Either Needed Razing Sarlem

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Either Needed Razing Sarlem

GGMR

CLI Dragonborn
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Where the Witherwind blows and the putrid gal of life meets its untimely end... Sarlem. Realms a'many live in its shadow, servicing the endless machinations keeping those mighty walls afloat. Towers of luminous sheen, light o'bright, and glass finer than the virgin lake. A beautiful pillar, a gem or star glowing as testament to the gods of science bathed in the blood of deities o' magic. Woe to thee, oh Children of Mana! Woe to thee, for whilst the blood of machinations rise, we, oh desolate child... shall fall.

Little hope remains for we. Sapped. Leeched away. Little hope... for till Sarlem's gates fall, till its towers crumble, only the light of their city shall spread the darkness across all else. Only in razing Sarlem shall we find life.

Premise
You are a Child of Mana. A magic-user born with the brilliance of miracles flowing through your veins. Unfortunately, gone are the days where this blessing made you truly blessed. Now, you are accursed. Cursed to flee and hide. For those of Sarlem, the machinists, have used science to render magic a secondary force in the way of strength.

Now you are a threat. A foe. And a battery to Sarlem. They seek to capture those of Mana, enslave them, and sap them of their power. Sarlem's foe and yet its life force. A cruel fate indeed.

But all is not lost! In times of great trial, where shadows threaten, and the cold clings to the bones, the exceptional few stand between absolute defeat, and glorious revival.

Will you join the ranks of those rare few who may see Sarlem's last days? Better yet, will you be among the the ones to see it razed?

World
To the great north of the Withered Peaks, east of the Frostiron Mines, and west of the Glacies Oceana lies the jewel of the world: Sarlem. It is a technological center unlike any other, using a vast plethora of miraculous machinations that the typical sentient would gawk at. After the Age of Acclimation, the people's of Sarle discovered a way to use Mana to power machines far more efficiently than the runic designs of old. A Golden Age sprung up and Sarlem was founded, becoming the technological center of the world.

A thousand years of technology leapt into being in mere generations. From horse-drawn carts to flying craft. From paint on a canvas to holograms. Sarlem reaches for the stars and for what it seems, they shall eventually reach them.

Sarlem's growth was not all good, however... as they grew, the rest of the world shriveled. Sarleites, Children of Metal, kept their technology closely guarded... and while the rest of the world has barely managed to forge steam engines, Sarleites fly through the clouds.

Energy is finite, however. Mana, it's source, even more so when abused for so long, tied into machinations, never to return to nature's call. And so Sarlem has sought new ways to acquire the precious resource of Mana, and that turned their eyes to the Children of Mana. Great slaughters abounded. The magic of the world was sapped along with its blessed chosen.

Present day, Sarlem is still magnificent. Grand. Inspiring. A heaven that every mortal wishes to partake of. But only the rare few shall ever step within. The world outside Sarlem moves on without the reclusive city. Wars are waged with sword, bow, and rifle. A stove hisses. Perhaps a rare steam engine helps till a field. Kingdoms rise and fall while Sarlem watches all, tolerating their existences... taking as they desire, when they desire.

Sarlem, a shining jewel of mortal ingenuity and depravity.
sarlem.jpg
Freeport, one of the more active Humana ports near the Withered Peaks. A fine example of how the world compares to Sarlem.
pic4540178.jpg

Specifics
Razing Sarlem is going to have, ideally, 2-5ish players; this may change based on interest.
I prefer more verbose writing, but I'm malleable. However, players will be expected to put a little effort into their writing. I ran an RP a long time ago where I put thirty minutes into making a lengthy response only to get a one, maybe two sentence response that was a mess. If that happens, I will call you out on it. If I'm going to invest time into making a fun RP experience for the players, then the players need to put in some energy too.
The standard fare free-for-all. You post. I post. Etc. Please reply to previous posts within a spoiler to keep things concise while still maintaining a steady linkage of the story. At the top of the RP I'll be pasting my most recent replies to every player in a spoiler, so instead of hopping to the post, you can just jump to the main content and reply as needed.

