Well, since I posted a question asking if putting this up is ok, and got no response saying no, then I must assume that this is OK. Of course if I was up with a temp-ban or a morganti dagger in my back in the morning, I'll know different Dragaerean Tales ---------------- An online self-generating story based on the works of Steven Brust (*This RPG/fan fiction is a work of fiction ・well duh! There is no profit in this except for the reward of good character interaction and writing. There is no intent to usurp the works or characters of Steven Brust ・who owns the copyright to the respective worlds and characters that he has created. Nor is there any intent to turn this into a novel of any sort for sales. Geez, can't anyone have any fun writing anymore?) CONTACT INFO: trevorsensei at yahoo.com [for the game, a yahoogroups account will be created. This will not NOT occupy the listserv] Introduction --------------- Welcome to Adrilankha, city of opportunity, area of wealth and squalor, capital of the Dragaerean Empire after Andron e狸ieron had a hissy-fit that turned the former capital into a sea of seething chaos by mistake. Really, Adrilankha isn稚 much better than the former capital. The rent is a bit higher too. The idea: ----------- This is a story, complete with heroes, villains, sidekicks and lovers set in an ancient world filled with all manner of creatures. Like all stories there will be a core group of characters working towards a goal of some sort, the specifics of which have yet to be worked out (as they will, in part, be determined by the histories of the characters). And, like all stories, we will also have villains ・but as PCs, if they wish. But they can work to whatever ends they desire. The choice is yours. Style ------ As wit and sarcasm are a key point in Brust痴 work, so too will it be in our work. There are moments for levity and for severity. Judge each as appropriate. Those of you more familiar with Brust know there are 2 style he uses for Dragera ・his 創ormal・style and ・Pawfri痴 ・style (Phoenix Guard/ Viscount of Adrilankha ・think Dumas and 3 Musketeers). Writing in either style is acceptable. However, be aware that writing in the 船umas・ style will date your character as coming from an older family or being themselves, old. At the time of our story: ---------------------------- When is this happening? It is the reign of the Phoenix Queen Zerika. The story will take place after the events in the novel, 善hoenix・・ months after the South Adrilankhan riots. You can be uncertain whether Vlad has acquired Godslayer yet, nor do I figure that as a relevant factor in the foreseeable future. Some requirements and restrictions: ------------------------------------------ You need a reason to be in Adrilankha. Whether your noble homes are outside or inside the Adrilankha (Whitecrest Duchy) area does not matter. People spontaneously wandering off is not typically acceptable in a group story ・but singular or team side stories DO happen from time to time・ It is also not advisable that you begin the game with a wife or husband (as relations may tie you down). If you wish to create a 奏eam・set of characters with another player, by all means, do so! You may be either Easterner or Dragaerean. If the former, it is advisable that you have a title in the JHEREG or TECKLA house. This doesn稚 make you a better Easterner, it just gives Dragaereans a different reason to spit on you (possibly an additional reason). If Jhereg, you need not be a member of the 双rganization・but you may do so if you wish. Easterners should be between the ages of 14 ・40. Dragaereans. You may be of any house except of the house PHOENIX. As such, you are expected to conform (to a degree) to the house personality traits; example - DRAGONS are bloodthirsty, easily excited and somewhat honorable, TIASSA are inquisitive and occasionally given to wanderlust. ISSOLA are well versed in culture and etiquette ・tending to be the more socially sensitive of the houses. ORCA tend towards money or the sea [usually not combining the two]. LYORN are sticklers for duty, enjoy history and make excellent record keepers. DZUR love a good fight, and are sometimes characterized as on the slow witted size. CREOTHA have been know to be artisans and detail oriented, but not much is said about them, nor the TSALMOTH, who tend to be routine oriented.YENDI are sneaky gits, etc.. Dragaereans of the lesser known houses (Teckla, Jhegalla, Creotha, Tsalmoth, etc.) have a wider degree of personality, despite stereotypes persisting.. Dragaereans