A High Fantasy Faction-based Roleplay by A Diadem of Dead Stars
Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2016 12:14 pm
(I) The Ballad of the Beginning [iambic tetrameter/trimeter quatrains]
Ne'er was a land as sweet as this With vales and mountains high Touch'd so with gold and riches full Beneath the endless sky
'Ere darkened days and thoughtless rage Of men upon the earth Flow'd wine and joy and song and dance And merriment from hearth
Yet folly made the warriors seek For treasures yet in store; So dull with gold, in boredom's name Was peace sought nevermore
So comrades turned to bitter hate Kin turned against their kin Blood sow'd the blesséd soil in vain For pyhrric bouts to win
And longer still the battles raged In tale and legend famed Afore one stemmed the tides of blood And Máldlhann rightly claimed
Ne'er was a land as sweet as this With vales and mountains high Touch'd so with gold and riches full Beneath the endless sky Beneath the endless sky Beneath the blood-red sky
(II) The Song of The Rider [iambic tetrameter couplets]
The blood was thick upon the plain On rust and ruin in the rain And neither side had thought to yield To catch the blows upon his shield And hide among the wilting flow'r To pass each dying daylight hour But through the howls of dying men The shadow rode on through again.
At first he raised no battlecry No flag was heaved up to the sky The rider merely charged ahead And silent through the ranks he sped Then mace was raised in armoured fist While quiet from behind the mist The sun's rays cast a reddish glow To light the face of man below.
When at first blow the mace had struck Fool's courage from the men to pluck They rallied 'hind opposéd flag In numbers strong to rend and rag But iron through skull was savage reaved And heads all from their shoulders cleaved And through the howls of dying men The shadow rode on through again.
They drew back all with milk-white fear Cowered at tow'ring figure here As high above the gauntlet raised Sunset upon the helm was blazed And light from out the setting sun Gilded the face of no man; none Could fain believe in startled eyes - So fair a maiden's cruel disguise.
And as the soldiers started forth The black horse rear'd and faced the north And upon the maiden's flaxen head She set her helmet; touch'd with red Were mace and arms and armor all The silent Rider, sitting tall And through the howls of dying men The shadow rode on through again.
At once they raised a fierce cry And in each soldier's frenzied eye Flamed burning hate, but curious too Men of both flags united true To thwart, to see the Rider thrown From horse and creature so unknown But as they ponder'd through the night The shadow rode on out of sight.
(III) The Tale of Aradhelben [iambic tetrameter/trimeter quatrains, ballad form]
Of golden heart and silver tongue Was Aradhelben bold For he had found the scorned and shunned (Or so the legends told)
Given to them a mailéd hand Of friend and leader twain And stern in mien, with steady tone He rose upon the plain
What remnants of the broken men The Rider left behind Were frail in flesh and weak in bone And yet more so in mind
"Come, comrades now, come one and all Not fallen on this field I'll give thee hope and give thee life Ne'er more to battle yield;
Come women, children, wives and sons To gather up your dead For though we grieve we must go on 'Till dawning in their stead
Come widows, gallants, wounded all 'Afore the night draws near And nurse your scars and sorrows but Remember what pass'd here."
"Our time is turned to tears and grief But swiftly comes the morn Thro' ev'ry smile each darkened hour Is a new day yet born
So ply your tools of trade and toil Take up your sword and spear When morning comes we'll rise in hope And build what once lay here."
