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[USEC_OFFICER]

Spoiler: Magos Wolkow Mihaylow, Master of the Infinite Cults (click to show/hide)

Name: Magos Wolkow Mihaylow
Starting point distribution: Landed Clergy ('Nobility'), Charisma, Subterfuge
Description: Wolkow Mihaylow is a short man, with a muscular body turned flabby by years of tasty food, good wine, and plenty of excess. Wolkow Mihaylow is rarely seen at public functions without the headgear of the Magos, to hide his massive bald-spot. What remains of his hair is dark black, and he has a large, bushy beard to hide his flabby and weak chin.
Biography: The Diamond Prince was a superstitious man, and created the position of Magos after the bloody Victory of the Solkov River. The exact duties of the Magos have varied depending on the ruling Prince, but usually they are responsible for managing the great festivals to the gods and rooting whatever modes of worship the current Prince deems heretical. The rise of the Chained God's priests in recent memory has split the role of Magos into two, with the Master of the Infinite Cults managing the festivals of the Elder Gods.

While worship of the Elder Gods is not forbidden by law, the chaotic and distributed nature of its worshippers means that the Prince can give out the position as he sees fit. Mihaylow was chosen as Magos when his predecessor (and several likely candidates) drowned while performing rites to the Storm God. For obvious reasons no love is lost between him and Magos Marhardt Blewyn, though oftentimes pragmatism trumps hate. During the Night of Silk Mihaylow disappeared into one of his many estates, and emerged when things began to cool down.

Hope that it's okay to muscle into your position like this, Digital Hellhound. I figure that with two types of Gods to worship, we need two different kinds of landed clergy to create a power bloc.

[Taricus]

Ooohh, Sectarian conflict! This just keeps getting better

[Iituem]

not to be the one to spit into others peoples soup...which i am now anyway, but meeeh. The Shadeless thing sounds...i don't know. Just not really fitting.

I like the idea of the two city states accusing each other of harbouring monstrosities and waging war over it and the mage making everything worse, but the idea of the Shadeless...hmpf.
But that's just my two cents here and i hope you don't take that the wrong way.

Eh, that's why I raised it.  We work out a flavour as we go, what fits and what doesn't.  Just need to figure out what exactly the Shadow Curse is, and why it's enough to fight wars over rather than send an adventuring party to kill the monster.  It can't just turn people into monsters, or it's an environmental threat; people bond together to fight monsters, rather than splitting apart.

After all, nobody disagrees about stopping trolls rampaging down from the mountains, they just might disagree on how.

DH might have it though.  What if the Shadow Curse isn't the motive, it's the means?  What if it's both?  A war of assassins and clandestine action...

Spoiler: Snip (click to show/hide)

Once upon a time there was just one kingdom, Selridge.  Not too long after the Iron Prince established a foothold in these lands, driving away the Elves, other human factions moved into the surrounding countryside and began to carve out their livings.  One of these, larger and more glorious than the Principality, was Selridge and its line of just and wise kings.  Like any other kingdom, it had its wars, its peaces, its internal squabbling.  Life went on.

Around two hundred years ago, the balance of power shifted with the birth of a sorcerer into the ranks of Selridge's nobility, an extremely rare event.  Born into a Great House (though not the Royal House) of Selridge, the sorcerer was set to become a sorcerer-Duke.  As befit his station, he received the best training in war and politics, in grace and charm and in classical education.  The tale tells that he was handsome, to boot, and charismatic beyond measure.

Nobody knows if it was his magic that commanded such loyalty from his followers, or simply his presence.  He made friends and alliances at court and everything pointed to an engagement to the Princess, heir to the throne and extremely eligible.  Yet when the night of the ball came for her debut, the Princess could not be found.  Three days later her body washed up on the banks of the river.  The court was shocked, first by the apparent suicide and second by the realisation that this left the succession wide open; no immediate heirs of the Royal Line were available.  The sorcerer was assumed inconsolable, for he would speak to none and retreated to the solitude of his own demesne.

