Tired Old Soldiers Posted June 18, 2021 Share Posted June 18, 2021 Rules Brookhaven is a panfandom game, which means that characters from multiple fandoms are allowed. The setting itself is steampunk, with a focus on the fantasy side more than the science side. Think Howl's Moving Castle, for an example. This game is rated the site max - 333. Please be aware of that before requesting to join. One - All the standard site rules outlined in Just Imagine's main guide apply here as well. Two - You must fill out the application we've provided. Instructions are included with the form in the bio sub-forum. Three - There are no set posting requirements beyond this - be courteous of your writing partners and communicate speed expectations.. Link to comment
Tired Old Soldiers Posted June 19, 2021 Author Share Posted June 19, 2021 The Plot Chiselwall, the once shining capital of Estion, is located in the province of Brookhaven. It is the last remaining functional city of a once great nation. Having fallen on hard times, all are forced to work together in order to rebuild what once was. While the current ruler is a fair and just one, scars remain from the former tyrant, and trust is hard to rebuild. Five years ago the Mad King waged a brutal war on his nearest neighbor, drafting all able bodied adults to fight for him, on pain of death - that of their loved ones' - if they refused. As the bloody campaign continued on, other nations began to object, only to find themselves declared enemies as well, and their ambassadors killed. To add insult to injury, those ambassadors' heads were returned to their homelands with letters threatening more of the same should they try to interfere. This was met with outrage and disbelief, and before long Estion found itself at war with everyone on the continent. Desperate to bolster his faltering ranks, the king ordered the court magicians and mages to open portals to the underworld to summon demons to be enslaved as new warriors to fight the king's battles. Though the first portal did just what it was supposed to, the rest of those opened malfunctioned. Many scholars believed it was due to the proximity to the original, though the actual cause has never been discovered. Instead of drawing in demons and other minions from the underworld, these portals tore through the fabric of reality and opened into other realms, and then ripped inhabitants of those realms through to Chiselwall. Though this was not the intended outcome, the King simply enslaved those summoned instead, sending most to the war's front lines to die, or settling them in the hospitals and farms where they were worked 18 hours a day to heal the wounded and sick or produce food at an accelerated rate. Despite all these additional numbers to wage war, the kingdom continued to suffer losses, until they were reduced to only their capital province and city. Forced to sign a peace treaty, the king turned his madness and anger on his own subjects, beginning to order purges of those he saw as lesser or of no use to him. Also caught in his crosshairs were those who he felt had betrayed him during the war, or anyone who dared breathe a word of objection. It wasn't long before some of those torn from their realities banded together alongside locals who'd had enough of their king, and a bloody and even more brutal civil war was fought, resulting in the death of about half of those left in the kingdom. Though the loss of life was devastating the king was, at last, overthrown and put to death. Though there were many who argued that they had the right to take over as king, it was one of the Lords who'd been drafted after his family fell out of favor during the first war that was eventually chosen to replace the old king. He was reluctant, preferring to advise others rather than rule himself, but it was that reluctance that sealed the deal with nearly everyone in the kingdom. In the 2 years since, he has done his best to rule fairly and justly, and has completely redone the laws and constitution of the land. The most recent ruling he made was establishing a task force to study the portals to try and shut them down, as well as to find a way to send those stolen from other worlds home if they wished to leave. Link to comment