(IV) Title goes here brightfield is restored to peace and happiness (AGGRESSIVE SHORT PASSAGE)
(V) A Shade Approaches: The Return [iambic tetrameter/trimeter quatrains]
One autumn night when clouds glow'd red And fire drown'd out the sky Came shadow swiftly o'er hill As ev'ning did draw nigh
Though horse and rider shadow'd were By mist upon the town No soldier dared approach the man As he came riding down
Though none could tell the name or face Unkown was he, they swore An old man sat by roadside vow'd He' seen the shade before
To old man, child, friend or foe The Rider gave no heed But straight towards the castle rode Upon his shadow steed
And as he pass'd, around his torso Gleam'd a savage mace And blood froze in the old man's veins Who stared with anguish'd face
He clatter'd up the cobbl'd road He rode on up the hill And to the castle gates he came Intent upon one will
And through the gates and through the yard The horse and shadow burst And there were those within that house Who'd glimps'd the rider curs'd
But none had speed enough to warn The venerable king The rider went on through the halls A promis'd end to bring
Where king and court were nightly joined The gallop slow'd to count There, rider stopp'd and bow'd his head To from his horse dismount
He utter'd not a single sound And stoop'd to curtsy there Then helm was dashéd to the ground To show a count'nance fair
For helm had hid no grizzled head; She'd agéd not a day The mace in hand was famed in myth A dozen men to slay
(V) A Shade Approaches: The Fight [iambic tetrameter/trimeter quatrains]
The Rider stepp'd across the stones And survey'd round the room And nodded; as if satisfied With choosing this her tomb
The Kingsguard to attention stood A group on either side; Of solemn face and steady hand They looked to King as guide
And Aradhelben, from his throne Sprang light onto his feet He drew his sword and dash'd his cape Upon his golden seat
"Forward!" he cried, with trem'bling voice His fear was unconcealed His men complied; they rushed on forth With helmet, arms and shield
The Rider made no sign to move And still the men advanced The King himself followed behind And swift for vic'try chanced
She raised her mace, and with one blow Through three men savage tore; Blood fountained from each mangled corpse And pooled upon the floor
"Forward! Forward!" still he cried; Men rushed to fill the space 'Twixt Rider fierce and coward King And met the swing of mace
She cleaved the ranks all clean apart; Sent corpses to the ground Within the hall the battle-din Did echo clear around
Then from the door commotion grew As Kingsguard surged forth still And through the hall charged armoured men; A warhorn sounded shrill
As ranks rode forth to circle King He rushed on through the crowd The Rider met his blow with ease And weapons clattered loud
"Halt!" There, among the armoured men A voice cut through the din "Who brought this devil-woman hence and drown'd us all in sin?
You! Aradhelben, you!" he cried With sword unsheathed and bare "You summoned grief and bloodshed here And death into your lair."
-
"Ten years ago, upon this hour I came to take my due And Aradhelben gave his word To see my contract through
Ere howls of men upon the field Were quelled by kingly hand T'was I, The Rider, who forayed And gave to him this land
And hence it is a century past Of kingdom free and blest Tonight I come to take my due And lay the King to rest."
IV) The _______ of (interlude; brightfield splits into warring factions, by the king, by the rider, by his heir and support of noble houses) < - 3 noble houses [anapestic tetrameter]
(V) The Lay of the Witchfather (froze the time metaphorically and goes around explaining each. reveals himself to be in league with the rider, argues for the rider. introduces a young girl) [anapestic tetrameter/trimeter] Gwainor (Celevon Heneb)
For the fair and the wise and the prosperous and bold Is this kingdom in turmoil thrown But who speaks for the peasants who scrounge in the dust And who care not who sits on the throne? Stand the Riders, the nobles, Aradhelben's men On all sides of the battlefield torn Was the King himself not but mere centuries hence Strict against this blood-madness forsworn?
