You enter the same tavern you always do, either alone or with friends, it really doesn't matter. You go to sit down, order your drink at the bar, and behind the wench uncorking your poison you see a yellowed page, untidy scrawl catching your attention in the dim candlelight?
Wanted- Assistance in an archaeological expidition in northern Elsweyr
Employer- Louis Endret, scholar and noble of the Imperial City
Pay- Five thousand septims up front, more if successful
Details- An excavation of an underground ruin, supposedly the fabled Llesw'er of Khajiiti legend
Location- Meet employer at Orcrest
Or perhaps you are not one to frequent taverns, the dull dens of the city scum; perhaps you would rather stand above the rabble. Oh, my friend, destiny walks all paths of life, you cannot hide from that which seeks you?
My Most Esteemed Friend,
I have recently uncovered what could be the greatest archaeological discovery of the era. Following a manuscript I have found in the Imperial Library, I have located the sealed doorway to what is apparently the fabled paradise of Llesw'er. I requested the Mane's help, but he has turned me away most disgracefully, refusing to believe the existence of the legendary haven prophesized by his own predecessor. Thus I have used the remainder of my resources in finding a party to venture with me into the depths of this great subterranean mystery. As I'm sure on such as yourself has already guessed, I extend my invitation to you, hoping you will join me in the making of history, and, according to my manuscript, the taking of great treasure. If you would be so kind as to accept, I await your presence in Orcrest.
With Many Thanks,
Louis Endret
"Ours is the duty to keep the compromise from being filled with black sea."
What you will be doing:
You have caught word of Louis' plan to enter the Elsweyr ruins, the legendary Llesw'er, and seek to join him in Orcrest. Your motivations are your own; whatever would cause you to see the advertisemant on the wall of a tavern, a job given by a superior, the help of a friend, or as a means to great riches. You will gather at Orcrest, meet this energetic young scholar and his aide, and travel out through the desert, towards the great stone door. Above the entrance, the portal to an adventure so great as to rock the foundations of Mundus, are written these words, in the ancient and shifting language of the Ehlnofey,
"Keep these Tower-Stones, safeguard from Misrule. Dawn-bound, cursed-blessed Guardians, echoes of wheel-within-wheel. Be-aware that-enter Guardian-tools are held by Guardian-hands."
Ambiguity aside, this is the first in a hopefully long series of RPs, which will follow our band of adventurers across Tamriel as a single scholar uncovers the secrets of Aurbis and beyond, and the consequences of that discovery. This first shall be an adventure, the next much the same, but the third requires a bit of searching; its secret is not so linear, and its Stone not so tangible. As we near the end we shall meet the Thief, his godhood lost, and we shall watch as the world tumbles to Padomay once more. Perhaps you shall rise to legend, perhaps you will discover the secret of the Tower before it is too late, perhaps one among you shall become new Champion, perhaps more. It is up to you to decide, but every journey starts with a single step, and seemingly innocent quests can have deadly consequences.
This first RP is, in essence, a dungeon crawl. You'll meet each other in the dusty streets of Orcrest, and once everyone's had time to post and get acquainted we'll set off through the desert. At that point I plan to timeskip just a bit, just to get us through that stretch of arid wasteland, but there are a few things I'll be pointing out along the way. Once we arrive at the entrance and open the seal we'll set off into the ruins, and this is where we get into that familiar adrenalin filled combat combined with a bit of dialogue. Once we're done with the maze of tunnels I have a few surprises in mind, ending with us finding the Stone, though we don't know what it really is. After that we all go home rich (those that are still alive, of course), and in a short while we'll start the next one (in Valenwood).
I hope that cleared everything up a bit, this RP shouldn't prove all too taxing, though there will be plenty of character interactions, mystery, and thrilling surprises. Other than that it really depends on you all whether this will be good or great I can only host so much.
Overall plot of the RP (Lore knowledge recommended, but do not read if you enjoy a mystery)
This is set to be only the first in a series of several RPs, centered around the mystery of the great Towers of Nirn and their mythical Stones. The Towers, before the Oblivion Crisis, were the only thing that maintained the barrier between Oblivion and Mundus, and the destruction of the Heart of Lorkhan coupled with the taking of the Amulet of Kings is what weakened this barrier and allowed Dagon to enter the mortal realm. Each Tower corresponds to a Stone, the focal point for its power, and each Stone is kept safe by a Guardian.
