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[forsaken1111]

Five dark apprentices return from various errands to find their master missing. His notes indicate that he was working on something of incredible complication and power. The tower gates lie sundered, his laboratory in ruins, and his body nowhere to be found. Nothing else is disturbed. The tower is entirely deserted, all of the undead defenders missing and the torches left unlit. The vaults have been emptied, but the library is untouched right down to the journal lying open on the desk, quill and ink lying next to it.

Contents of the Tower: Death Magic Library, Scrying Chamber, Catacombs, Enchanted Mirror, Living Quarters, Storage Vaults, Enchanted Pantry, Manaforge, 2 Loot Tokens

Population of the Tower: 3 apprentices, 2 adepts

Tower Garrison: Skalkr, an unusually clever animated skeleton, leads 29 animated skeletons all clad in stone armor wielding stone maces.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Death Magic Library - A library of books dedicated to the sphere of Death. Mages may study here to increase their skill with Death magic or unlock one of its elements.

Scrying Chamber - A room enchanted to aid scrying, along with several implements to enable it. A mage may use this chamber to gather information about the world.

Catacombs - The Dark Tower was built on an extensive set of ancient catacombs from a lost age. Mages may explore these catacombs in search of usable remains to reanimate. Other items of interest may be found here as well.

Enchanted Mirror - A large freestanding mirror which is enchanted to allow two-way communication with anyone who has looked upon it at some point. Mages may use this to contact anyone who has visited the Dark Tower in the past.

Living Quarters - Comfortable living quarters for six people, including hearths and separate apartments.

Storage Vaults - A large natural cave accessible from the tower via a tunnel provides a secure place to store valuables.

Enchanted Pantry - A large room which is enchanted so that it never empties. May support up to 1000 men a day at the tower, and allows you to provision troops before they leave.

Manaforge - A small room with a magical forge, for the creation of magic artifacts. Its use is difficult and time-consuming but can result in some spectacular items.

Spoiler: Rules (click to show/hide)

I am using a variation on standard RTD rules with a bit more depth to accommodate the setting.

In general, a 1 is a critical failure, a 2 is a failure, a 3 is a minimal success, an 4 is a moderate success, a 5 is a major success, and a 6 is an overshoot with (generally negative) consequences. Some of this works slightly differently depending on what you are doing, but I will tell you all about that as it comes up.

Each turn represents one day, and every turn you may perform one and only one major action. The following actions are available:

Mage Actions:

Cast - Casting a spell. Spells can be anything you want, really. The effect of the spell will depend on your roll and your skill level with the sphere.

Study - One person per turn may study in a library. Learning new spheres or elements requires multiple study actions

Scrying - One person per turn may utilize the dark tower's scrying chamber to gather information about specific targets or general areas.

Decipher - One person per turn may work at deciphering the master mage's journals.

Forge - One person per turn may work at the manaforge to craft items of power.

Forage - One person per turn may forage in the catacomb for usable remains.

Command - One person per turn may utilize the dark tower's enchanted mirror to command allied troops

Tutor - A mage may teach someone to improve their knowledge of a sphere/element, provided the teacher is of higher skill

Learn - A mage may learn from another to increase his knowledge of a sphere/element, provided the student is of lower skill

When commanding troops, the following orders can be given:

Army actions:

Armies begin with 6 endurance when setting out from the Tower. Endurance represents the general state of army supplies.

Assault - Attack a target. Costs 1 endurance.

Fortify - Fortify a position to withstand an attack. Costs 1 endurance.

Move - Move to a new location. Movement normally does not cost endurance, as armies are assumed to live off the land. Exceptionally barren or dangerous terrain may affect armies differently.

Forage - Search for usable supplies. Increases endurance by 2, or 4 if at a location rich in supplies such as a conquered city.

Raze - Destroy a location entirely. (Burn buildings to the ground, pound masonry to rubble, etc) Doing this precludes any plundering so its best to do so after, if at all.

Plunder - Search for useful treasures which can be looted. Each plunder action generates one loot token until the location has no more to be taken.

Obviously living armies can be given more general instructions if you like.

Larger scale troop vs troop combat is handled by me through a simple system that I have devised.

Spoiler: Magic (click to show/hide)

The magic system in this game is deep and, hopefully, interesting. I spent a few hours on this. You will discover more about the magic system as you play, but here is what you know as apprentices. Magic is complex and mysterious, and it has taken you some time to master its basics. Xan was very skilled with Death magic, and this is what he tutored you in.



You know that Death magic is only one sphere of magic, and that there are others which link to it. What these others are, and how to use them you do not know. At your current level of skill, you can only cast spells using a single element from the Death sphere. I will briefly describe these elements below, but their use is open to some interpretation.

Blood - This element represents flesh, and all bodily fluids. It can be used to animate a corpse, control a living person through physical force, or sap the life from someone's body. It also peripherally covers naturally occuring venoms and poisons.

Bone - This element represents the physical bones within the body, as well as the structural force and strength of the body. Bone can be used to debilitate a living person, sap or increase someone's physical strength and durability, or animate skeletal remains.

