eating fae like snacks. They hire monster-hunters with contracts (the royal family themselves would do this), so this raises an issue between those very closely located realms.

Meanwhile, the Vleugs have been sending their flying people to sneak into the Denhart kingdom and basically drop monsters onto the different lands, smack dab in the middle of them, near cities, etc, trying to frame them for being out to get the other kingdoms. Because the Vleugs are sick of being weakened and want their Imperial control back.

The land of Karvia are especially affected by this, having had a large creature lay waste to one of their biggest cities. They have to rebuild and it costs them a lot, but the Korakis are innocent so of course they refuse to pay recompense. Tensions steadily rise.

The only people who know about what the Vleugs are doing are [REDACTED], so you guys won't know yet who's responsible :)

But since the Korakis are adamant they are not doing it, an inter-realm meeting is planned to take place in a few days.

Possible characters that can attend this are:
Princes and princesses ofc, royal guards, spies, contracted protectors... basically people who will stumble upon a secret that makes them sure they found something and they need to convince they royal families to hold back on war (even though preparations are secretly being made everywhere). The event is planned to be a week-long affair, which in this world is 9 days because why not, and they have a renovated hunting lodge owned by the fae kingdom preferably, which is in one of the truly wild locations of the world, prepared for this. Sleeping rooms, meals, servants, everything is there.

I think this event will kickstart the investigation that brings our characters together.

 

[RK.]

Yes I definitely like this idea.


So- what I'm thinking is my character will be some sort of faerie spy reporting on information concerning the Denhartians (Denhartish? What is the demonym?) on behalf of the fae, masquerading as some sort servant which manages cleaning, transport of goods and items of the pertinent guests (examining them to see what he can glean through practical and magical means), delivering meals, as well as secretly intercepting any sort of messages coming from Denhart.

 

[Atomic Soul]

Alright y'all, my monster hunter is ready to slay some beasts! Meet Eirik:

Spoiler: The Griffin

Name: Eirik of Dyfed
Nickname(s)/Title(s): the Red, the Griffin, the Slaughterer of Silverton
Age: 92 (although appears mid-30s)
Gender: Male
Height: 6'1"

"The life of a beast hunter is one of a wanderer: sleeping in inns,
camping in the dirt, often unsure of a next meal—in short,
general poverty. The least I demand is payment for my work."

Appearance​

Eirik is a tall man, well-built, with broad shoulders and large capable hands, his sharp jawline often stubbled and a cascade of dark hair tied into a hasty topknot at the back of his head. His form is bound in a mix of linen, leather, and metal, shoulders capped in dark hide, chest clad in leather torso striped with gold scale plates, and hips encircled in a knotted leather belt. His armor is fitted over a badly-stained white linen shirt, while a buckled leather strap crisscrosses over his chest to secure the scabbards of his dual swords. Around his neck hangs a medallion in the shape of a griffin's head, citrine eyes glinting in even the lowest light, given to him by his adoptive father. With dark leather gloves, tight leather trousers and worn leather boots, Eirik's form is at least somewhat protected from the flames, claws, and fangs directed towards him on a daily basis -- the singes, tears and scratches, and bloodstains that pepper his worn armor are evidence enough of that. As are the myriad scars that lie beneath the metal and hide, lapses in skill, mistakes, brushes with death: they crisscross over his muscled arms, are hacked into his back and his legs, claw marks, burn scars, knife wounds, nearly one-hundred years of battle against beasts, monsters, and men alike.

Yet while his figure is a woman's dream, muscled and leather-bound, his face is rarely met with expressions of pleasure. His once-straight-edged nose, broken too many times to count, is crooked -- much like his teeth, canines sharp like a wolf's, others chipped, and rarely exposed in a tight, unpracticed smile. His eyes, set beneath a pair of strong, brooding brows, gold like the coin he seeks in exchange for his deadly services, and slitted like a cat's. Most horrible of all, the scars: a trio of three, gaping across his face like ravines, the result of the corrosive venom held in a wyvern's barbed claws. They reach from his chin, up his cheek, over his left eye; one slashes upward over his mouth, pulling up the right side of his upper lip in a perpetual sneer-–a cynical expression for a cynical man.

Personality​

While Eirik's physical health is exceptional, his mental health is in a less stable state. He is strong of mind, but aggression was instilled in him as a child, and rage as an adult. While his adoptive father taught him chivalry, decorum, and discipline, the survivalistic and sometimes cruel tendencies of a man who was outcasted from humanity for the mutations that have enabled him to defeat the beasts and monsters of the continent have altered him in dark ways. To trust, to allow himself a moment of vulnerability, perhaps even to love, Eirik has rarely indulged in such feelings. Hurt and loneliness are the only outcome he knows; instead of sweetness, he tastes only bitterness upon his tongue. Eirik is haunted by the limbo that separates him from humanity like a chasm: If I am not human, then I must be...