The first Tower, or should I say the Zero Tower, was Adamantine, the source of the Convention and vessel of Akatosh. The next Tower was Red Mountain, formed during the Convention when Lorkhan's heart was shot across Tamriel. The order of the later Towers is uncertain, but the Towers constructed by the mer in the echo of the Zero Tower are the following: Green-Sap (Falinesti), Walk-Brass (Numidium), Crystal-like-Law (Crystal Tower), High Hrothgar, White Gold and, though it is destroyed, Orichalc (Yokuda). In the http://www.imperial-library.info/obscure_text/nu-hatta_nu-mantia.shtml it is stated that there are eight towers on the rim and a single tower at the hub, the great mockery of Aurbis that gave White Gold great power. But hold, there are only seven outlying towers mentioned (Adamantine, Red, Crystal, Green, Numidium, Hrothgar, and Orichalc), so what is the eighth? It has been said that the Khajiit have a deep connection with the Lunar Lattice, and the theory has been supported that they too are mer. Thus we can only come to the conclusion that the eighth tower is in Elsweyr, and has many interweaving connections with the cat folk and their moon sugar.
In "http://www.imperial-library.info/fsg/nalionarticle2.shtml", Nalion Leoriane theorizes that the Towers were only tools, and the Stones the method of using them, that these tools must be wielded by a Guardian that the Liminal Barrier might be maintained. With the absence of the last Guardians, Vivec and the Emperor, even those Towers that still had Stones could not keep Oblivion out of Nirn.
This is why the Oblivion Crisis occurred, why the Mythic Dawn could bring Dagon to Nirn, and one of the greatest wonders of Mundus. At the end of the Crisis, Martin gave himself up as the everlasting Guardian, altering the covenant between Alessia and Lorkhan/Akatosh that the Towers would be replaced by him and the great dragon statue at the Temple of the One.
Thus are the Towers, their secret going unnoticed by the masses of Tamriel, only the ancients and the most wise aware of their importance. But what if the dragon statue is broken? What if all the Guardians are not truly gone? What if someone were to gather all the pieces, visit those still standing, and break once more the barrier, and the jaws of Oblivion gape wide once more?
"Aad semblio impera, dela can carpio semblex."
Character Sheet Template (Please fill in all categories thoroughly)
Name/Nickname: (Whatever your character calls themselves, please make it lore friendly. The wiki has a list of names if you need some)
Race: (Please no hybrids or anything crazy. No dwemer or daedra, just use an in game race. If you're Khajiit or Argonian please specify what tribe/type you are)
Gender: (Male/Female)
Age: (Obvious)
Sign: (Please use one of the ingame signs)
Faction(s): (Whatever groups your character affiliates themselves with, this includes factions they used to be in)
Class: (What your character calls their proffession)
Class Description/Skills: (Please don't just list off in game skills, and certainly not numbers. Just a one paragraph description of things they're good at)
Appearance: (A general idea of what your character looks like, including physique, posture, etc.)
Hair: (Color, style, length, and anything else. Be creative, don't just say straight dark hair)
Eyes: (Color, shape, do they squint, do they have a scar over their eye?)
Height: (Obvious, how tall is your character. In feet please)
Weight: (Also obvious, what your character weighs. In pounds please)
Personality: (A brief, one paragraph description of your character's mental state. Are they timid, adventerous, or maybe just a tad crazy?)
Hobbies: (Things your character does in their free time)
Fears: (Things that make your character cringe)
Goals: (What your character hopes to accomplish in life; their desires)
Religion: (Whatever religion your character follows, be it the Nine, a Daedra, or something else)
Weapons: (Whatever your character uses to fight, be it a sword, bow, or staff. Of course, more creative weapons are welcome, but you get the point)
Armor: (What your character will be wearing during the RP. Remember we're going in the desert so you might want to keep any heavy stuff in a bag for now)
Clothing: (What your character wears on a day to day basis or under their armor)
Miscellaneous: (Any items that don't fit with the above, including gold, potions, books, etc.)
History: (Two or three paragraphs please, starting at childhood/birth and ending with the thing they were doing when they heard of the expedition)
Motive for Joining: (Whatever reason your character has for joining Louis and co.)
Fun Fact: (You don't have to include one, but if you want to add in a small detail about your character that doesn't really fit anywhere else, put it here)
And of course, the usual rules:
No flaming, spamming, graphic romance/nudity, or anything else the forum doesn't allow
No character controlling (This includes killing another character, making them do anything the player didn't do, etc.)
Posts must be well thought out, spelled correctly, and a minimum of two paragraphs. No one line posts.
OOCs should be accompanied by an IC, if you absolutely must OOC keep it to a bare minimum
No ubering or other things frowned upon in IN's guide (which you should have read)
PM all sheets to me for approval (this is the idea thread anyway)
I will be wishing you all good luck; it would seem you need it.
PS Thank you everyone, as some of you might know this is my first try hosting an RP, hopefully we can all make it a good one. This is just the idea thread, so criticism of my idea (and my lore) is highly welcome. If you would like to sign up, I wouldn't advise making your sheets just yet, the sign up thread is most likely a couple of weeks away. But when you do, please be as creative as possible with it, one of the most entertaining things in an RP is to have your character be worth your while. Also, take care in crafting your adventurer, for they might return in the future RPs. Thanks again, and may your Love be endless :hugs: