The Heart Of Ruhir - Rpg Grp B

[Kheskeim]

Welcome to The Humongous Hippo :-)

 

I thought we needed an ooc thread in here, so I made one.

 

First a little collection of Malchik's wisdom:

 

This post is designed to see who might be interested in joining. If there are not enough it will not happen.

 

The setting

 

The world of Zorlon, a place with nine countries and three related non human dimensions (see below). Specifically in the country of Bashkher.

 

Quest

 

Every country in Zorlon is being attacked by an alien magic. In Bashkher this is having the effect of turning people to stone. It is currently contained in a small geographical area but is spreading. It is known how to stop it spreading - a broken sword tip must be matched to the sword it has been broken from. Rather awkwardly you have no idea where the sword might be. You have only one clue to go on. (I'll state that if the RPG ever gets off the ground.) To do this it will need a small band of adventurers working together. They will travel the length and breadth of the huge country and even have to find a place 'out of time'.

 

A request for help has been posted in all the taverns of the capital Papred.

 

Characters

 

You may choose your own characters from the info provided below but nothing uber (any realistic 'trade' is possible but a shipmaster might be of limited use in what is predominately a land based rpg). The equipment armour and weapons is similar to MW levels but without the names associated with that game (so no daedra, stalhrim, Indoril etc.) Best to check on this before getting carried away.

 

Countries and races

 

1. Dayone

 

Small temperate farmland community with (for the time) relatively advanced technology. Inhabitants human, blond, blue eyed and fairly tall have the innate quality that they cannot lie directly and no one can lie to them. No magic.

 

2. Niyobi

 

Huge and mostly cold. It is a land of mountains forests and moors. It's inhabitants have faces that conceal all emotions. It has inherent magic that has been ruthlessly supressed by the government but some shape changers still exist and that skill is available. (They can change into ANY smaller creature). Inhabitants, human, medium height, olive complexion, straight black hair.

 

3. Jourtres

 

Medium sized, hot and jungly. It is a lawless place where you must fight to live. Reputedly no magic although much of the place is unexplored. Inhabitants are all fierce fighters.

 

4. Tagfier

 

Huge and mainly a desert with five great cities. There are two groups. The Wanderers, desert nomads, brilliant horsemen they have one magical skill; they can cast conceal and reveal. The rest of the population are magic users. Wizards specialise in one of nine schools of magic (earth, air, fire, water, light, death, time, healing and the mind).

 

5. Levdia

 

Standard medium sized developed country like most in our world esp Europe here with a bit of everything. No specific racial type. No magic.

 

6. Angyngrax

 

Largely destroyed and not a place from which to get recruits.

 

7. Shallara

 

There is no land in Shallara. The inhabitants are part human and part water elemental. They are at home in water and can breathe underneath it. They are all golden yellow with green eyes and copper coloured hair. They have no magic but are very beautiful to look at and can use that as a weapon. Their fighting skills are limited to thrown weapons and tridents.

 

8. Urital

 

Impoverished infertile grassland supporting only one huge city. Inhabitants the colour of dark chocolate. They fight with machetes and other chopping weapons. They have no magic.

 

9. Bashkher

 

Huge and diverse but warm to hot (think India) no specific racial type. They are not a fighting nation but are capable of learning. No magic except for one group, witches, who have spells associated with animal affinity and herbal remedies etc. This is the setting for the rpg.

 

Non human dimensions relevant for interest only atm

 

10. Taragoka

 

A place that studies all possible futures and sends out dreams and visions

 

11. Zoriishii

 

The land of those who carry dreams to the minds of humans

 

12 T'mor'dend

 

The land of the dead.

 

Game play

 

Standard RPG style with at least one post every 48 hours as the minimum. DM to establish results of actions. Forum RP rules. Dice rolls for damage only (most of the rp is scripted)

 

If interested please post below or PM me

 

Okay some hints for the eight so far. As soon as you have a character post it here and let me tweak it if necessary. Watch what others are posting. The group will be eight and ideally you need a mix of skills. Characters are most skillful if one class but dual class are permitted. They will have lower stats than one class characters. Watch what others are posting and try to build a character that will fit in. You will need a couple of fighters, a tracker, one who can detect traps, a good thief, at most two mages ideally one of them a healer and someone to do the talking.