Void - This element represents the absence of energy and matter. This is an extremely destructive element which does not have much utility or subtly beyond its destructive influence.

Earth - This is the element of earth and stone. It covers dirt, stone, earth, metal, jewels, etc. It is also exceptionally good at building or rending constructions of any type.

Darkness - This element is a mystery to you. Xan avoided your questions about it, and none of you have the training or experience to channel it yet.

Each sphere of magic has a pinnacle element. For the sphere of Death this pinnacle is Darkness, and the primary element of a sphere (Darkness, for the Death sphere) cannot be learned until a mage already knows two connected elements.

To learn a new element, you must possess skill in the sphere equal to the current number of elements from that sphere plus one. For example, if you have level 1 skill in Death magic and know the bone element, you would first have to increase your death magic to two to learn a second element (Void, Blood or Earth). To then learn another element, you would have to increase your death magic skill to three and you could then learn one of the remaining elements, including Darkness.

If this is unclear, I will try to explain it better as we go.

Your skill levels in the magic spheres each have perks, and range from 1 to 6. Right now, you only know the level 1 perks and abilities.

Rank 1 - Apprentice
- Ability to cast spells of this sphere
- Limited to a single element
- Limited to a single sphere

Rank 2 - Adept
- Mitigation of a critical failure - On a critical failure (Roll of a 1 on 1d6) the caster gets an additional 1d6 roll. On a 4-6 the failure is negated and the spell instead has no effect
- Limited to a single sphere
- May include a maximum of 2 elements
- Elements must be directly linked

You are playing the 5 apprentices of Xan the Despoiler, a dark wizard of great power and knowledge. Recently he sent you each on an errand from which you have just returned to find the dark tower in a somewhat depleted state. Each of you has a single point in Death Magic knowledge from your apprenticeship to Xan, and must choose one of the lesser death elements as your first element. These elements are: Blood, Bone, Earth and Void. You may not choose Darkness at this time. More on this in the magic section.

Only five players will be accepted for episode one. Post your character as follows:

Spoiler: Creation (click to show/hide)

Name: (Your name here)

Element: (Which of the death elements you have chosen)

Description: (What you look like. Feel free to get creative! Aside from all being human you have free reign.)

Sex: (Male or Female)

Other: (Anything else. Personality, quirks, etc)

Four players have reserved positions in this game, so one player is needed.

Player list:

Spoiler: Alicia Rhine (click to show/hide)

Player: Iituem
Name: Alicia Rhine

Element: Blood

Description: A short, slender woman in her early twenties with pale skin, grey eyes and long, silver hair kept permanently semi-obscuring her face in honour of her Goddess.

Sex: Female

Other: Alicia can be extremely charming and persuasive when she sets her mind to it, and even capable of long periods of study and concentration, but is generally impulse-driven, short-tempered and short-sighted.  She has virtually no empathy and worships a goddess of death and power who may or may not even exist.  Like all members of her cult, Alicia has no desire to actually see said Goddess arrive - sacrifices are made to prevent her coming.

Alicia fell into Xan's crowd mostly because of her complete willingness to procure 'fresh' corpses for his work.

Spoiler: dragnar (click to show/hide)

Name: Dragnar
Knowledge: Death Magic Adept
Known Elements: Earth
Description: An average man of average height and build, he would be wholly unremarkable were it not for his rather unusual outfit. He wears a flowing robe covered in (what look like) magical runes. It is gaudy and ridiculous looking, but it does clearly identify him as a mage... or a wannabe mage at least.
Gender: Male
Other: He ran away from home to train under Xan, and is obsessed with magic. He might not know much yet, but questioning his status as a mage still tends to cause Bad Things to happen to you. Apart from these bursts of fury he tends to keep to himself, thinking himself better than the other apprentices.

Spoiler: Nielen (click to show/hide)

Player: ragnarok97071
Name: Nielen
Element: Blood
Description: Fair skin, with a wiry frame from lack of exercise. Covering this is a sleeveless black robe, with red decorations denoting her chosen school. Carries a knife and spell book. she barely reaches 6' in height. Neck-length black hair
Sex: Female (might as well balance it out)
Other:She was a noble once, the seventh child of a minor duke, with a gift for magic. specifically, she was interested in the... darker aspects of the art, and, in time, this would force her to leave her home, for fear of discovery. Soon after, she was found by Xan, who began to train her. this was about 3 years ago, and she has learned much since. She still has a sense of superiority, especially towards non-Mages.

Spoiler: Helfd (click to show/hide)

Player: Ghazkull
Name: Helfd
Knowledge: Death Magic Apprentice (25% progress towards adept)
Known Elements: Bone
Description: about 1.90m tall, gaunt. He has short blonde hair and one green eye. The other one has become grey from cataract. The propably most noticeable feature of his face is however that the whole left lower side of his face is missing, except for his left lower jawbone. More amazing is however that it is still functioning. In contrast to the normal clothing someone would anticipate from a person involved into dark magic, Helfd is wearing normal leather clothing and a mail shirt, what gives him more or less the looks of a soldier.
 