I will be posting extra information, as needed, to each response. This extra information is meta in nature and can include things like information that your character would know or things to think about. You, in turn, can leave questions, comments, or the like in your replies as spoilers.
I'm flexible. Stick to the forum's rules, naturally. I prefer to keep things more lightly sexy and use those types of "echi" scenes for relationships and bonding moments between characters; but only if they fit into the story's natural flow. So, don't expect smut, but you don't need to feel rigidly chaste.

As for violence, I'm fine with it. But needless gore I don't particularly agree with. Harsher violence is a tool for the writer, just like gore, pain, tragedy, and so forth. Smashing it into your writing without warrant feels cheap. So I won't be doing it unless the scene calls for it.

If you want to ask before you post, feel free.
I get home around 5PM Central on weekdays. From 5PM to 12AM I'm pretty much free and can respond quickly to new posts. Weekends I'm usually free. I can promise AT LEAST one response per day, but shall try and do more as I'm able.
At first all players will have individual plotlines that eventually converge into a single plotline while maintaining their individual, over-arching plotlines on the side. However, if the player chooses to go it alone and avoid other characters, that is fine too.

When two players are in proximity to each other, I'll leave a spoiler section at the bottom of my reply with extra information for each player.
If you have any questions, feel free to PM or post here, and I'll see that it's answered ASAP.
My goal is to make the players have fun. In certain times I may be a little rigid with world-bending or realism-cracking, but in the end, if it increases the enjoyment of the players, I'm willing to compromise. So if you have an epic scene you want to do where your character shows off their OP side, hit me up and I'll be happy to see your desires come to fruition.

Sign Me Up!
Your character will be a Child of Mana of your own design. Any class. Any weapon. If you're feeling feisty, you could even create a character that is secretly living within Sarlem, dreading the day your secret is discovered. I am quite flexible in this regard as I'm a world writer. If you create the character, I'll shape everything else. But keep the backstory vague enough that I can fit it into the world.

I'll be sure to tell you whether something needs to change or not and offer some suggestions. Same with magics or special abilities. Dream them up, write them down, and expect feedback. Let's work together to make your PC perfect without me being authoritarian.

If you need ideas or help, hit me up. I can also come up with your backstory if you want.

Sheets
You can slap a "I'm interested" to reserve your spot before you work on your character sheet. For the sheets, just fill out and post.
Name - (Fantasy sounding, or possibly sci-fi)
Gender - (Male, Female)
Race - (Human or standard fantasy fare, if you want more info for unique races, just ask)
Age - (Must be over 18)
Personality - (Short description such as morality, curiosity, intensity, and so forth)
Combat Class - (Mage, Swordsman, Dancer, anything you want, or create your own)
Combat Description - (How do they fight? What weapons? Spells? Do they fight nobly or dirtily?)
Backstory - (Remember, keep it somewhat vague, but have fun with it)
Appearance - (Picture preferred but a description will do)
The player sheet is more for you and me both. It helps us understand each other and expectations. By understanding what you're looking for, I can mold the experience to suit you.
Desired Genres - (Action & Adventure are a given, but what else are you interested in?)
Romance - (Do you want your PC to find love? If so, we'll discuss it more)
Dislikes - (What toes shouldn't I stomp on?)
Preferences - (Any other preferences? Want a tale of redemption? Maybe one of great tragedy? Or just exciting?)
Finally...
This is my first GM-forum run in a while, so bear with me. But, as I'm confident in the role overall, I think it'll be fun. Hope to see you soon, Child of Mana!
 
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Name: Jessabelle Xiloviel
Gender: Female
Race: Half-Elf
Age: 35 (23ish in human years)
Personality: Jess is, first and foremost, a survivor. Living as a Child of Mana on the inside of Sarlem, she's had to rely on her quick wit, quick mind, and quicker body to keep from being discovered. Though she's not an amoral person, her survival comes before anything else - she'd do just about anything just to live one more day.
Combat Class: Spellsword
Combat Description: Longsword, electric-based destruction magic, illusions
Backstory: Born in Sarlem to a fabulously wealthy elf father and a human mother, Jess has always been caught between the two worlds. Life as an heiress wasn't for her, and luckily her father had no interest in raising her anyway. She's lived on the inside, hiding in plain sight among the enemy, all her life, and it's kept her sharper than a knife. But she knows she can't keep it up forever. Eventually, they'll catch on, and catch her. She's just prolonging the inevitable, but it's all she knows how to do.
shadowrun_elf_portrait_by_arttair-da97j1w.png
 