should be between the ages of 90 ・500. If you are over 1000, give a damn good history. Pariahs and Bastards ・the mixed breed Dragaereans born of 2 houses are looked down upon. Your house options are limited to TECKLA or JHEREG or none. The Phoenix Guard ・you may be a soldier in the guard (active or retired). But this will have an effect on your options. Undead・. um. No. Seroli,... Um no. Jenoine,・go to Deathsgate buddy! Familiars ・are allowed as PCs (recommended as secondary characters to different players). Just consider this ・you値l be a small ・mid-sized animal. This limits interaction. Jhereg familiars have human intelligence. Other animals are, by 鼠ack・of genetic intervention, not as smart but come close to human intelligence due to the psychic bond with their masters (for the sake of THIS game anyways). Nobility. ---------- Dragaereans can be of a noble house. I would not recommend that anyone station themselves above the rank of count or duke. I also would NOT recommend placing the phrase *.* HEIR TO THE THRONE near your names as this would tend to complicate your lives. Dragaerean TECKLA cannot start as nobles. And being a commoner is perfectly fine. If so, you merely lack the 創obles point・in your hairstyle (it is unknown whether this is a genetic or a fashion mannerism). There are many nobles who lost a lot during the Interregnum and as such are without home or means. *playing Brust痴 headline characters = NO. the is no Verra-be-damned way that I will let anyone walk into this game and say, 滴i, I知 Vlad Taltos.・These characters will be under the GMs control if they show up at all. Occupation: -------------- That痴 pretty straightforward. All occupations are viable ・both legitimate and non-legitimate. Being unemployed is legitimate too. It痴 like being nobility, except it smells worse and your social options are more limited. Just keep in mind that if you own a shop, you may wan to write up a few NPCs that will handle the day 2 day affairs while you池e off doing other things. Money and stuff -------------------- Assume you have enough money for your station in life. Most Dragaereans own a sword. Over the counter enchanted weapons are a remote but feasible possibility. Simple spells like rust prevention and maintaining sharpness are easy enough. Magical barrier breaking or enflaming weapons are not viable. Walking around with Morganti weapons is bad. I still have yet to hear a good reason why anyone could have a Great Weapon. On witchcraft: ----------------- Witchcraft focuses more on mental/psionic abilities whereas sorcery tends towards the 素lash-bang・kind of stuff. Brust is a bit vague on the limitations and overlap of each but as a rule, witchcraft tends to be more ritualistic and involved. Rather than drawing power from the Imperial Orb, it draws power from the self and sometimes the surrounding environment. Witch magic is 壮ympathetic・and works very well if personal items are used in the spells. It can also be 壮upplemental・as it gathers greater power based on the more people participating. Witches also tend to become rather good herbologists and chemists. In general, witches are Easterners and sorcerers are Dragaereans. Not every Easterner is a witch and Dragaereans are not all sorcerers. Beginning level witches ・have empathy, can relax their bodies, ignore minor pain and communicate psionically with some practiced effort. Moderate level witches ・can do minor astral projection and may receive visions and insights, relieve minor injuries and ailments (coughs, colds, rashes, dampen pain), perform minor curses (rashes, luck, boils), psionic contact and sometimes 壮end・mental pictures to other people as well as 喪ead・familiar objects to ID ownership (psychometry). Advanced level witches - can perform 壮eeings・ summon familiars, relieve moderate injuries and ailments (ignore pain, heal bones and knife wounds, staunch bleeding,), 壮uggest・mental actions to individuals, create charms, extend life. Experts and Masters ・can disguise a Dzur (panther like cat) as a housecat to the minds of others, perform mental control, summon items through teleportation (very involved), have greater seer abilities, affect crops and diseases like plagues, major curses and float castles if there are enough witches involved. On Sorcery --------- Every citizen (Dragaereans of a house or 蘇oused・Easterners) has a link to the Imperial Orb ・which for the most part acts as a really nifty clock for the unskilled. The power of the Orb is technically unlimited ・however, the human body痴 capacity to withstand such