 

Theta has already indicated she wishes to be a shapechanger from Niyobi. So others looking to be in group A (if we have enough to split the group) need not take that skill.

 

This is a list of magic options for those who want to use it.

 

Dayoneans (all) - true speak/detect lie

Niyobians (a few) - shape changing

Tagfieran Wanderers (all) - conceal and reveal spells

Shallarans - breathe water

Bashkheri (witches only) - animal affinity, turnip sleep (causes the target to fall asleep)

 

Mage Magic from Tagfier (one school only)

Earth - offensive spells, rock stream, shake etc. but a school that is very focussed more likely to be used for more peaceful actions

Air - offensive spells, tornado, blast, etc - a school that is imaginative even fanciful

Water - flood, turn to steam - a school that is cool and calculating

Fire - many offensive spells - a school that is skilled in combat

Death - serious death spells are too high a level for anyone in this rpg but they have other skills, contact dead, contact undead, feign death etc, - a school that ensures nothing is left unfinished

Light - no real offensive spells but it includes all illusionists - a school that can invent well

Healing - self evident no real offensive spells but can use some healing spells offensively e.g. close out noise - a school that puts helping others first

The Mind - can control and read the minds of others - a school that thinks of everything

Time - serious time spells are outside the range of those in this rpg but can move out of time and move others out of time - a school that holds knowledge

 

For fighters

Dayoneans - useless fighters (it is illegal)

Niyobians - fair fighters with knives and swords

Jourtresians - excellent fighters with everything but bows and arrows

Tagfieran Wanderers - fighting on horseback using spears and lances

Levdians - a few are very skilled with bows and arrows most don't fight

Shallarans - thrown weapons and tridents excellent

Uritali - machetes and chopping weapons excellent

Bashkheri - poor fighters but a few are good swordsmen

 

For Thieves

Dayoneans - useless, there is nothing worth stealing on Dayone

Niyobians - fair

Jourtresians - useless, wrong psychology

Tagfieran Wanderers - fair

Levdians - various dubious guilds called 'Yar' mean thieves do well here

Shallarans - useless, there is nothing at all to steal in Shallara

Uritali - good thieves, the society is full of secret cults

Bashkheri - good thieves made so because of the wide disparity between rich and poor

 

For Using charm/personality

Dayoneans - excellent, no one can lie to them however this can make them be disliked

Niyobians - excellent, the country has rafts of rules about etiquette and formality

Jourtresians - er, no

Tagfieran Wizards - er, no far too arrogant

Tagfieran Wanderers - nothing special

Levdians - fair especially in commercial situations

Shallarans - excellent in the arts of seduction

Uritali - not good, too secret themselves

Bashkheri - variable

 

Hope this gives you enough to work on.

 

Pm me if you need more.

 

Okay we have too many for one group so I will have a different but related story also set in Bashkher for the rest of you concerning investigation of glowing statues.

 

The description below is of the city of Flen, the capital of Levdia taken from when the questers in my book Zekic (18), Rozia (19) and Sammi (10) arrive.

 

Papred, which is where the RPG story will begin, is hotter and dustier but has the same kind of crowded chaos. I am currently preparing the opening post for Thursday. The opening scenes will be in Papred and you will be trying to get the information to start your teams off from a variety of sources. If you split up I will PM the info to the individuals concerned and let them put it in the thread as they think fit. At the beginning things will move slowly if all decisions are debated in the thread so I suggest you have the same OT threads as were used in the recent comp. Agree a consensus figure and agree to be bound by it. Religion is very important in Bashkher but there are hundreds of gods and temples to them. All religions are in harmony as there is no dominant belief. I will note the religious beliefs of the dimensions after the description of Flen.