Two weeks later, the Duke his father was found with his throat cut, and rumour of foul play abounded.  The new Sorcerer Duke accused the Great Houses of the act, of an ambitious soul desiring to take the throne and weaken the other Great Houses by this treachery.  Other Great House members were soon struck down by assassins, and it was not long before (rightly or wrongly) the Sorcerer Duke himself was targeted and nearly killed in a fire.  The blaze scarred him horribly, and he took to receiving visitors in shadowed quarters.

Injury, paranoia and perhaps grief drove the Sorcerer Duke to madness.  He created his own army of spies and assassins, the Curse of Shadows, forging dark tools, poisoned weapons and cloaks of shade and silence to aid them.  It was not long before the remaining Great Houses were united against him, and he seceded from Selridge to form the Duchy of Falken.  All seemed set for war, when the Sorcerer Duke simply disappeared.  His cousin, of the House of Falken, took over the Duchy and was able to prevent open conflict, but the many wounds on both sides made him unwilling to bring the Duchy back into the fold.  The Shadow Curse, for their part, broke apart.  A core stayed with the new Duke of Falken, while others went independent and many defected to Falken's very rivals in Selridge.

For many reasons, Selridge and Falken exist in a state of permanent cold war.  There is almost endless conflict both between and within them, but the legacy of the Curse of Shadows, the assassin's guild (for want of a better word) that loosely monopolises intrigue within the two states ensures that most of it remains on a small scale (albeit an extremely violent one).  Atrocities are committed, then instantly covered up.  Men are killed and swiftly forgotten.  In a land where anyone might be part of the Shadow Curse, might be listening or ready to kill you for the smallest fee, there can only be constant fear.

(In effect, there ends up being a surplus of assassins in Selridge and Falken, to the point where even local figures of wealth and such could hire one for business ends.  An extremely paranoia-inducing situation.)

[Taricus]

Only objection to that is a mage in a political position. Due to the prerequisite amount of training and knowledge needed to cast even a simple spell would preclude them from nobility in the first place, not to mention most acts of magic are generally precluded from fireballing things, or otherwise using magic to harm directly.

Rest is plenty good though.

[Digital Hellhound]

I liked the thought of the war being fought largely with curses that affected the bloodlines of the nobility, causing mutations, mental unstability, disabilities, et cetera. Presumably these were brought about by assassins' poisons and black magicians' hexes as a subtler, more long-term wound on the enemy - though of course, regular assassinationa would have been widely used as well. In my mind, in the present day the noble houses try desperately to hide their 'taint', whether extra eyes or bouts of madness, discreetly getting rid of heirs too far gone if necessary.

USEC, I welcome someone to act as a target for my 'rivalry with priests of other orders'. All's fair before the gods.

[Iituem]

I liked the thought of the war being fought largely with curses that affected the bloodlines of the nobility, causing mutations, mental unstability, disabilities, et cetera. Presumably these were brought about by assassins' poisons and black magicians' hexes as a subtler, more long-term wound on the enemy - though of course, regular assassinationa would have been widely used as well. In my mind, in the present day the noble houses try desperately to hide their 'taint', whether extra eyes or bouts of madness, discreetly getting rid of heirs too far gone if necessary.

USEC, I welcome someone to act as a target for my 'rivalry with priests of other orders'. All's fair before the gods.

Alchemical war could do that.  Lengthy shadow conflict, fought with maddening poisons and half the dynasties have hereditary madnesses anyway?

[USEC_OFFICER]

USEC, I welcome someone to act as a target for my 'rivalry with priests of other orders'. All's fair before the gods.

Sweet. I look forward to working against you.

[Terenos]

I have to admit. I'm somewhat tempted to get into this. So here goes.

Spoiler: Verin Eyr, Earl of Ciall (click to show/hide)

Name: Verin Car
Starting Points: Charisma, Nobility (Earl), Money
Description: Short by human standards, Tall by dwarven standards. But Verin keeps his lineage a well guarded secret, officially claiming to be pureblood human. Skinny verging on gaunt, with dark wavy hair and lively eyes. Twenty-five years of age, and somewhat scarred about the arms as a result of fighting in the war.