power is. Beginning level sorcerer ・can check the clock and perform psionic contact do lighting spells. Moderate level sorcerer ・minor healing spells, manage self-teleports (read ・礎umpy ride・, do 蘇ousehold・spells (dust removal, paint preserve, remove stains, light candles, chill wine, etc) Advanced level sorcerer - can teleport others, levitate, control others mentally, perform charms, trace and block teleports, resist fire and cold, set up/disarm sorcerous traps. For degrees of permanence, usually other objects like crystals or magical aparati are involved. Experts ・Blow up stuff real good, revivify, prevent revivification, weather control, teleport groups, animate corpses, seeing/divining, mind probing, etc (Draymar is around or this level, but his natural aptitude pushes him to master on occasion). Masters (have usually specialized in one or two fields of magic ・like necromancy) Blow up stuff really really well, dimensional travel, make yourself an undead being Sethra LaVode, The Necromancer, The Sorceress in Green, Andron e狸eiron Pre Empire Sorcery ----------------------- If you know ANY of this stuff, you better have a DAMN good reason why. POSTING REQUIREMENTS: ------------------------------------ - It is strongly recommended that you be familiar with the world of S. Brust before you consider committing yourself to this game. - Posting is expected at LEAST once every 3 days. - We are looking for a high caliber of writer looking to push the limits of their skills. Your character submission will be scrutinized VERY CAREFULLY for ability. We have a strictly NO WANKER policy which we enforce. This is a game about characters ・not about crawling through dungeons slaying monsters for gold. If you want to be a munchkin, go join the Wizard of Oz chat room. - Don稚 be an absolutist rules lawyer. I hate that. This is NOT a D&D game. Relax, have fun and enjoy the writing. Combat will rarely be an issue. Intelligence is much more important. Sample character. ----------------------- Nalethin (Na-leth-in) e'Not-appearing-in-this-fic Age: 300 House; Dzur with Jhereg affil. Occupation: Button Man Nale (Nah-Lay ・or simply Nails) was probably not standing in the right line when the Lords of Judgement were handing out wisdom. However, he seems to have snuck into the strength line for third of fourth helpings. As a child he spent much of his time in Jhereg run establishments, due to his father痴 frequency and assortment of vices. Though eventually involved in some of those vices himself, he always saw that the bouncers around the games' tables seemed to get more respect than his father. Which sounded to him like a good idea. He first started working in the intimidation business when he turned a hundred ・initially working off his father痴 debts, and eventually his own. He is currently under the employ of Lesher, a Orca-cum-Jhereg who runs part of the dock district of Adrilanka. His size puts him on par with he most grizzled dock worker and puts him right in the front line when the 租reamgrass・comes in. Now, Dragons and Dzur are never known for their patience, but Nalethin is・after a fashion. Four times out of five, he will not understand an insult. The problem is that one has to watch out for the fifth time ・ which usually equates to the final time. True to his blood, he will take up a stiletto in half a moments' notice and run you through like a skewered kethna. In fact, on one occasion, he drove three stilettos into a guy who he was holding up against a wall. So well was his victim staked that it actually took 4 carpenters and a heavy hammer to remove the body from the side of the warehouse ・which later led to his nickname. In terms of a person, Nails has the personality of masonry. Blunt, direct and monotone. He doesn稚 laugh, be guffaws like fool if at all. His relationships with women often end with a standard fee and a little extra to pay for the black eye. He is not a very nice person. His father died decades prior due to illness, being unable to afford a physicker. He respects people only in terms of what they can give him. Lesher gives him money. The psychedelic shop owner provides dust. His coworkers do their job and he does his. He spends most of his spare time in dreamlike daze, just taking different drugs while on the job. His goals in life typically do not extend beyond his next hit of dreamgrass. CONTACT INFO: trevorsensei at yahoo.com __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Friends. Fun. Try the all-new Yahoo! 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