 

Flen came as a shock. It was vast, sprawling and chaotic. Built haphazardly over the years, no thought had been given to street patterns or logical location. The flourmills were on the other side of the city from the grain silos and both well away from the wharves where the grain was unloaded; the sawmills were nowhere near the wood yards; the healers a long walk from the hospitals. Indeed, if anyone had set out to design a city that could not function, they'd never have come up with anything as insane as Flen. It was an old city, of narrow streets and rickety buildings and permanently jammed with traffic - wheeled carts, animals, pedestrians, horse-drawn chaises and fast inter-city coaches. It was as if nothing were meant to arrive.

 

Sammi gaped at the size and noise of it all. Rozia complained about the dirt. Zekic wanted to know how anyone could possibly remember where they were.

 

A herd of cows bound for the local market was mixed up with a flock of sheep on their way to be shorn. A party of children on a school outing was trying to cross under the guidance of a frazzled teacher. Several men in overalls were digging a hole in the road. If these were the outskirts, what would it be like in the centre? A cow, frightened by the sheep dogs, dropped a wet cow pat right at their feet, splashing their clothes.

 

"Can't you cast a spell?" Rozia grumbled. "We'll smell like a horse's arse by the time we get there."

 

"I'm not going to take the book out in the middle of this rabble. A cow would bite a chunk out of it."

 

A sheepdog, presumably mistaking Sammi for an oddly shaped ovine, crouched down and barked at him, making him jump. He told the dog to go elsewhere in words Zekic felt boys of his age shouldn't know. Several times Rozia tried asking passers by for the archives, to be met with blank stares or a vague 'centre's that way' and a hand flapped in no particular direction. The teacher, having finally got her children across, turned them into a street from which a marching band emerged. As the band approached, the drummer gave two loud whacks on the bass drum, causing the sheep to run into the cows again. A dustcart was visible beyond the cows. A coach containing the shift change for the city guard was stuck among the sheep. A group of visitors on a guided tour of outer Flen were attempting to cross where the children had done. The tourists squawked. The band blared. The dogs barked. The cows freaked.

 

 

Religions in Bashkher

 

Dayone - None, no afterlife, bodies are cremated and used as fertiliser

Niyobi - People go to the temples because it is suspicious not to, not necessarily because they believe and there are probably more gods than people, corpses are buried

Jourtres - erm, not the right psychology but some cults; in the past they worshipped 'King Water', corpses are left for the birds and rats to feed on

Tagfier - none, the wizards and Wanderers know everyone ends up in the world of the dead regardless of what they believe, corpses generally buried

Levdia - none, no one thinks about it, a few cults, corpses cremated

Angyngrax - none except in the city of Letzthammar where they worship 'Flame carriers'

Shallara - none, they don't care about the unavoidable, corpses simply vanish

Urital - everyone belongs to one of the many cults, they are not really religions as such, corpses cremated on funeral pyres

Bashkher - Some believe in a god or gods or at least something, others don't, corpses are always cremated usually on funeral pyres

 

 

When - thursday March 23rd Evening UK time in one of two new threads. Where - Papred, Bashkher, specifically the audience chamber of Bharat Desani, responsible for security of the city of Papred capital of Bhashker. How - you will be told what you need to do by Bharat but he knows little. Your first tasks will be learn of your companions, find somewhere to stay and make enquiries in Papred that will move you on. There could be many distractions designed to prevent you going anywhere so keep focussed. Papred is a huge city with many delights and temptations. Can you avoid them?

 

 

NOTICE

 

LAST CALL FOR NEW ENTRIES/CHARACTERS

For information the second storyline will be this: One of the side effects of the magical attack on Bashkher (the one group A is trying to rectify) is that weird and evil events have been occuring in certain temples. You have to find out the cause of the problem and put an end to it. The events have nothing to do with the religious beliefs of those worshipping. The thread will have its own title The Heart of Ruhir. This won't mean anything until you are a little way into the game.

