Well after the success of Siege of Sentinel, an RP in which I combined politics, war, adventure and basic inter character development I had decided to take the formula and expand it to a province wide RP. For various reasons although the RP managed to stay alive for months, it did not get the sufficient momentum to continue at an acceptable pace and after speaking with several of the RPers there I have decided to move on in the time line leaving Wayrest and Daggerfall indefinitely at one another's throats as they had always been until we decide, if we decide to ever return to High Rock. The way I ran Siege of Sentinel (SoS) and High Rock (HR) also had some contrasting aspects which now has allowed me to find a balance that will make future RPs run much smoother.

Now moving on will allow the Timeline to continue and also allow new people to join in and contribute to our unique expanded lore. The new RP will be set a few years after the OB crisis and for the most part in Colovia which has gained a high level of autonomy from the Empire which has already lost some considerable territory to certain threats. I really want to give Colovia this whole "frontier on the edge of the empire" feel to it. During and after the OB crisis the rise of the Merchant Guild in the area has weakened the various counts rule more and more leaving them in a subservient level to the Merchant Guild head who owns the area very much so in the economic sense.

Along with this i'm going to be adding a new race to the TES lore. The Altai who were previously known as simply "Nomads." In SoS originally we used this term to refer to the various Redguard desert tribes. Later on I took the idea to refer to a whole new different people that lived in the north eastern portions of Hammerfell. They're a human race, the original aboriginals of Hammerfell lost in the history books due to their nomadic life style. They're based on the various nomadic people of central asia of our world both past and present such as the Bulgars, Pechenegs, Magyars, Cumans, Jurchuen, Mongols, Khitan, Turks and so on and so forth. As a historian I find the TES lore a bit shallow when it comes to the historical aspect of the series which is why I prefer to expand upon it ourselves, sort of "modding" the lore, adding and bending here and there to add more flavor without really destroying the environment. If you don't care much for it but still want to join just imagine them as "roaming nomad horseman with bows" and you'll be fine.

But I personally do enjoy to bring certain influences from our world into the lore. For example although we did not see it too much in High Rock there was a certain local ethnic differentiation based on how far west or east you went due to the various Elven or Nordic influences in the Breton's culture. In SoS certain Red Guards were very Japanese as the TES lore suggests in certain aspects, others were very Persian or Arabic or African. The Nords instead of just being "vikings" were expanded into various cultures such as the Baltic tribes, the Novgorodian-esque Nords and even Celtic influences. Even the Altai will have their variations. Some will be stocky built Asiatic looking like the Mongols while others will be more Europeanoid looking like the Cumans. The sparse population of nomad civilizations and the almost constant roaming allows a lot of mixing and variation.

Anyway back to the RP idea. Basically you have Chorrol, Anvil and Skingrad which were told by the Imperial City that they don't have the funds to support a Legion garrison in Colovia anymore. Placing their legions on Vvardenfell for the mines is more important at the time being even though the Western Wield fine wine and cheeses are nice. Then you have Kvatch which has been built into a sort of Krak de Chevalier fortress city in which the Merchant Guild headquarters resides. These 3 cities will try to over throw the Merchant Guild rule. They can't out right raise armies and do it however as the Merchant Guild is by far richer and could easily out number any one of the cities. Although the 3 cities have been rendered as mere vassals of the Guild they're not completely powerless.

From the west across the flat lands come roaming various Altai tribes looking for new lands. The expansion of Khan Chagatai in Skaven has made many tribes migrate further east toward the Colovian lands. Of course the Colovians will be distrustful, and the Altai also add this whole "border land, frontier" feel to the RP I think.

What you want to RP is you. Based on who we get to join we may have more emphasis on adventure or politics or economics or war etc. We can find whatever balance we like to work with and keep a nice organized pace. I realize i'm posting this a bit late and Thanksgiving is tomorrow (or rather today just really early) so I don't expect many comments to come up. I'm just looking for some thoughts, ideas. Keep in mind that this is a very rough draft.

Some concept pictures for the Altai race:

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/765/cuman1az9.jpg

http://site.mynet.com/tarihnet/seljuks.jpg

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/9416/crusaders123om.jpg

http://medieval2.heavengames.com/m2tw/history/faction_histories/faction_histories/timurids/babur.jpg

http://sovietrussia.org/ma/src/12478763978303649.jpg

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/1237/86zhnl8.jpg

http://img212.imageshack.us/img212/6857/ageoftamerlane87be.jpg

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/2432/ageoftamerlane19iz.jpg

http://www.modrealms.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/mount-and-blade-warband-artwork-khergit-army.jpg

http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/7494/untitled10znmx4.jpg

http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/7042/mughulindia15041761019uyr7.jpg

http://media.photobucket.com/image/steppe%20proboards/Nori_killer_queen_/Bulgar%20Warriors/D1EEEAEEEB.jpg

http://www.modrealms.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/mount-and-blade-warband-khergit-horseman.jpg

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=443269&stc=1&d=1219300663

They look good. I was actually wondering about a horseback hill race, but now you have brought it to life. Pretty awesome.