Backstory: Some say that Verin is a jumped up merchant, his noble blood somewhat diluted over the years. But there has been a Eyr ruling over the Earldom of Ciall almost in perpetuity. Certainly not the most prestigious of bloodlines, but with the depopulation of the ruling class, every noble left in Stormborough is of great importance.

Verin Eyr did well in the time of war, managing to turn a small profit, but saw his family's lands constantly plundered and conquered as various factions sought to control or deny the trade routes through the Grand Port. The ships stopped coming, but the soldiers never did. Until the Night of Silk and the peace it brought.

Ciall is an earldom sitting upon the coastline, where once much trade flowed through its large ports. However, with the great infighting amongst the various pretenders to the crown, Ciall has been sacked, burned, and sieged almost into oblivion. Roving bandits and the occasional raid from the sea are a constant threat to the people that still call it home. It still exists, and with the current peace it may have a chance to grow once more into a seat of great power.
For now though, it is a faint shadow of its former glory, its wealth almost entirely within the pockets of the Earl.

[adwarf]

Important question, is our kingdom landlocked or is their access to the sea somewhere in its borders?

[Shootandrun]

The kingdom is not landlocked. I have made a map, following instructions from Iituem: http://postimg.org/image/w2ojjq36p/full/. It might still be changed and there might be a drawn version (hexographer is solely for convenience) coming up, but overall it should be reliable for getting an idea of the kingdom's vague geography.

[Hanslanda]

I would like to apply.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Name: Daelin Borokshtan
Starting point distribution:
-Nobility (Dwarven Hall)
-Logistician
-Miner (Or perhaps craftsman? Dwarves are known for being skilled miners and for making useful crafts, yes?)
Description:
Daelin is short, as befits his race. About 4'2" tall, with a short but bushy brown beard and close cropped hair. He has slate gray eyes, and his skin is weathered and calloused from years of mining, crafting, and dwelling in the harsh climate of the Northern Windwept Mountains. He is soft spoken and polite, but iron-willed and completely intractable when it comes to what he needs for his people. He is a tyrant in the best sense of the word, obeying the laws of the humans that now rule this land, but enforcing the ancient, traditional Dwarven way of life on his people. He is somewhat slimmer than norm for dwarves, but this doesn't mean he is weak. He is rather wiry where most dwarves are stout, and he is incredibly strong for his size. He dislikes violence but understands the necessity of it and is quick and lethal when he must make war. Daelin is absolutely ruthless and completely without empathy for those that become his enemies, while at the same time being the stoutest, most loyal friend to those that befriend him.

Biography: Daelin Borokshtan is the second son of the first appointed leader of the Dwarven Hall which he now commands, Dorenshadt. His father was cold, calculating, and utterly ruthless, determined to keep his people in charge of Dorenshadt in face of the rapidly changing political climate amongst the humans in the region. While the Dwarven Kingdoms continue to shrink slowly over the centuries, their politics are slow and methodical, unlike the relatively swift, spastic, and irrational politics of humans. Daelin's father had four sons, and he chose to raise them without telling them who would be his heir. He took human courtiers into his court to train his sons, something which earned him considerable censure from the Dwarven King. It was well worth the trouble, for his sons grew up to be ruthless, swift at making decisions, and apt at grasping the seemingly insane jumps in judgment that humans make. As they came of age, at the age of forty, Daelin's father informed them that only one would be his heir, and that they had one month to impress him. Daelin murdered his three brothers on the spot, and told his father that he did not need a month. The Dwarven King's emissary heard of this and returned with news to the Dwarven King, who immediately declared Dorenshadt to no longer be part of his kingdom, to be a den of rogues and oath-breakers. Daelin responded by applying to membership to the human kingdom of Anwin as an Earl in command of Dorenshadt. Seeing that Dorenshadt was in a wonderful position to be a trading metropolis, situated at the birth of the three-branched River Kolmis, with access to deep shafts that brought precious metals, gems, and other resources from within the heart of the Windwept Mountains, the Prince at the time accepted readily, and thus Dorenshadt came to be as it is today. A quiet city full of melancholic, outcast Dwarves desperately trying to adapt to a world where humans rule, and slowly succeeding.