 

The rpg will have 6 threads in total:- 2 game threads, 2 OT discussion threads, this start up chargen thread and a thread that gives info on Bashkher only I can post in. It will include maps if I can find anyone to draw them and a brief description of the country's regions. If one group visits a place and learns anything of use to the other group it will be added here (a town map for instance). The quests do overlap at one point.

 

Because of the size of the country much time would be spend in reality travelling from place to place. I will not ask you to role play the journeys. When you want to move on simply say where you wish to go next.

 

Mr Anderson, thank you I have already had offers from Baba John for Papred and Karkarinus for Bashkher. There will be others in future.

 

GAME MECHANICS

 

Nearly all the game is scripted. If you open a door I will not be rolling a dice to tell you you are facing three banshees wailing, two headless horsemen and a partridge in a pear tree. Whatever is behind the door is there from the start. The detecting of traps and the like will be a decision I take based on the complexity of the trap and the skill of the detector. Generally I will be generous. The only time I will be using dice is to calculate damage in conflict. Unless you are very stupid I will keep you alive but you might be out of action if you tackle something too big for you. Conflict is not all that common because I find it unconvincing in this kind of RPG but there will be some and as the quest progresses you have some difficult adversaries.

 

I am trying to be as realistic as one can be in the circs and for this reason your actions on days one and two are prescribed. You will not take control of your quests until day 3. For this reason the quicker we can deal with the intro period the better IMO.

 

Day 1

 

In the intro you will be given a quest by Bharat, shown to lodgings and asked to assemble in the bar. The first thing you will need to do is elect a decision notifier. This individual will be responsible for telling me when you are ready to move on. You may interact with each other as much as you wish but before moving on two docs must be produced. The first is a summary character sheet with basic details only name, nationality, age, class, special abilities. This can be used by everyone when planning actions. The second is a list of all equipment you have and all you want to buy. You will be travelling across a very diverse country with swamps, mountains, forests, deserts, rivers, oceans etc. Bharat will authorise the purchase of supplies (excluding armour and weapons which you must bring). Items such as bedrolls can be assumed but rope, crampons, insect repellent etc etc must be specified. And what you have will determine what you can do. There will be no miraculous discoveries at the bottom of knapsacks. When the two lists are done the day is over. (You will be able to stock up on omissions at most major cities.)

 

Day 2

 

It will be assumed that you have spent the day getting what you need, funded by Bharat. You may RP this if you wish but it is not essential. You will also have to send someone to the city Archives to get info. Again I do not intend to rp that. Day 2 therefore starts in the evening with you distributing the new equipment which must all be allocated. One of you has a nice horsie that can presumably carry stuff but unless you specify otherwise horsie stays outside and all the stuff s/he carries does too. If one of you gets locked in by a trap and that one has the rope the rope will not be available for the others. So your day 2 is allocating equipment and deciding on precisely where you intend to start. (Info from the archives will help in this). Once this is done day two is over.

 

Day 3

 

From here on in you are on your own. Generally if you say you wish to move somewhere I will start you there. If I do not it is because there is something to be discovered in the landscape or from an NPC. Bear this in mind because it is the only hint you will get. You will not be attacked in the open or in ordinary houses without a warning post that you feel uneasy but in caves and dungeons you need to be more proactive.

 

If anything here does not make total sense feel free to PM me.

 

The only thing left for me to do before tomorrow is add the description of Bashkher. Then we are off.

 

 

Okay I hope this is the last info post. A map is on the way. Please note: Bashkher is entirely surrounded by sea.

 

Bashkher political info.

 

The country has a nominal leader Kumar Sagrami who has a palace in the capital Papred. His duties are nominal because effectively all the power is in the hands of individual city governors. In any case Kumar does as his wife Arminda Sagrami tells him to. She is usually to be found lounging on the beach in the playground city of Ippikander.

 

Papred also has a governor Jarrid Tahtra but the real power is in the hands of the Minister for Internal Security (of Papred not Bashkher) Bharat Desani.