Yea their role will be to add the alien element sort to the frontier feel of it all. If anyone's ever studied Roman history and the Aurelian withdraw where the Roman Empire withdrew their legions and administration and the people were left behind to deal with the various migrating nomads. The story line will have that sort of feel to it. I'm leaving it pretty open ended with what the people do in the cities and what not.

Personally, i am glad to be moving on. The Waltz has been dieing steadily since GD left, and we were just prolonging its suffering. Its time to let the old girl die and move forward. Thus will be a good opportunity to bolster our ranks with some new members too.

I've decided to give it a whole "silk road" type sort of feel. My big issue right now is trying to figure out how best to organize Colovia. A tightly knit confederation, opposing kingdom city states, loosely aligned economically etc. Not sure if people are to into the whole merchant guild idea.

Well, I'll be taking Skingrad. Hurrah for being more active this time around, I suppose. I need to read up on some things, probably.

For the record I'll be doing the Merchants' Guild, and if it's decided we're not doing it - dibs on Chorrol.


I'd say it's been dying even longer, maybe around the start of the battle of Dunkarn. And the west was pretty much aborted. A fresh start is definitely for the better.

What if we add some sort of Goblin element to it all? They come out of their caves and take Sancre Tor. The Knights of the Nine call for a crusade to take back the place due to its importance. Colovians cities would also have something to do etc. I don't recall anyone ever doing RPs with goblins.

I think that it should lean more towards the merchant guild aspect or the silk road/goblin aspect.

That said the nomadic race you thought up sounds really interesting and deserves some attention.

I call Knights of the Nine.

the Goblin thing seems a bit flimsy but the merchant guild thing may work. The silk road aspect will be there for sure.

Personally, I'm not really one for controlling certain factions, or much politics. (Sometimes, not always as I was in one major War RP on here, with W00tz I think?) but seeing how this could turn out. I think I'd stick closer to the adventurer type vibe, personally. Since I'm not familiar with the whole TES Lore, like most on here, I think the Adventurer feel will make it easier not just on me, but all of us.

And I do like the idea of the 'nomads' being Mongolian, Turkish, and other cultures in those regions. Makes it easier for me to picture. Anyway, once you all get if sorted out and tidied up, I'll join.

OFF TOPIC (Sorry) @ Tayroc: Nice Avatar, and great movie.

I think it's going to shape up more and more into an adventure RP at least for the first half. I'm thinking a unified Colovian state sends out an armed escort to investigate why their merchant caravans have been vanishing and when they arrive they find some nomads.

I'll be RPing the Kypchak (based on the actual Kypchak or Cumans) but others can also RP either this group of nomads or another. You can make up your own reason for being in Colovia. My own for example will be to find new grazing lands for our sheep since in Hammerfell the Khan of Skaven has pushed out many of the other tribes. The season will be autumn and getting colder so resources will become more and more sparse. The Colovian locals won't be too happy about the Altai showing up.

So could we RP a Mercenary, maybe hired by Colovian Locals, to deal with the 'invading' nomads? Or maybe be a Mercenary hired by the Merchants Guild, to deal with the Colovian locals, and nomads? Might make for some 'Phony War' like tensions I think. Rather the forces of the groups actually battling one another, they're only fighting skirmishes, kinda figuring out one another's strengths and weaknesses. Like the WW2 'Phony War'.

That's kind of what i'm thinking although I am wondering how to maintain the story of the RP beyond that.

Okay guys, what do you think of this idea.

The cities of Skingrad, Chorrol, and Anvil, while unable to muster physical resistance, continue to be a thorn in the side of the Merchant's Guild because they continue to offer passive resistance to their rule over the region, in the absence of the Legion.

The Merchant's Guild, increasingly frustrated by this and the fact that they can take no direct action against an individual city, leads them to an idea. Nomads have come to Colovia from the west, and the Merchant's Guild encounters them. Seeing them as a possible threat, they soon realize that they are in fact the solution. They invite the nomads to set up on the lands belonging to the cities, so that they will harass caravans and travelers trying to move between them.

The nomads seize the opportunity for a new home, and the Colovians already living there don't take kindly to it. However, they can't raise an army to purge the nomads, and their existing guards are too few to deal with the threat. Thus, they are left with two options. Hire a group of mercenaries and pin their hopes on them, or submit to the conditions of the Merchant's Guild in exchange for them slaughtering the nomads for them. If they do the latter, the Merchant's Guild wins, taking the freedom of the cities and destroying the possible threat of the nomads in one fell swoop. Obviously, the cities prefer the former option.

This allows for adventure in the form of the mercenaries and politics in the form of the cloak and dagger exchange going on between the cities and the Merchant's Guild, with the nomads caught in between.