(VI) The girl is tested by the witchfather , and he helps her calm the dissent and ascend the throne
(VIII) Refrain; change and lengthen the first one to include all the events [iambic tetrameter/trimeter quatrains]
Ne'er was a land as sweet as this With vales and mountains high Touch'd so with gold and riches full Beneath the endless sky
'Ere darkened days and thoughtless rage Of men upon the earth Flow'd wine and joy and song and dance And merriment from hearth
Ne'er was a land as sweet as this With vales and mountains high Touch'd so with gold and riches full Beneath the endless sky Beneath the endless sky Beneath the golden sky
Angstbucket Edgelord
Shadowy Phantom
Offline
Angstbucket Edgelord
Shadowy Phantom
Offline
Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 4:40 am
Warring Kingdoms: Only in the annals of old songs and ballads of oral tradition are the earliest days of Máldlhann recorded. This was the shadowy era of the warlords and their clans that would form the earliest Houses. Already, sightings of The Rider had begun to weave themselves into legend, but the fighting and raids and constant movement of territories between clans was of the main concern.
The Rider & The Battle at Linlea: More frequent sightings of The Rider presaged the fiercest wars of this century; the proto-Houses of Máldlhann began to see the merits of joining under a single banner and uniting Houses through alliance or marriage. Out of this era came the lineages preserved throughout history: Umeriath, Ulawynn, Wranfir, Nornan and Balmyar, and countless more lost to the ages. Centuries of bloodshed came to a head at the Battle of Linlea, with the Houses Nornan and Balmyar presenting a united front against Umeriath, Ulawynn, and Wranfir. At length, a deal was brokered between one Vestele Nornan and Cyran Wranfir to join together; House Wranfir withdrew their forces from Ulawynn and Umeriath. Before long, the four sides had solidified into two; those under Ulawynn and those under Wranfir. With the last dregs of their armies under threat, both sides eventually brokered a temporary alliance against The Rider, who had slaughtered a large swathe of the soldiers on the battlefield.
The Reign of Aradhelben: Nobody can remember if it was Aradhelben's presence that drove The Rider away, or if it was mere chance that House Ulawynn happened to have the most men standing after the war. In any case, House Wranfir grudgingly accepted Aradhelben's rise to power and the rebuilding of Máldlhann, including the highly famed castle Ilragorn, a beautiful structure of white rock. For all his faults and vanity, neither side could deny the King's role in restoring the land to its former glory and christening it thus "Máldlhann - The Golden Land". For a time, all was peaceful and war seemed only a distant memory to even House Wranfir.
The Return of the Rider: Ten years after the day of the cessation of the Battle of Linlea and the beginning of Aradhelben's reign, the costumed commonfolk were enjoying their annual celebration by traipsing down Fool's March, a wide cobbled path that led from Ilragorn down into the village center. Near nightfall, when the crowds had dispersed, the sound of phantom hoofbeats sounded on the path, signalling The Rider's return. That night, the King was killed by Cyran Wranfir and the alliance of Wranfir-Nornan and The Rider vanished, seen perhaps for the last time since, and all hell broke loose in the days leading up to the Five Years' War.
The Five Years' War: This war broke out almost immediately following the King's death. His young son was quickly named successor and ascended the throne, with the Queen Dowager acting as his primary counselor. However, this proved no more than a farce, as the allied Houses under Wranfir surrounded and ransacked Castle Ilragorn within a week, driving the remnants of the royal family out, but not before putting all the sons of the late King to the sword. The castle was burned shortly after, driving the point of battle out to the plains that it used to tower over. Armies clashed in open battle, painting the grasslands so red with blood that it seemed to be afire at sunset and dawn. This place came to be known as The Burning Plains, as each side tried to place one of their own on the throne, only to be quickly taken down by the other side. It was during this time of civil unrest that much of the commonfolk wished for the return of The Rider; in the midst of this sentiment, the first stirrings of the rebel faction known as The Riders formed, choosing to hide in Whiteridge, an area bare of shrubbery that looked to the eye like white scars on the hills. Alongside The Riders grew a faction more intent on returning to a time of peace, naming themselves Sons of the Witch. They took the wisdom of The Witchfather and recorded it; at first only for the benefit and hope of the commonfolk.