Tired Old Soldiers Posted July 4, 2021 Author Share Posted July 4, 2021 Characters & Lore In this post we detail canon and original info, Everything you need to start a character can be found in the following three posts. CANONS & OCS Canons Canons may be drawn from any world we've not restricted. You can pull them from any point in their story, including well before or after the 'recorded' info. We allow various AU variations onsite, so feel free to have at it - just check to make sure your AU isn't almost identical to another, or find ways to merge the two if it is. In the case of multiple versions (books, comics, shows, etc.), each writer may choose their preferred to pull from regardless of what others have chosen for theirs. With that said, if characters are from different versions, any connections and differences must be worked out with players already onsite. Original If you have an original with connections to a canon, please ask them before assuming the connection is okay. If they're not in-game, please talk to the game GMs or mods. Original characters from fandom worlds must follow that world's lore. Self inserts are allowed on a case by case basis. Both Maximum power levels must be less than that of a minor D&D god.. If you're unsure on this, feel free to ask! All new characters must arrive during the current season they were claimed in unless worked out with staff ahead of time. Foresight only catches vague glimpses if it's something they can control, and detailed but random visions if they can't control when they see things. If you'd like to glimpse things from main game plots, reach out to staff! Space, time and matter manipulation and anything else that could drastically change the setting must be toned down or completely removed. Anything toned down or removed can be blamed on the aether that stole them away - things don't always go as expected. ARRIVAL Locals are those who are either from the kingdom or who have newly moved to the kingdom. Those who've relocated to the kingdom are generally from the middle or lower classes of other kingdoms and who want a chance to be equals with those who were once above them. Those who are stolen from other worlds were ripped there using aether magick. The aether went awry and instead of summoning demons from the underworld, it ripped into other realms and stole people from them. The magick opened these pathways permanently on the kingdom's side, but they connect sporadically on the other end, and it's always random when and where they will grab someone from. It's a fast trip once the aether's locked on - they see a flash of deep reddish light, which swirls around them, have a moment of disorientation, and then find themselves on the summoning platforms where the demons were to arrive. Characters can be pulled from any point, including after death. People have been being pulled through for a handful of years at this point, starting during the middle of the first war, all through the rebellion and up to present day. The first war started 5 in the past and ended 3 years ago, the rebellion started only 2 months later and lasted a year. The new king took charge after that. It's been a time of peace in the 2 years since since. Link to comment
Tired Old Soldiers Posted July 19, 2021 Author Share Posted July 19, 2021 Groups & Races In this post we detail what groups there are, what sort of races are allowed for locals. GROUPS Governing Officials Highest ranking group- includes royalty. Those here are generally referred to as lords and ladies. Aside from the king, appointed officials. King chooses several successors, but does not name them publicly. Those who are in this group are given a salary. The amount depends on how high ranked they are in the government and what their duties are. Land & Business Owners Highest rank below governing officials. This includes anyone who originally inherited/owned land through family and those who've purchased it more recently. Also includes those who own businesses in the city itself, but not land. Highly desired positions of power, but difficult to come by still, as it requires money and business sense. Many of the nobility have found themselves here, if they were unable to obtain government positions. They are not pleased to be sharing with 'commoners'. Heads of Staff & Other Management These positions include those who run households for wealthy families, run businesses, or hold important management positions in households or businesses under those in charge. Pays fairly well. Those from the lower class and even some from the outcast groups before the reform may find themselves lucky enough to rise to this rank. It all depends on skills and abilities. Many start here, and try to save up enough to buy their own business and/or land, though not all have the dedication or skill to be successful in the attempt. There are quite a few people in these positions. Workers Some of those who are part of the working ranks live comfortably if they find good positions, but many struggle and find themselves living paycheck to paycheck even with the reform the country's undergone. Schooling is available to adults and teens who wish to improve their lot in life and move up in rank in their chosen profession, or even land management positions. Many workers are employed on the farms, in the factories, inns, restaurants, and shops, but some have taken up less savory work to get by. There are countless jobs, if one knows where to look and isn't too picky. Many workers rarely own anything beyond basic personal belongings. Outcasts