Well here are some simple suggestions, that might help you think?

1. This one's a no brainer, but maybe try to keep the factions involved as equal as possible (players I mean). So then one faction doesn't have like 6 players here, or three there, and all while that other faction has just four because it wasn't as popular (possibly.) It would keep things on an even keel, as no one faction would be more powerful than another? (Ignore this one, I don't really like it all that much, but it leads to #2)

2. This is more to the story, but even though the players would have an impact on the story, and surroundings. Also have NPC characters (Knowingly), causing trouble for their opposing factions. Just so the players, aren't the only ones causing trouble story wise. Like say I and two other players decided to go rampaging through Kvatch, the result could possibly be the Merchants Guild hiring the Dark Brotherhood to come hunting us down? Whether they (Assassins) succeed would be up to you or our own actions? (Like if the Assassins found out where we were, they may or may not succeed in killing us or whatever?) But player action and NPC action should be a major factor (obviously) on how things work into the story. (That kinda draws away from the story also, but it's better than the first I think.)

3. I forgot what I was going to say, but I'll get back to you.

Indeed a marvelous idea.

Wasn't Immortal thinking of including a legion...


What about this...added on to that.


Alright well in the orginal timeline lore involves the treaty at Anvil. What if, with Anvil seeing the Empire is not helping them, is backed by the Altmer? In term, the Altmer offer to take Anvil and shield it. Would that work?

It may not work though, because the Imperials may come into the plot then, which screws it up...

This is a very good idea. I am just wondering now how I do the factions. I mean say I put up the RP as written above, what would one join? I can see the RP starting off with an armed escort perhaps going west to see what has been going on with the caravans (probably raided by the nomads.) and something being worked out there but what would the people RPing the cities do?

Perhaps we can do something unique. I heard of an online game a while ago which was very interesting. It's both and first person shooter and a real time strategy game. On one side you have a dozen or so people playing first person, going into buildings shooting the bad guy. On the other side is one or maybe two guys who set up their troops in RTS style.

So I am thinking perhaps with we have the political RPers take the cities and RP from a political respective while the Merchant Guild members RP adventure and the Altai nomads RPing a mixture of the two somewhat.

I'd also need maybe one other person to lead a separate tribe from my Kypchak. I'm thinking something perhaps like the original Huns who elongated their skulls and some say they scarred their faces and weighed down their ears to lengthen them, very wild looking.

There is also the idea of the Nords. In Siege of Sentinel the nords were present as raiding parties. Perhaps through Colovia we could have Nordic raiders akin to the Varangians who raided down the rivers. Adds more and more to the "frontier feel."

Interesting, especially since I'm reading a book on the Huns! I like the whole frontier feel thing you got going too, with the citizens almost being abandoned by the Empire. Would the Nords come that far down though? I'm not exactly sure where Colovia "ends", but since Bruma isn't in your list of cities involved, I assume it doesn't go much further north than Chorrol.

I have to say again, that I really like this whole frontier thing, as small little towns and villages start feeling the influence of these Altai nomads, perhaps some who resent the Empire "abandoning" them may even choose to support the nomads with trade, maps and guides to the land and what not?

The Nords i am referring to would be the Nords that migrated through Hammerfell and raided along the rivers during Siege of Sentinel. Now they're returning to Skyrim but some had decided to settle in Colovia I was thinking. Maybe have them be a group there.

So basically what I am thinking is that at the strictly political level we have the 3 Colovian cities. These roles will be given to people who I can trust to stay in the RP and not wander about 2 weeks in. Then we have the adventurer group which will form a mini group of people who will go on the adventure bit with the politics providing the theme and all. And then we have the Altai and possibly Nords who will do a little bit of both. Their organization will be much more loose.

So far I'll have an Altai tribe and Atomic is really interested in the more war like Altai tribe based a lot on the Huns. Maybe you can talk with Atomic about it Blademaster. But we'll also need some reliable people for the cities. It's still in the works but at least we have some shape to it all now.

Oh okay, I wasn't aware of that, but it makes sense. Would it be a faction available to the RP'ers? Are they there simply for a raiding purpose, gaining riches and what not before returning home. Or do you plan on them settling down more (though I guess that would take some focus away from the Altai)?



If needed I can take a city, because I'm decently active, and don't plan on disappearing like last time around :/

On a side note, I hope people don't go overboard on the whole horse archery thing, because it's a skill that's surprisingly hard to master, one that can only be done by a life time of riding and shooting!

Speaking about adventurers. Since the Nords and nomads will be much less restricting, and loose. Could we maybe play as an Adventuring nord (or nomad), ransacking and taking whats needed etc.? Considering that most of the adventurer players, will probably be either sided with Colovia or the Merchants Guild, maybe some adventurer players from the other side might be acceptable?

Meh. I really don't see the fun in it.

Sorry, I'm sitting this one out.