Name: Jessabelle Xiloviel
Gender: Female
Race: Half-Elf
Age: 35 (23ish in human years)
Personality: Jess is, first and foremost, a survivor. Living as a Child of Mana on the inside of Sarlem, she's had to rely on her quick wit, quick mind, and quicker body to keep from being discovered. Though she's not an amoral person, her survival comes before anything else - she'd do just about anything just to live one more day.
Combat Class: Spellsword
Combat Description: Longsword, electric-based destruction magic, illusions
Backstory: Born in Sarlem to a fabulously wealthy elf father and a human mother, Jess has always been caught between the two worlds. Life as an heiress wasn't for her, and luckily her father had no interest in raising her anyway. She's lived on the inside, hiding in plain sight among the enemy, all her life, and it's kept her sharper than a knife. But she knows she can't keep it up forever. Eventually, they'll catch on, and catch her. She's just prolonging the inevitable, but it's all she knows how to do.
shadowrun_elf_portrait_by_arttair-da97j1w.png

Welcome! And Trish, do you want to fill out the Player Sheet? Then we can get you rolling.

- Thanks, Cheers!
 
Oh shoot, I completely forgot about that one!

Desired Genres: I'd love to explore both in and out of Sarlem, I think that'd make for an interesting mix of sci-fi and high fantasy elements
Romance: If it happens naturally, sure. Jess is slow to trust so it won't necessarily happen, but if it does then great :3
Dislikes: Scat, vomit, vore, sexual gore, feet on/in me, and of course writing for my character and such
Preferences: I think something of a bittersweet/Pyrrhic victory would work best here, where the characters overcome immense obstacles to succeed at their goals but don't find the satisfaction or closure that they sought from it. Kind of like the end of LOTR, where Frodo and Sam come back from their 'grand adventure' restless and weary, unable to readjust to normal life.
 
I'm interested. If the slots aren't filled yet, sign me up!

[Still new so maybe I might make a few mistakes on the character creations. Just tell me if I need to change the things I wrote]
 
Oh shoot, I completely forgot about that one!

Desired Genres: I'd love to explore both in and out of Sarlem, I think that'd make for an interesting mix of sci-fi and high fantasy elements
Romance: If it happens naturally, sure. Jess is slow to trust so it won't necessarily happen, but if it does then great :3
Dislikes: Scat, vomit, vore, sexual gore, feet on/in me, and of course writing for my character and such
Preferences: I think something of a bittersweet/Pyrrhic victory would work best here, where the characters overcome immense obstacles to succeed at their goals but don't find the satisfaction or closure that they sought from it. Kind of like the end of LOTR, where Frodo and Sam come back from their 'grand adventure' restless and weary, unable to readjust to normal life.

Got it, thank you! Two questions:
1. If romance, gender pref?
2. As for the backstory, is she still living with her parents or is she going solo? She has nothing to do with her father, I assume? What of her mother?

EDIT:
Wrote a starting scene. Does this fit with your character? If not, I can rewrite with more of your input.
Razing Sarlem RP Link
 
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I'm interested. If the slots aren't filled yet, sign me up!

[Still new so maybe I might make a few mistakes on the character creations. Just tell me if I need to change the things I wrote]

We have room! Welcome aboard. Don't worry about making mistakes. We'll work together to make it awesome-tacular, as they say
 
Got it, thank you! Two questions:
1. If romance, gender pref?
2. As for the backstory, is she still living with her parents or is she going solo? She has nothing to do with her father, I assume? What of her mother?

EDIT:
Wrote a starting scene. Does this fit with your character? If not, I can rewrite with more of your input.
Razing Sarlem RP Link

Don't really have a gender preference! I'm thinking she's living on her own, but still visits her mother from time to time - only rarely, to not get her caught up in all the stuff she has to deal with.

The starting scene looks good! Should I reply to it directly on that thread?
 
Don't really have a gender preference! I'm thinking she's living on her own, but still visits her mother from time to time - only rarely, to not get her caught up in all the stuff she has to deal with.

The starting scene looks good! Should I reply to it directly on that thread?

Glad you like it. Yes, reply directly, but make sure to either chop the quote to just a sentence or two, or put it in a spoiler, please.
 