[filiusenox]

Spoiler: Char Sheet (click to show/hide)

Name: Karac 'Vytas' Anwin
Age: 18
Skills:
Noble (Bloodline: Anwin)
Bard
Charisma

Description: A young man of under average height with a slender build. His hair is short cut in a masculine style and dark brown in hue. Fairer than his brother, but he's not exactly gorgeous by any measure, tending towards feminine.

Background: Karac was born a year after the club-foot, the sixth in line for the throne. His father and his mother didn't regard the by turns bawling and quiet child as much of anything besides an annoyance. He grew quickly on the fine meals of the palace, his needs catered to by maids and tutors and smiling knights. Regardless, it was a lonely childhood, leaving him to wander the halls and parks alone, avoiding the other children out of fear of death.
His tutors were instructed by his family to teach him music and speech, rather than anything practical. He flourished with this curriculum, a natural talent for music and speech appearing. Reading, writing, and some arithmetic were taught alongside, but often spurned for dancing and singing and glib speaking. Even after his lessons were over, he practiced with his instruments, reciting the epics and reading more.

It was almost idyllic. Up until his father fell ill. His nursemaid, a savvy woman, smuggled him out of the fracturing palace, and into the home of a minor noble in the city. She presented the young man as a bastard of the line to this particularly unsavory man. Who, after some consideration, took Karac in, under his protection.

It was here Karac put his silver tongue to use. Charming the noble, among other things, he eventually claimed the lord's household for his own, along with the dwindling inheritance. Very few people actually know how the noble died. Fewer still know that the new Vytas lord isn't his son.

It was a surprise, albeit an unpleasant one, when a representative of Aetharald's arrived. However, when they were presented, he hurriedly agreed to his brother's terms, put on the spot and fearing for his life.

Somewhat scattered, but there's the gist.

[Taricus]

Everyone that's posted a sheet since I last approved apps: You're in.

[Hanslanda]

Hate-filled outcast Dwarven Noble is GO!

[Tiruin]

Is it possible to be a duke, meaning as a vassal, (or possibly play a female role)? I've got my character concept ready (and saved on another PC >_>) but just wondering out here.

We're short on landed nobles right now anyway, so please!  Also, Cognatic inheritance (probably Cognatic Primogeniture for non-Prince titles), so Duchess perfectly acceptable!

I only have one excuse and its that Christmas stuffs happened.
^{Also my Dad was sick, but that's no excuse for me...}

Spoiler: Character Sheet (click to show/hide)

Name: Aria Tyrenne Cairn
Gender: Female
Starting point distribution:
> Nobility [1]
> Charisma(tic) [1]
> Acrobatics [1]


Description: Aria is easily described as a slim woman, much younger than her age--having an oval-shaped face with smooth cheekbones and cream-colored skin. She has straight, black hair falling to the shoulderlines. She isn't exactly feminine looking, tending to a more androgynous aspect, but still appealing to the eyes. She is about 5'4" in height.

Biography: Grown in the lands of her father's father, the Valeri lands (named after the river-vale nearby) were but a lush conquest of the elder duke before Sir Cairn decided to appease his fellows and settle the dispute on who owned which lands through a simple matter of diplomatic means.

As a child, she was given free reign of her life under the adage of 'What you sow, you shall reap', pretty much under the philosopher that was her father--nevertheless, this lead to pretty...mischievous antics (like the act of stealing from merchant stalls and summarizingly getting caught by guards and freed, as a pasttime), as well as being tutored under theology, philosophy, psychology, liberal arts and mercantilism (or free trade) in her later years, her early days were not led to waste given the times of reflection, as it gave her quite a reputation amongst the people, too.

Though, as all things, time takes what it gives--in the year proceeding her coming of age, her father passed away in peace. A Regency Council was planned to govern in his stead until, lasting a few months, things were clarified between the residing magistrates and Aria (as her mother passed away during birth...leaving her an only child) who now acts as the name and soul governing over the people of Vale.