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cptsisko
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Post by cptsisko on Oct 30, 2017 2:13:43 GMT -5
I've always wanted to have a fantasy type rp, complete with warring kingdoms and a looming threat. I'm a huge fan of Dragon Age, and of LOTR, Game of Thrones and Sarah J Maa's A Court of series, and i was hoping to get something similar.
I have a basic lore { religion, a map, some cities etc } and starting thing { new leader coming to power} , but as for the big bad of the storyline and other things, I'm drawing a blank. So i was hoping to find help here
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Post by Percival de Rolo III on Oct 30, 2017 8:08:12 GMT -5
I'd be interested in helping out with this. :3
Mind if I ask what you have so far a little more specifically? I have some preliminary ideas but it would be better if I had the whole picture so I could come up with things actually in the lore you've established so far.
One idea that's been in the back of my head for a while is that the 'bad guy' is almost always associated with shadow while the 'good guy' is light for some arbitrary reason. It might be interesting to see a reversal of that- having evil associated with light rather than dark in this world. There are plenty of cases where shadow can be considered good; it provides shade from the hot sun, it signifies night which is when most predators go to sleep, and it's often associated with the indoors and shelter. Light on the other hand could be seen as bad because it can be blinding, it's often associated with heat and the day, and because light is stark and indifferent to everything. A sort of purifying, burning light would be interesting to see as a motif of evil, while cool and protective shadow could be an interesting motif of the "good" side.
That would probably come with some other societal shifts though, and it sounds like you want a more mainstream kind of fantasy so I'm really just throwing ideas out there.
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Non-binary
cptsisko
Pronouns: they/them/theirs
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Post by cptsisko on Oct 30, 2017 15:36:47 GMT -5
Hi! Sorry this is so late but I have this:
"Before there were men or beasts, or even the elven peoples, there were the Ancient Ones. Paragons of strength and virtue. There were six in all, Alamati the Just, Ydall the Wise, Vahena the Gentle, Malaten the Cunning, Ynia the Ruthless and Verenae the Strong. Each gifted the land and it’s people with their wisdom and for centuries, all was well. It wouldn’t stay like that forever, as man’s hubris is ever present.
After years of joy and prosperity, the People began to grow restless. Soon, seeds of doubt were sewn into their minds. Many began whispering false tales and terrible rumors and dissent was forming among them. Hoping to placate their people, the Ancient Ones gave them one last gift: Magic, a decision that would their downfall.With this new gift, the people started an outright revolt. They overthrew their gods, using the very magic they had been given to seal their fate.
World quickly turned to chaos and the Darkness took over, a 10,000 year period of war, famine and disease. Realizing their ancestor’s mistakes, the People set the Ancient Ones free and begged them to fix the damage they had caused. They returned balance to the world and the people rejoiced. But the Ancient Ones could not stay. So disheartened with the faith of man, they returned to the stars. The people were devastated, and vowed to keep the Ancient Ones deeds in their hearts and their minds so as to never fall down the dark path again..
The Empire was formed from the ashes of the Ancient Ones and their bones were used to build its cities. It’s prosperous, with the current Emperor, Teras, bringing in a new Golden Age. It enjoys a vast amount of wealth and a majority of it’s people are happy. Slavery is at an all time high however, and despite Emperor Teras trying to push for a ban, the Senate fights him at every turn.
The Cities
The major cities of Amarathi are labelled on the map above, with each playing a part in the success of the Empire. Perhaps the most important is Veritas, the City of Truth. The capital of the entire country, Veritas is the seat of the Emperor and the Senate. it’s the wealthiest city, followed closely by Tythos.
The sister cities of Calani and Hafax are home to some of the most powerful noble families in the country.
Cylantha is considered to be a Citadel of Learning, with large schools and libraries lining its cost.
Deep in the mountains lies the Holy City, Castor. It is said this is where the Ancient Ones left. It is a place of worship, and many Amarathians make a pilgrimage to the site if they can.
The People
The inhabitants of Amarathi are human, for most intents and purposes. There is no set definition that describes the Amarathians. A man in Tythos may have golden skin and dark hair whereas a woman in Veritas may be as white as snow. Traits vary from person to person. They refer to themselves as the People, as to differ themselves from the Elves. Common tongue and bastard Amarthine are the most common language, but the Emperor and much of the nobility are fluent in High Amarthine
The Elves however…. no one quite knows where they came from. Some say they came from across the sea, others say they were here in the beginning. Whatever the case, they speak their own language and worship their own gods. They travel, and have only one set city, Herux. They usually keep to themselves, and this is fine with the rest of the Empire. Many people look down on elves and often treat them with dirt while others respect them just as much as any other man, but the official stance of the Empire is unknown. Elves make popular slaves.
Magic is a rarity in both species, with only a few people able to wield it enough to do damage. Those who do have it are treated very highly, and many families go to great lengths to have children with magic, so much so that entire families have been bred to have it.
Politics and Nobility
Amarathi is ruled by the Emperor and the Emperor is helped by the Nobility and the Senate. Often times, the Emperor is encouraged to take many wives, and have as many children as possible. Daughters from noble families are always eager to be selected. The current Emperor, Teras, was recently crowned after the death of his father. He is 28 years old.
The Senate is divided into two parts, the Upper and Lower Senate. The Upper Senate are members of nobility, and gain an automatic seat. The nobility of Amarathi are often magic wielders, and rather corrupt.
The Lower Senate are elected leaders from among the People. Mainly, they’re moderately wealthy merchants and other tradesmen who do their best to speak for the poorer citizens."
And i love when things like 'light and dark' are shifted. White is considered a pure and chaste color in some societies, but in others it's a sign of mourning and the dead. It's always nice to see things flip. And the lore could easily be tinkered with to fit it
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Post by Percival de Rolo III on Nov 1, 2017 19:22:21 GMT -5
Sorry for not being on the past few days. After I posted my initial thing here I had an English mid-term to do and yesterday was busy because of Halloween on top of my having to do a college application as well.
Anyway I'm here now and I love what you've got so far. Not sure that the light and dark reversal works well with the culture and backstory that you've got so far, so perhaps we should scrap that idea, or maybe incorporate it into the elves' worldview instead since they seem to have a different mythology and culture. I like your perspective on the elves as well; instead of being just a better version of humans that is superior in every way like most fiction you took the Dragon Age route and made them kind-of their own thing, not necessarily superior but simply different.
I'm thinking that for the backstory you set forth the most obvious plot would be to have one of the Ancient Ones or perhaps just some powerful disciples of one decide that the mistake of humanity needs to be repaid and go on a mission to start exterminating the Empire to 'purify' them. If you wanted to do the role reversal this could work well- maybe make Almati the main enemy and use powers of light rather than powers of shadow as the main magical force. It would be interesting morally to have an enemy who is technically correct in their thinking with the punishing of their creation. However the way you phrase the lore makes it seem pretty clear that the Ancient Ones are gone and dead, at least physically if not spiritually.
If you wanted things to be a little less overtly supernatural then you could have a new rival empire or race show up and start causing problems. If it's a new race then you could have it be the result of the Ancient Ones wanting to replace their original creation, or it could be just another unexplained race like the elves. Perhaps they could be dwarves or orcs, or something else entirely. If you wanted it to be another faction of an existing race then they could be fleeing some disaster and are forced to invade unknown lands such as the Empire for survival, or perhaps they are simply a warmongering horde like the Mongols and are simply invading every land they come across.
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