Let me know if this works :D

Name - Zephyrious Griffinson
Gender - Male
Race - Snowborn (Father was human, Mother was Yuki-onna)
Age - 27
Personality - A confident and calculating man who has run a successful business as a merchant for years. He can seem a bit haughty, but he simply uses that as a cover to help people underestimate him. Doesn't care about reputation, just results.
Combat Class - Ice Sculptor
Combat Description - Forms weapons, tools, mirrors, and even clones out of ice of a variety of forms and can control multiple of them through kryokenisis (I think that's the word). Fights however he needs to to bring about the desired affects afterward, but rarely uses a contest of pure might.
Backstory - The son of a traveling merchant waylaid by a mythological race. Since he was born male, he was allowed to leave with his father. He has since traveled the world, stepped out on his own, and amassed his own fortune and clientele, a master of the black market's pulse. Has found that sometimes, money really is the best sword and fame the best shield...and charm the dagger.
Appearance -

77759b1f70d36c3d98e361efd1d62d78.jpg

Desired Genres: I think as long as it fits the world, go for it... just try to keep horror elements to a lesser degree, please :)
Romance: As the story flows, so let it be
Dislikes: Horror... and things that would clearly just be plain gross. Sounds like you don't like that either though XD
Preferences: Hmmm... I like getting a sense of victory now and again and some 'wow' moments... otherwise, lead away.
 
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Name -
Ol'ndr Nerium
Lean for short
Gender - Female
Race - Human
Age - 25
Personality - Lean is a curios yet cautious person. She usually tinkers objects new to her and would likely destroy said object out of overuse. When she is scared, her first impulse is to run. This was ingrained to her at an early age. Though she hates large amounts of people, she enters towns and cities for supplies and food and a little bit of research. When these are done, she usually camps deep in the woods to either rest or practice her magic. She is also mischievous; using her experiments to inconvenient someone [mostly to either scare or cock block].
Combat Class - Shaman and a bit of necromancy
Combat Description - Lean's main weapon is small staff adorned by skulls of small birds. Totems and a few bottles of questionable liquid. She sucks at fighting but is good at the art of running away.
Backstory - Born in the outskirts of a great forest, Lean grew up under the care of shamans and a necromancers. Here, nobody knows who your biological mother and father is. Everyone here considers you family. At an early age, she was trained to appreciate nature and use them things around her to her advantage. She was also taught to hide her abilities from strangers for some unknown reason. This in turn fueled her curios mind.
When she was finally at age, she chose to explore the world and bid farewell to the land she called her home. Somewhere along the way, she met a person who claimed to be in the land named Sarlem. Being the curios one, she agreed to come peacefully. At the middle of the trip, something screamed at her to run from the people of Sarlem. She did. When she was cornered, she had to use everything in her power to escape. She had woken those long dead in the land before actually blacking out because of the shortage of mana.
She woke up with a thirst of the unknown. What is this Sarlem place? Why was she being taken there? What were those things that blasted fire instead of arrows? How did they created that? Were there more of those thingies? One thing was for sure, she was going to get herself killed by unraveling the secrets of that place

Appearance
-
abYq01O

Post your current wallpaper in the comment

Desired Genres: I would prefer the adventure fantasy than that of the sci-fi but once in a while, if an enemy is encountered, the weapons of Sarlem are great. Also a bit of comedy.
Romance: Ol'ndr does not have a particular interest in anything aside from tinkering things. If she meets someone with the same thirst as her of the unknown, maybe she is going to fall for him.
Dislikes: Exhibitionism
Preferences: As per ending, I have no idea. Let's just see where the character goes. The question of ideology and a bit of tension.
As per character, I want her to get confused as to what she is going to believe in. Sarlem sounded like heaven to ignorant humans while those of the know-how thinks it's hell-on-earth especially with those who could use magic. Also, I want to see her cheerful disposition [or sanity] broken. Where her morality turns gray and she actually starts killing not only because she has to.
 