A monster.

Eirik is a cynical man, distrustful of humans and regarding them with as much caution and aggression as monsters -- both varieties of beast have, after all, tried to rob him of his life. To Eirik, the distinction is clear enough: monsters and animals kill for sustenance, for territory, occasionally for pleasure, and often out of fear. The same can be said of humans. Spat on, cursed at, cheated of pay, a bounty or two placed on his head, Eirik knows they have the same motivations as the monsters they pay him to kill. He keeps humans at an arm's length, pricing his work fairly but never laboring for free. While he appears cold and distant, the temper Eirik attempts to keep on ice can flare at a moment's notice, bestowing upon him quite the reputation. But bitter as he often is, there are moments when the manners drilled into his head as a ward of his beast hunting father return. He never allows a woman in distress to struggle, and treats children and animals with a tenderness that seems to defy his nature. Prostitutes in renowned brothels also receive the best of Eirik's somewhat charming severity.

Adolescence​

Abandoned as a child on the fringes of the Denhart kingdom in a town called Dyfed, Eirik was taken in by an expert beast hunter with intimate knowledge in beast essence transfusion, a somewhat lost art that allowed humans to be gifted – or cursed – with the favorable traits of monsters: agility, strength, speed, exceptional hearing and sight. Eirik was the most stubborn of pupils, refusing to quit until a technique was mastered, a book was memorized, a task was brought to utter completion. He would practice, wooden sword against stoic humanoid dummy, until his hands bled. He would run the rocky trails around his home's grounds until his legs gave out, and would pass out night after night surrounded by tomes about ghouls and wyverns and wraiths. Even when most would succumb to the brutal transformation that mutated a human into a full-fledged monster hunter, induced by the transfusion of decoctions and essences into the veins, Eirik wouldn't allow himself to die -- he had always been a fighter, if not to prove to others his fortitude, then to prove it to himself. Even after the transfusion, his days of training were far from over. Then, the true work began, pitting himself against his father in tests of physical, mental, and academic endurance. Eirik, himself, was grateful for the chance to build a reputation for himself: he would be a hero, a savior, a noble beast hunter. And, for many years after his release into the wide world, he was met with relative success. That is, until one fateful day in a village called Silverton.

"They will never know the ways I torture myself for
the mistakes I've made. But what can I say? Griffins torture
their prey before devouring it, picking it apart, stripping
flesh from bone until there is nothing but a quivering,
exhausted mound of agony remains. Death only comes at
the end, the very end, and it is received gratefully.
It's in my blood to torture myself and those around me.
Pox on the noble, chivalric griffin.
Hunger, violence, vengeance…."

Adulthood/Present​

At nineteen, Eirik was deemed competent and skillful enough to leave his home search of work: contracts and bounties for the destruction of various monsters plaguing the land, for curses that needed breaking, for people who needed finding. Fresh-faced and ready to make a difference, Eirik traveled the continent, relishing the glory of fighting fantastic beasts and, even moreso, the weight of his gold pouch at his side. Never in his life had Eirik held so much coin, and spent as much time hunting monsters as he did in local taverns and brothels. But as time passed, the ambition that once filled him began to fade. The jobs and contracts became more menial, and the pleasure of drinking and women dulled. As satisfying as the tearful gratefulness and gratitude for his deeds were, a new force began to grate at his nerves, wearing away the desire for glory and honor: irritation, bitterness, resentment. For more often than gratitude, Eirik was met with disgust and distrust from the populace, who tried to swindle him from the payment he was owed and showed nothing but thankless disappointment when it came time to pay up. Eirik knew as well as any that life on the continent was hard. But the hostility and distrust that he was regarded with, despite his best efforts to treat his employers fairly, irked Eirik deeply. And this bitterness, which slowly ate at his conscience and soul, finally surpassed the boyish dream of chivalrous renown Eirik sought in his younger years:

In a village called Silverton, in the Denhartian countryside, a wyvern was harassing and devouring flocks of sheep. When Eirik rode up to the inn on his steed, looking for a bit of reprieve from the Path, a group of village men approached the beast hunter with a large pouch of coin pooled from each family and begged the hunter to help them. Although Eirik was weary, he knew the importance of livestock -- sheep especially -- to the livelihood of the villagers, and took the contract. But the fight was not easily won, and Eirik was wounded in the face by the wyvern's venomous claws. Face shredded, the slashes weeping and burning, Eirik staggered back to the village with the head of the beast held in his fist, silver sword dripping red. "Drop the trophy here, in the barn -- we'll hold it for you until you depart," the alderman said, beckoning Eirik into a large barn on the outskirts of the village. Half-blinded, Eirik followed, dropping the wyvern head in the hay and expecting his payment; he wanted to tend to his wounds as quickly as possible, as the corrosive venom burned his skin and would cause even more damage left untreated.