Even with the reform, there are people society would rather forget/ignore. Criminals who've committed atrocities, former nobles and upper class who've fallen from grace, or those with diseases or afflictions society rejects make up the majority. Treated as invisible whenever possible. Some use it to their advantage, but for most it's living hell. The new king has resources, soup kitchens, and shelters for them, but many are wary of the motivations behind such things - the former government was cruel and that's still fresh in many outcasts' minds. RACES Humans Lifespan: 80-110 years. Adult at 18. Appearance: 4'5" - 6'6" height, standard skin tones, hair colors, & eye colors. Prejudices: Outcasts, some lingering class issues, most other races are distrusted. Gender: Binary view, male & female. Starting to accept other views. Professions: Jack of All Trades. Magick: Extremely proficient in elemental and aetheric magick. Somewhat proficient in celestial/infernal magick. Elves Lifespan: Immortal - can be killed. Adult at 150. Appearance: 5'1" - 7'8" height, skin tone, eye & hair color any color imaginable. Cat-slit or round pupils, solid colored eyes [no discernible pupil or sclera - extremely rare], long pointed, extremely expressive ears, wings [common] are feathered, bat-like, or insect-like. Sky elf sub race - always has wings, pale [nearly albino] skin and hair, bright blue, purple, or pale gold eyes. Almost always tall. Deep Elf sub-race - Dark skin tones, with red, purple, or orange eyes. Pale [usually white or silver] hair but rarely red or black hair is seen. Elongated limbs and larger almost batlike ears. Sharp teeth. Prejudices: Distrustful of humans and vampires. Standard and Sky elves dislike Deep elves, though it's not a deep hatred, just a mild dislike - they see them as inferior. Gender: No concept of gender - some can carry children, others can't, they don't differentiate. Gendered pronouns used for convenience only. Professions: Usually magick or nature based, also extremely talented rangers. Magick: Highly proficient in all magick, though the sub-races specialize in specific ones. Sky-elves are extremely talented with celestial magic, while deep-elves are specialists with infernal. Dwarves Lifespan: 500-800 years. Adult at 70. Appearance: 2'5" - 5'3" height, earthy skin tones both dark & light, eyes are green, blue, and rarely gold or purple, hair is usually black or brown, uncommonly red, and rarely blonde. All dwarves are bearded and stocky. Deep dwarves sub race - dark blue-grey or purple-grey skin, black or orange eyes, dark hair. Closely involved with the other dwarves, so no other differences. Prejudices: Extreme racial prejudice toward vampires. Strong dislike of humans. Mild dislike of elves. Gender: Male, female, spirit touched [gender-fluid or gender neutral]. Professions: From school age on they train - toymakers, carpenters, smiths, jewelcrafters, miners, etc.. Warriors are also common. Magick: Dwarves are extremely adept with elemental magick, though they struggle with celestial and infernal. They have a small bit of talent with aetheric, though it takes more time to master. Undead There are several types of Undead, each with their own unique appearance, strengths, weaknesses, and abilities. Vampires: These are ageless immortal undead who are restored to their prime. They can be killed with a stake through the heart and having their head cut off (it does require both). Their appearance varies depending on what race they were before death, though their skin has always faded to nearly grey. Their eyes are dull but glow red when feeling strong emotions, aroused, or are in a blood-lust. They all sport fangs, double on the top - the canine and and the next to it further back in the mouth. Some have small bottom canine fangs as well. If they are deprived of fresh blood their appearance begins to age, until they appear a shriveled husk. Preserved blood helps, but does not slow the aging as much as fresh, living blood. They tend to hold whatever prejudices they had in life, though many also develop a hatred for those who observe organized religion due to their persecution of vampires as a whole. They are shapeshifters, and can take on the form of a massive crow, a large cat-like being, and a half-beast form with bat-like features. Genders are whatever their races believed in life, though some are more open minded than others. Their professions tend to be a mix of everything, as vampires come from all walks of life. Their strength, speed, sight, and smell are all super-human, on par with that of a wolf. They are extremely susceptible to fire, but running water is unpleasant to them, and sunlight can be deadly without proper magical clothing to protect themselves. Finally, their magic affinity is for infernal specifically, though many still retain some elemental talent. Ghouls - Another undead sub-race, these are re-animated