 

In real terms each city is completely independent. There is a great disparity in the way the governors handle things. Some are democratic, others despotic, some are honest and honourable, most are not. One city Kolokon is ruled by a Triumvirate.

 

Bashkher Climate

 

Bashkher has a tropical climate that is hot all year round. The only places to experience cold weather are the high mountain ranges. There are two seasons for most of the country - hot and dry and hot and wet. The two exceptions are the far west where it hardly ever rains and there is the Shorava Desert and the extreme south where it never stops raining and there are the Swamps of Ooo.

 

Bashkher Physical Features

 

One of the two mountain ranges is just to the east of the Shorava desert and largely responsible for that western region's dryness. These mountains are the source of Bashkher's great river the Gurjana which flows west to east through almost the whole country and reaches the coast at Papred.

 

The second mountain range makes up the north of the country and is the source of the main tributary of the Gurjana, the Paratna. Just east of these mountains is the enormous and deep lake of Biksinder named after the nearest city. Much of the north east of the country is forested with tropical hardwood forest and this is the source of the other significant tributary of the Gurjana, the Indur.

 

Bashkher's Cities

 

The size of the country makes transport slow and difficult. The fastest means of travel is by ocean going sailing ships and 9 of the 16 great cities are on the coast. Starting from Papred and travelling anticlockwise they are Dohoti, Golconar, Biksinder and Ippikander on the north coast. Travelling clockwise they are Memtuz, Selma, Lopor and Tangrik on the south coast. There are no settlemets on the western coastline.

 

The other popular means of travel is on the great river, and five cities connect in this way to Papred. Travelling upstream on the Gurjana they are Pellaret, Antinapura and Zooz. Veejani stands on the Indur in the middle of the forest and Jangli sits astride the Paratna.

 

The other two cities are all but inaccessible. Kolokon sits on an intermontane plateau in the high northern mountains and can only be reached by a long and difficult hike. Tipurim is built around several wells in the middle of the Shorava desert and can be reached only by camel train. The ruined city of Akitaron lies three days' journey north of Tipurim.

 

Bashkher's people.

 

Not surprisingly for such a huge place there are many types of people. The majority are slightly below average height for the whole of Zorlon and are dusky skinned with straight jet black hair. Poverty is endemic but there are wide disparities with the very rich living in ornate palaces and the very poor living in bundles of rags. The poor hugely outnumber the rich.

 

Well. I hope this gives some feel for the place. Cheers for now. I look forward to setting out on the journey tomorrow.

 

 

A couple of you have PM'd me about how you got to Bashkher. In my fantasy story 'Broken Worlds' the countries that make up Zorlon have been magically split apart for millennia. Travel between them is almost impossible and they have forgotten other nations even existed (which is why they have all developed so very differently). For characters not Bashkheri there would be two ways of getting to Bashkher. Anyone setting out in a boat just hoping to go 'anywhere' could have been directed by Water Elementals to Bashkher. Others will have got there by some magical means of which they were unaware. They may have had premonitions, they may have begged their gods, they may simply have gone to sleep in one place and woken up in another. The only thing they cannot have done is booked a passage to Bashkher deliberately.

 

The place will seem alien to most of you but because it is much more diverse than many of the lands of Zorlon you will not be looked upon as alien yourself.

 

A couple of other bits of info on classes so far selected

 

Fighters

 

Bashkher is a peaceful country and carrying an offensive weapon openly, unless acting as a guard for shipments of valuable goods, is unheard of. Fighters should therefore have cloaks to conceal such weapons and ideally leave them off in safe environments. Carrying daggers and knives for personal defense is common enough. Armour is never seen on ordinary folk and will cause much adverse comment. Buying offensive weapons and armour will be impossible once you leave Papred and repairing them will be difficult though not impossible unless you can do so yourselves.

 

Wizards/Mages/Shapechangers other magic users

 

Magic is believed not to exist in Bashkher and anyone seen to be using it would as like as not be dragged away and stoned to death. There are in fact some magic users but you need to keep a very low profile and use magic only when it cannot be detected or seen by the local populace. You will find no spell scrolls or enchanted items unless you come across one of these rare magic users.