But instead of the leather pouch of coin, Eirik was met with a contingent of the village men, old and young alike, each holding a sharp farm implement -- they desperately needed the gold they had offered, and with the wyvern dealt with, the only monster left to kill was the one who meant to take their money. Already terribly wounded, Eirik was slow to act. Before he could draw his sword, the alderman lunged forward, goring him in the abdomen with a rusty pitchfork, the other villagers moving to raise their own ersatz weapons. The slow drip of anger that had worn away at him for so long now erupted in a flood, and the cruel rage of a griffin burst forth from within Eirik: if they wanted a monster, Eirik would give them a monster. With one hand gripping the prongs of the pitchfork, stepping back and pulling the metal from his stomach in a gush of blood, the other reached back and grabbed the leather-wrapped hilt of his steel sword. In a whirlwind of pain and fury, Eirik slew each of the villagers who conspired against him, adolescent boys, old men, the alderman -- every man in Silverton. Save one, a thirteen year old who had stood with his father, barely a man himself, who slipped past Eirik and ran screaming from scene to disseminate the horrible story to a nearby town. Drenched in blood, the gashes in his face and in his abdomen seeping red, Eirik stumbled from the gore-soaked barn with the bloody pouch of Orens held in his fist; amidst the screams and curses of the village women and the wails of the terrified children, Eirik found his horse, dragged himself into the saddle, and fled.

Eirik would recover, albeit with a horrible reminder of the incident etched into both his face and his psyche. His reputation, however, was entirely sullied. The local baron thought it best to leave the beast hunter be, after the sum of coin Eirik had won from the villagers was paid to resolve the matter -- he, at least, saw no sense in sentencing to death a tool that had proven itself useful in keeping his countryside clean of vermin. As for his ideals of "honor" and "glory," Eirik disposed of them completely. For all the good he had done before and all the good he has done since, the glances of fear and distaste thrown in his direction and the venomous insults spit in his face have proven that changing the minds of men is a futile effort.

Weapons​

Eirik carries the standard gear of a beast hunter: a sword of steel and another of silver. Both are deadly-sharp and meticulously cared for, gleaming like sheered moonbeams, and occasionally glistening in the various alchemical oils used in combating monsters. Both terminate in figural pommels of a pair of intertwined griffin's heads, with a perpendicular crossguard on the steel sword for catching other bladed weapons and a slanting crossguard on the silver sword for catching claws, fangs, and spines.

Fighting Style​

Eirik fights with the aggressive cunning of a griffin: he is powerful and fearsome and uses these qualities to his advantage, exploiting the weaknesses of his opponents with deadly efficiency. While many beast hunters of the beast hunting school adhere to a more chivalrous manner of engaging in battle, Eirik is not afraid to strike first, manners be damned -- often it is the difference between a quick victory and a drawn-out fight. With a generous use of his environment and his opponents' own deficiencies, Eirik is a skillful and ruthless foe.

 

[Vincious Macabre]

Denhartians is nice imo :)

I think your character being a spy works perfectly! What if they were assigned to spy on my MC, Allara, Princess Koraki? (She has a bit of a reputation lol, sticking a spy to her isn't way out of the question). I'm sure they'd have other duties but I think they would assign 1 spy per royal family member, right?

Damn that's complex! I'll read it in a sec!

 

[Vincious Macabre]

Okay, I love him, he is great. I'm excited to see him at play. The backstory was so mesmerising, I cannot wait to write with you!

Small notes: the currency in Denhart is called Korak(s), and it is a simple system of: Gold Koraks, Silver Koraks, and a Kork is copper. More wealthy people sometimes have access to rare forms of currency such as an Elentrum Korak, which is even rarer than gold. It's made of the teeth of sirens that live in the lakes of Denhart. Even rarer than that is a 'fossilised' basilisk's eye, something that appears black and blue at once, shines with a peculiar rose light in the twilight sun, yet shines a sparkly blue in the moonlight. You can buy a house with those, lol. They call them Korak Stones.

 

[Atomic Soul]

Thank you so much! I know it's a bit much; I'll write far less, obviously, when we're actually posting. Speaking of, is there an expected word count for posting? I haven't done a group RP in a decade, so I don't know the etiquette lol.

 

[Vincious Macabre]

Thank you so much! I know it's a bit much; I'll write far less, obviously, when we're actually posting. Speaking of, is there an expected word count for posting? I haven't done a group RP in a decade, so I don't know the etiquette lol.