corpses who have retained their minds. They are a rare subset of zombies who are not husks without a soul, and while they too crave flesh, they can control this urge and live relatively normal lives. They can be any race, aside from vampires. Their skin can range from dull grey or white to green or blue. It can also be a faded, mottled variation of their skin tone when alive. They tend to have at least mild decomposition, though the amount varies. They can (and sometimes do) replace missing flesh or limbs with a replacement from a fresh corpse. Ghouls tend to most closely resemble whatever race they were in life, but due to the ability to replace limbs, they may not fully follow those traits. Their eyes are pale - either grey, white, or light blue. Very rarely there is no visible iris, and even more rarely no pupil either. Their hair faded, but close to its original color and strangely can still grow. Genders, beliefs, and prejudices are what they were in life, with rare exceptions, though they have a distinct hatred for those who created ghouls and zombies, as well as the upper classes who often reject them. Their strengths are few, but include no need to breathe or eat to function, nor do they need sleep often - only an hour of inactivity in a dark space every night. They can function without limbs, and live so long as their heads remain intact - even if they are separated from a body or attached to an entirely different one. Weaknesses are many - fire is deadly to them and their bodies erupt and disintegrate quickly if even brushed with it. Celestial magic can destroy them, and hurts rather than heals. Sunlight slows them, and makes them groggy unless they cover themselves from head to toe. As for magick, they struggle with all types, with very little affinity remaining. On the rare occasion one is still able to tap into it to a useable extent, it is almost always infernal magick. Wraith - The final type of undead do not have a constant corporeal form. They are spirits who are bound to the mortal realm by sheer force of will. They are the most rare and dangerous of the undead recognized as citizens. Most are centuries old and keep to themselves, but a rare few enjoy engaging with the living. All races, even vampires and ghouls, can become a wraith. Their appearance is similar to that of the stereotypical grim reaper, with their body from the knees down being completely invisible and wispy going up just a bit from there. Most of them are black or grey in appearance, with hooded robes, but some are able to will a more individual appearance, with pale, washed out features or robes of other colors. When they become physical in form, they most often retain that look, with booted feet appearing as well. Those who focus extra energy can appear as they did in life, just washed out, with glowing blue eyes. They often leave behind their prejudices, preferring to focus on the today and tomorrow, making connections. Wraiths have virtually no weaknesses when in their incorporeal form, though celestial magick can banish them from a location temporarily. They cannot be harmed, but neither can they harm. In their physical form, all magick types can harm them, as can typical injuries. Enough pain or damage will shock them back to their incorporeal form. They cannot be destroyed without a complex ritual. Finally, their magic types are elemental, though they can also, to a limited degree, cast infernal and celestial magick. Aetherial magick is hard, but not impossible and once they've mastered it, it is their strongest. Professions: Can continue what they were in life or become hunters. Some work with the criminal underworld. Werefolk Lifespan: unknown. Most werefolk are hunted and killed. Oldest known is 700, and going strong. Appearance: In their humanoid forms, they appear nearly identical to their non-werefolk counterparts. There are a few small tells, however. Their eyes have a shine in the darkness that others do not possess. Their nails are somewhat sharper, and they have a more mane-like head of hair. All their teeth are slightly sharper than they should be. Their werefolk forms vary, depending on what animal they take after. There are always slight differences between the actual animal and the were-beast, ranging from shorter muzzles or ears, to extra limbs or human-like eyes. The two most common creatures are bears and wolves, but big and small cats, rodents, and crows have also been seen. There are rumors other birds as well as amphibians but nothing confirmable, as of yet. The form is not determined by the sire who bit or birthed them, but by their own genetics and personality. As such the player gets to choose what they feel best fits their character. Born werefolk have more control over their shifting than those who are turned. Prejudices: Werefolk have a distinct dislike of elves, due to how haughty they could be toward them, but no actual