Other: Helfd is living since years with Xan, who found him completely savaged somewhere in the woods. even back then Helfd's face was as blemished as it is today. Since Xan rescued him out of those woods(be it for some kind of sympathy or pure cold calculation) and even made his skeletal jaw working, Helfd was fiercely loyal to the Dark Mage. The first years Helfd only worked as a servant for Xan but in time was allowed to become one of his apprentices.

The years in the wilderness alone have left their marks on Helfd and if he feels unwatched he sometimes begins talking to himself. To the other Apprentices he shows a quite cold and sarcastic demeanor although he is far from working against any of them and is always there if an additional hand is needed. When under great levels of stress Helfd becomes quite restless, and circumvents any feelings by doing something. Really anything. Even if these actions are completely senseless and become quite unnerving to the observer....

Spoiler: Rath (click to show/hide)

Player: wolfchild
Name: Rath
Element: Void
Description: Exactly 2 Meters tall, Rath has deep purple eyes, so deep you can't tell where the iris ends and the puple(did i spell that right) begins. Her hair, which is about a meter long is the same deep shade of purple, and given completley free reign. She wears whatever clothes are available, unless she is trying to be impressive.
Gender: Female
Other: Quick to anger, but also quick to calm down once something is destroyed or dead. She is disrespectful of authority, making it unusual that she made it this far; she is completley gnorant of her good looks and tends to take compliments in that area as insinuating that being pretty is all that females are useful for. (More may come from playing)

This game, if successful, will have many episodes as the story unfolds. I may alter the rules as we go to streamline the process or fix mistakes.

[wolfchild]

In makin Character

Name: Rath
Element: Void
Description: Exactly 2 Meters tall, Rath has deep purple eyes, so deep you can't tell where the iris ends and the puple(did i spell that right) begins. Her hair, which is about a meter long is the same deep shade of purple, and given completley free reign. She wears whatever clothes are available, unless she is trying to be impressive.
Gender: Female
Other: Quick to anger, but also quick to calm down once something is destroyed or dead. She is disrespectful of authority, making it unusual that she made it this far; she is completley gnorant of her good looks and tends to take compliments in that area as insinuating that being pretty is all that females are useful for. (More may come from playing)

[forsaken1111]

In makin Character

So long as you can use punctuation and grammar when you play, I'll let you in.

[wolfchild]

Character Made, il try to use good grammar

[dragnar]

Name: Dragnar
Element: Earth
Description: An average man of average height and build, he would be wholly unremarkable were it not for his rather unusual outfit. He wears a flowing robe covered in (what look like) magical runes. It is gaudy and ridiculous looking, but it does clearly identify him as a mage... or a wannabe mage at least.
Gender: Male
Other: He ran away from home to train under Xan, and is obsessed with magic. He might not know much yet, but questioning his status as a mage still tends to cause Bad Things to happen to you. Apart from these bursts of fury he tends to keep to himself, thinking himself better than the other apprentices.

Character Made, il try to use good grammar

Of course you il (sorry, couldn't resist)

[forsaken1111]

Well the forum is back up. Feel free to post your first actions if you wish, the first turn will progress once we have all 5 characters posted with actions.

[Nirur Torir]

Looks interesting. I'll be watching, and waiting for the chance to claim the spot of a dropout or new slot.

[Diablous]

Posting to watch.

[Ochita]

Same here

[forsaken1111]

I'm glad you're all interested.

[Ochita]

Well I was kinda miffed that the signups happened in the Godhood thread. :<

[Ghazkull]

Well heres my character...
i hope it is allowed that he has, fitting to his element, half of his face freed from flesh?

Name: Helfd

Element: Bone

Description: about 1,90m tall, gaunt. He has short blonde hair and one green eye. The other one has become grey from cataract. The propably most noticeable feature of his face is however that the whole left lower side of his face is missing, except for his left lower jawbone. More amazing is however that it is still functioning. In contrast to the normal clothing someone would anticipate from a person involved into dark magic, Helfd is wearing normal leather clothing and a mail shirt, what gives him more or less the looks of a soldier.
 
Other: Helfd is living since years with Xan, who found him completely savaged somewhere in the woods. even back then Helfd's face was as blemished as it is today. Since Xan rescued him out of those woods(be it for some kind of sympathy or pure cold calculation) and even made his skeletal jaw working, Helfd was fiercely loyal to the Dark Mage. The first years Helfd only worked as a servant for Xan but in time was allowed to become one of his apprentices.

The years in the wilderness alone have left their marks on Helfd and if he feels unwatched he sometimes begins talking to himself. To the other Apprentices he shows a quite cold and sarcastic demeanor although he is far from working against any of them and is always there if an additional hand is needed. When under great levels of stress Helfd becomes quite restless, and circumvents any feelings by doing something. Really anything. Even if these actions are completely senseless and become quite unnerving to the observer....

[dragnar]

First action: Study earth magic.

[forsaken1111]

First action: Study earth magic.

I may not have made it clear, but you actually study the sphere, not the element. Elements are learned and then you are done, but spheres you must study to higher skill levels to unlock new elements or perks.

I'll assume for now that you are studying Death magic.

[dragnar]

Ah in that case, yes I'll study death magic.

What exactly can we do with the "manaforge"?