NO PLEASE keep this going! I write a lot in posts when it works so go wild!

 

[RK.]

Denhartians is nice imo :)

I think your character being a spy works perfectly! What if they were assigned to spy on my MC, Allara, Princess Koraki? (She has a bit of a reputation lol, sticking a spy to her isn't way out of the question). I'm sure they'd have other duties but I think they would assign 1 spy per royal family member, right?

Yes I think that makes sense. He's likely in close communication with a few other undercover spies at the same event. Most of the servants could be spies for all we know

 

[RK.]

Thank you so much! I know it's a bit much; I'll write far less, obviously, when we're actually posting. Speaking of, is there an expected word count for posting? I haven't done a group RP in a decade, so I don't know the etiquette lol.

Tbh I just write however much I think is necessary for what I want to convey. Elaborate events concerning many characters, movements, and time frames are going to be very long but if I'm writing a single action in, say, a quick response type of thing to a possible physical confrontation it's basically just gonna be 1 paragraph. I wouldn't stress too much on it

 

[Vincious Macabre]

Tbh I just write however much I think is necessary for what I want to convey. Elaborate events concerning many characters, movements, and time frames are going to be very long but if I'm writing a single action in, say, a quick response type of thing to a possible physical confrontation it's basically just gonna be 1 paragraph. I wouldn't stress too much on it

Exactly this! This is the etiquette we should go for ahaha

 

[RK.]

Okay, I love him, he is great. I'm excited to see him at play. The backstory was so mesmerising, I cannot wait to write with you!

Small notes: the currency in Denhart is called Korak(s), and it is a simple system of: Gold Koraks, Silver Koraks, and a Kork is copper. More wealthy people sometimes have access to rare forms of currency such as an Elentrum Korak, which is even rarer than gold. It's made of the teeth of sirens that live in the lakes of Denhart. Even rarer than that is a 'fossilised' basilisk's eye, something that appears black and blue at once, shines with a peculiar rose light in the twilight sun, yet shines a sparkly blue in the moonlight. You can buy a house with those, lol. They call them Korak Stones.

Korak? Koraki?

The royal family loves themselves don't they

 

[Vincious Macabre]

Group RP - The Characters and Lore of The Four Kingdoms (Name WIP)

We shall place our lore and characters here! Lore Collection & Latest Info General info: One part of the starting world is dark and dreary and full of evil Baba Yaga-esque witches and demigods and even gods who just want to consume, kill, destroy. So their children, all kinds of aberrations...

writerssanctum.com

here it is!

 

[Vincious Macabre]

Korak? Koraki?

The royal family loves themselves don't they

You're getting it :p

 

[RK.]

Oh by the way, I think it would be cool and power-balancing to add that faeries (and all fae) are somewhat allergic to silver, contact with silver hampering their ability to cast magic significantly and even causing sickness/burns with prolonged contact

 

[Vincious Macabre]

but they're supposed to be pure and nice... so I like the idea that even the fae are somehow inherently 'evil' and impure. Lay a darker tone over the whole world. I'm down!

 

[flubnugget]

Finished my initial character sheet for Mirabelle! Macabre, lmk if there's anything I should add or change, then I'll post it to the info thread.

I don't put this in her background because I want it to be unconvered through the course of the story, but I do want to flesh it out enough to make sure it fits with the established rules and themes. What I have so far is that she made a deal with some dark magical entity for her talents. By sacrificing a rare, sacred type of magical rabbit, she calls upon the entity to grant her agility so she can become a world-renowned performer. Of course, this comes with a hefty price that she is not fully prepared for. Although she gets what she wishes - talent and success - her life is controlled by a constant need to regularly do something to stave off some sort of severe illness caused by the curse, not to mention the depression caused by the hollow, consuming effect of dark magic. In addition, she must honor and remember the sacrifice she made by making the rabbit motif a deep part of her life, hence her title The Black Rabbit. I'm thinking what she needs to do is either consume something or perform some sort of ritual or action. Whatever it is, she keeps it secret, because it's extremely taboo or frowned upon and could ruin her public image. Or, maybe she's just humiliated by it and doesn't want a soul to know. Is there a deity or power anyone has in mind that could fit the bill for the dark entity? Any ideas for the ritual action she must perform?

I love how the plot is working out so far, but I'm trying to find a way to fit Mirabelle into it. She tries to stay out of politics because she has enough trouble dealing with her own life. If she gets involved with the meeting, it would be for some sort of reward or by order of someone superior to her. Plus, what would be her importance at this meeting? Her connection to dark powers? Is she hired as entertainment along with her troupe, then pulled deeper into the whole mess?

If I need to change some stuff about Mirabelle's story I'm fine with that, but first I want to throw those questions out there to see if anyone has any cool ideas.