hatred. They are very pack oriented, so those who refuse to care for the pack, or the city, or the country - or whatever they feel is important as a whole - are the ones they feel distinct hatred for. Gender: They see gender as a spectrum, with many different options possible. That said, they will choose pronouns and gender representation to closely align with those they live among. Professions: All professions are possible, but they do well as rangers and trackers, as well as foresters and hunters. Many enlist with the military, or work in private mercenary groups. Anything working with animals is something they excel at. Magick: Werefolk almost exclusively use elemental magick, and those who are turned lose connection with their former affinities, though this can be regained with work. Most find it easier to focus on elemental instead, however. Of the different elemental magicks, nature is their strongest. Weaknesses: Full moons cause those who were turned to lose control of their forms, and many also lose their minds to the animalistic instincts and need to hunt. New moons cause the opposite, trapping them in their humanoid form, with no access to their stronger senses and abilities. Silver is poisonous to them, and in the bloodstream can weaken them. A silver bullet or stake through the heart will kill them. A note: All races can be turned to werefolk, aside from undead (but werefolk can be turned to wraiths or ghouls). Hybrids Lifespan: varies. Dwelfs - 2000. Half-dwarves - 500. Half-elves - 1000. Dhampirs - immortal. All can be killed, generally taking after the more hardy parent. Appearance: Dwelves can be any combination of elf & dwarf features, but all are bearded. Half-dwarves are generally as tall as their human half, only stockier, have full beards, but otherwise can take after either parent race. Half-elves almost always take more after their elf parent, though their ears are shorter and they may not be as androgynous. Dhampirs are pale, and often take after their father - human dhampirs are common, while elf dhampirs are uncommon, and dwarf dhampirs are almost unheard of. Prejudices: Whatever their more outspoken guardian or parent's prejudices are. Gender: Beliefs reflect that of their parents. Professions: Any number of professions. Magick: Their magic tends to take after whichever parent race is strongest in them. Weaknesses: Dhampirs become extremely ill in sunlight, must consume blood every other week, and must eat a small amount of regular food each day - they are sensitive to spices and strong flavors. A note: While most hybrids are accepted, dhampirs generally are not and struggle to survive unless a kind soul or stubborn parent refused to give them up. Link to comment
Tired Old Soldiers Posted July 20, 2021 Author Share Posted July 20, 2021 Detailed lore In this post we detail a bit about the setting itself. SETTING INFO Location Most of the game will take place in the capital - Chiselwall City (at least to start). It's a pretty massive city, perched right on the edge of the cliffs overlooking the sea below. There are walls around the rest of the city not bordering the cliffs, helping to protect it from a variety of threats. The whole of the city is circular, with streets branching out from one point on each level, though it's not always the central-most point. It is divided into several districts as well as three tiers. The Heights, Midtown, and The Slums. The districts are as follows - Irongate is the crafting and trade district, Goldbarrow is the Business district and also contains several apartment complexes, Imperial Way is the government district which hosts the castle, and also contains the schools [k-12 & college]. Cliff's Edge and Blackwood Place are both residential districts - the former is lower income while Blackwood contains mid and high end homes and apartments. Stonegrip is the warehouse district. Stonegrip sits to the northmost part of The Slums, and is nestled against the cliff's edge. It also has a lift that can be raised and lowered down to the beach 100 feet below, where there is an entire storage area for shipped goods. To the south and east of Stonegrip sits Cliff's Edge, which extends down a good few miles. There are also many, many neighborhoods and abandoned areas in The Slums that are no more than ramshackle huts made of tin roofs and mud walls. Many of the lowest class have retreated here, scraping by as best they can. Moving on to Midtown, this district is built about 20 feet above the tallest of buildings in The Slums. The entire level is lifted with strong stone and wooden pillars and reinforced with magick. Irongate is just to the west of Goldbarrow and extends up to meet the cliff faces to the north. Goldbarrow itself takes up the North-East portion of Midtown. On the level's south lies Blackwood Place, the more expensive residential district. To the east sit great black trees, which earned