The Rise of Gwainor House Tristhana Present Day
Lorhaven Lhananger Blackknot
Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 3:42 pm
House of Ulawynn: the descendants of Aradhelben Ulawynn; these nobles claim direct or indirect ties to the original Houses of Ulawynn and Umeriath. Hierarchy within the House is determined by age and bloodline; those bearing the Ulawynn name come before those of Umeriath descent, who rank over the rest of those affiliated with the House.
- Aradhelben descendent - Ulawynn - Umeriath - Umeriath - Umeriath - Other - Other - Other - Other - Other - Other - Other
House Wranfir-Vestele: these nobles claim descent from Houses Wranfir, Vestele and Balmyar. Those descended directly from Cyran Wranfir and Vestele Nornan are given special consideration.
- Vestele descendant - Cyran descendant - Wranfir - Wranfir - Vestele - Balmyar - Balmyar - Balmyar - Other - Other - Other - Other
The Riders: only admits female members. Since having broken ties with Celevon's acolytes and their descendants, The Riders have withdrawn into the shadows of history, occasionally admitting young girls for training to become warrior-priestesses should the need to depose another monarch arise. The Head Priestess has taken over the Witchfather's duty and claims that she can contact The Rider, who has not been sighted in decades.
- Head Priestess - Veteran - Veteran - Novice - Novice - Novice - Novice - New member - New member - New member
Sons of the Witch: descendants of the Witchfather's acolytes, these sons have taught successive generations their occult magicks, choosing the most capable of each generation as successor, regardless of age or gender.
- Virsalor - Dalamin - Umetris - Venleth - Amra
House of Tristhana: the descendants of Gwainor Tristhana, who have been ruling Máldlhann ever since. The line has been largely matriarchal, but occasionally a male child is named to the throne.
Aradhelben Ulawynn: born under an alliance of Houses Ulawynn and Umeriath (two formidable forces in the Warring Kingdoms landscape), Aradhelben was the family's golden boy since a young age and much beloved for his silver tongue and good looks. At the age of 28, he struck a deal with a shadowy figure known as the Witchfather and ascended the throne at 29; this caused his downfall a decade later.
House Umeriath: a Southern House known for its fierce raids and inventive fighting tactics. The women of this House were expecially known for their high, shrill battle-cries accompanied by lightning-fast strikes, and bright war paint.
Cyran Wranfir: the new leader of House Wranfir, Cyran was only 23 when he took over. Hot-headed and impulsive, he gained territory as fast as he lost it with sheer brute strength. After a series of raids by House Umeriath that left his House severly weakened, he joined forces with Houses Nornan and Balmyar.
Vestele Nornan: the matriarch and battle-hardened veteran of House Nornan. Hailing from the icy North, Vestele was learned both in battle and diplomacy, with decades of experience to back it up. The true brains behind the alliance, she let Cyran become the figurehead to keep House Nornan's losses to a minimum.
House Balmyar: a House whose strengths lay primarily in trade, they provided the economic basis of the alliance. This House was known for being smooth-talking salesmen and tricky diplomats.
The Rider: a spirit of war and anarchy often sighted racing around the plains. This spectre is clad in pitted black armor, rides a black stallion and wields a blodoy spiked mace. Accounts state that the helmet hides a fiar head of golden hair and pale eyes. Speculations about her origin include a native queen usurped by rebel forces, a spured lover of a past king, and a war-goddess who takes pleasure in casting out unworthy rulers.
Celevon: known alternately by the epithets Celevon Brightstar and The Witchfather, this generally benevolent sorverer refuse to pledge allegiance to any master or faction before Tristhana. His epithets are given for the jagged crystal shard that topped his staff and his acolytes that he has trained in the occult arts. He has gained the love and support of the commoners but most nobles remain wary of him and his ties to the Rider.
Gwainor Tristhana: daughter of a village blacksmith and first Queen of Máldlhann, she swindled Celevon out of a good deal of gold in return for a pair of old daggers in her youth. Gelevon took a great liking to the girl and foretold her rise to greatness, which he himself helped to facilitate.
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