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Let me know if this works :D
Name - Zephyrious Griffinson
Gender - Male
Race - Snowborn (Father was human, Mother was Yuki-onna)
Age - 27
Personality - A confident and calculating man who has run a successful business as a merchant for years. He can seem a bit haughty, but he simply uses that as a cover to help people underestimate him. Doesn't care about reputation, just results.
Combat Class - Ice Sculptor
Combat Description - Forms weapons, tools, mirrors, and even clones out of ice of a variety of forms and can control multiple of them through kryokenisis (I think that's the word). Fights however he needs to to bring about the desired affects afterward, but rarely uses a contest of pure might.
Backstory - The son of a traveling merchant waylaid by a mythological race. Since he was born male, he was allowed to leave with his father. He has since traveled the world, stepped out on his own, and amassed his own fortune and clientele, a master of the black market's pulse. Has found that sometimes, money really is the best sword and fame the best shield...and charm the dagger.
Appearance -

77759b1f70d36c3d98e361efd1d62d78.jpg

Desired Genres: I think as long as it fits the world, go for it... just try to keep horror elements to a lesser degree, please :)
Romance: As the story flows, so let it be
Dislikes: Horror... and things that would clearly just be plain gross. Sounds like you don't like that either though XD
Preferences: Hmmm... I like getting a sense of victory now and again and some 'wow' moments... otherwise, lead away.

It does! I'll get you started ASAP

Here you are!
Razing Sarlem
 
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Ol'ndr Nerium
Lean for short
Gender - Female
Race - Human
Age - 25
Personality - Lean is a curios yet cautious person. She usually tinkers objects new to her and would likely destroy said object out of overuse. When she is scared, her first impulse is to run. This was ingrained to her at an early age. Though she hates large amounts of people, she enters towns and cities for supplies and food and a little bit of research. When these are done, she usually camps deep in the woods to either rest or practice her magic. She is also mischievous; using her experiments to inconvenient someone [mostly to either scare or cock block].
Combat Class - Shaman and a bit of necromancy
Combat Description - Lean's main weapon is small staff adorned by skulls of small birds. Totems and a few bottles of questionable liquid. She sucks at fighting but is good at the art of running away.
Backstory - Born in the outskirts of a great forest, Lean grew up under the care of shamans and a necromancers. Here, nobody knows who your biological mother and father is. Everyone here considers you family. At an early age, she was trained to appreciate nature and use them things around her to her advantage. She was also taught to hide her abilities from strangers for some unknown reason. This in turn fueled her curios mind.
When she was finally at age, she chose to explore the world and bid farewell to the land she called her home. Somewhere along the way, she met a person who claimed to be in the land named Sarlem. Being the curios one, she agreed to come peacefully. At the middle of the trip, something screamed at her to run from the people of Sarlem. She did. When she was cornered, she had to use everything in her power to escape. She had woken those long dead in the land before actually blacking out because of the shortage of mana.
She woke up with a thirst of the unknown. What is this Sarlem place? Why was she being taken there? What were those things that blasted fire instead of arrows? How did they created that? Were there more of those thingies? One thing was for sure, she was going to get herself killed by unraveling the secrets of that place

Appearance
-
abYq01O

Post your current wallpaper in the comment

Desired Genres: I would prefer the adventure fantasy than that of the sci-fi but once in a while, if an enemy is encountered, the weapons of Sarlem are great. Also a bit of comedy.
Romance: Ol'ndr does not have a particular interest in anything aside from tinkering things. If she meets someone with the same thirst as her of the unknown, maybe she is going to fall for him.
Dislikes: Exhibitionism
Preferences: As per ending, I have no idea. Let's just see where the character goes. The question of ideology and a bit of tension.
As per character, I want her to get confused as to what she is going to believe in. Sarlem sounded like heaven to ignorant humans while those of the know-how thinks it's hell-on-earth especially with those who could use magic. Also, I want to see her cheerful disposition [or sanity] broken. Where her morality turns gray and she actually starts killing not only because she has to.

Very exciting backstory! I'll get you started ASAP.
 
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PSA (Public Service Assignment)!

Each of the characters thus far have a new profile on WorldAnvil! This is going to be where information for your character is kept, along with info on the world, events, and so forth. I may not be able to update it daily, but I'll try and keep it up to date so you can easily see what happened thus far for your character.

You can access the links through the Razing Sarlem RP, under the current characters section. Or, just click the links below.

Ol'ndr Nerium (Lean)
Zephyrious Griffinson
Jessabelle Xiloviel
 
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