the district its name. Imperial Way stretches across all of the north of the Heights, with the castle at the very northernmost point, jutting out over the cliffs and looking down onto the beach and water below. To the south-east sits the fine dining and entertainment districts for the entire city, named Silvermist Plaza. The airway sits to the southwest, tucked into a tiny corner, with ramps leading out to various docks for the aether-powered ships. Right between the airway and the Plaza sits the final housing district - Crown-Blessed. Only the most wealthy can afford to live there. The areas just outside the walls, where the forests don't touch the city are farmlands, and they are fairly well off. The whole area is relatively flat, with small rolling hills toward the eastern edge of the city where the trees meet it. The cliff face to the west is a sheer100+ foot drop, after which a beautiful white sandy beach stretches out. There is a large dock and warehouse near the lift to the main city. To the north of the city sit more cliffs, with roughly the same height. A bay separates rolling grasslands and plains from the city. Finally to the south are sparser forests and more grasslands. There are four distinct seasons, and they can be quite harsh. There is rain nearly all year round. Winters are cold and foggy, with a lot of snow and freezing rain. Blizzards are common. Temperatures range from low 10s to low 30s. Spring is rainy and cloudy almost all the time and rainstorms are common. Temperatures range between 50 to 64. Summer is full of thunderstorms that happen several times a week, with rain almost daily. Temperatures range between 65-80. Autumn is cool and damp, with fog and light rains and occasional sleet. Snow is rare, but can happen. Temperatures range between 30 and 45, though they tend to be on the higher end of that. Culture Due to the rebellion and complete restructure of society and the government itself a short time ago, there's quite a bit of upheaval as the locals and stolen try to sort themselves out and figure out how to mesh beliefs and traditions of many different cultures and ways of life. A love of dancing and the arts has remained strong and even flourished as people sought out things to enjoy or that reminded them of home. The rigid class rules and beliefs have been loosened some though some behaviors and treatments of others linger, as change can be slow. Perhaps the biggest conflict aside from that of ongoing class tension is that of the resentment the locals feel toward the 'outsiders' who have all but taken over their country. The biggest backlash is from the former Nobility, who resent the new King for doing away with the stricter class structures, despite the fact that they were the most vocal about putting him in the position after the civil war. The clothing of the realm has remained Victorian Steampunk despite the best effort of some of the more modern stolen. Not everyone wears this, but those who do not are often judged harshly - particularly women who wear pants often or who bare a great deal of skin. Magick While the most common form of magick in the realm used is elemental, most of the magitech is aether based. Magick from other realms is converted over to the elements, celestial, infernal, or into aether, without exception. Whatever is the closest is what it'll convert to. Anyone who's magic is considerably different back home may struggle for a time as they adjust to how different it is and how it responds. If you're unsure of the closest equivalent or can't decide you can have them start off as a beginner or ask a game mod for help deciding if you'd rather they not start over. The elements are Shadow, Light, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. There are also Aetheric, Celestial, and Infernal magic, which draws on the energy of everything around it - Aetheric is entirely neutral magic, while Celestial uses positive energy and Infernal uses negative & death energy and tends to be destructive to those who use it. None of the schools are inherently good or evil aside from Infernal [evil], even Shadow. How they are used determines whether a spell reads as good or evil. There are ranks for magick users - Novices, Apprentices, Adepts, and Masters. Masters can use every spell in their school of magick. A Grand Master is someone who can use all types of magick and they are extremely rare. In addition to these ranks, each user has power/ability levels noted with '+' marks, ranging from none to +++. One to two marks is most common. Three is almost unheard of. Technology Technology is steampunk magitech, and most things are turn of the century inventions. This, this, and this are good samples of what sort of inventions are currently available. Travel uses horse & carriage, horseless steam carriages [almost-cars], and airships. Link to comment
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