 

Alchemists (who are also wizards)

 

Some 'realistic' kinds of potion are available in shops - sleeping drafts, poisons, stimulants that fortify, minor healing drafts etc. There are no magic potions like breathe water or levitate. You may bring with you up to 10 potions of your own choice and ingredients to make a further 20 (these need to be specified on the equipment list). I will let you decide what to call your ingredients. Make up names or use common names but not MW names. The flora of Bashkher is unique and so you will need to research to find out which ingredients can be used to replace those you have brought when they are used up.

 

Alchemists who are not wizards

 

You will be able to make the real potions referred to above when you are away from anywhere to buy them.

 

Actor

 

You will fit in well. Bashkher has lots of street entertainment.

 

Shaman

 

Shamanic practice is more commonly associated with Niyobi but is found in the remote mountain villages. In most of Bashkher you would be considered 'odd' but tolerated.

 

Tracker

 

No problems they are in every country.

 

Thief

 

Thievery is commonplace in Bashkher and you may be a victim as much as a thief yourself.

 

Horseman

 

Horses are found in many parts of the Bashkher.

 

Nobleman

 

People who flout wealth in such a poor country are despised by almost everyone except those in power. A nobleman will be useful when dealing with city governors. However the level of thievery and aggressive begging is such most wealthy people travel as commoners - so look to the costume.

 

Enchanter

 

Enchanting using soul gems is not heard of in Zorlon such things do not exist (that is an MW device). You may place enchantments in any suitable object provided you have the ingredients to make the spell and the skill to combine them. As with alchemists, you may bring ingredients enough to make 20 enchantments (listed in equipment please) and replace ingredients as you can. As with Alchemists you may need to research or experiment. You will not find any other enchanters in Bashkher.

 

If I have missed anyone out I'll edit this further in a minute.

 

 

This is a little thing I use to RP out from.. just basics about every character. Not sure if it's any use to anyone but me, but here it is. Fell free to comment and/or pm me with changes.

 

Kheskeim : Kheskeim Valantius

Gender: Male Bashkheri (20)

Class: nobleman (knight in training)

Apperance: Athletic on the lean side, tall, short dark hair, brownish smooth skin, dark green eyes.

Items visible: Valantius family crested surcoat (black gauntlet on red bg), black exquisite pants and shirt, fine leather boots and belt, empty pouch

Worn: family dagger (of a fine black matte metal, shaft red)

 

Titanania : Aldhelm

Gender: Male Tagfier (27)

Class: Enchanter/Alchemist

Apperance: 6'4 high, dark skin with white blonde hair,

 

Werewolf3 : Khyros

Gender: Male Shallaran (21)

Class: Actor

Apperance: Tall, lean physique, slight muscles. Very social, observant, and cautious. (golden yellow with green eyes and copper coloured hair)

Items visible: Trident, guitar, brown pants, brown shoes, blue shirt, and a blue cloak

 

Theta : Kyrika

Gender: Female Nyobian (17)

Class: Shapeshifter?

Apperance: Waif-like, long, straggly black hair, large grey eyes (faces that conceal all emotions)

Items visible:

 

Morgoth : Chacahau

Gender: Male Jourtres (36)

Class: Fighter / herbalist

Appearance: thin, yet muscular figure; brown skin tone but largely covered with blue-greenish tattoos; long black, curly and plaited hair

Items visible: loincloth; richly decorated obsidian knife, spear, blowtube waterskin, carrying bag,

 

Ixnos : Kane Nighy

Gender: Male Jourtres (26)

Class: Fighter/Mercenary

Appearance: 6'2 high, broad muscular,

Items visible: two swords, heavy armour, pouches

 

dragonben : Shaka

Gender: Male Uritali (25)

Class: Savant/Fighter

Appearance: totally black, 6'4, athletic

Items visible: Stout boots, Dark brown robe with Dark green trimming, Water proofed Hooded cape, leather gloves, two hunting knifes in belt