» Wed Jul 02, 2014 1:10 am The Tale of Two Moons
Chapter I: Sky of Darkness
After the Oblivion Crisis, the Summerset-Empire War was one of the worst military disasters of the Empire. With no Emperor not only did the Third Empire of Man failed to regain control of Summerset Isle, but- according to the Treaty of Anvil that ended the bloody conflict- Valenwood was to pass under Altmeri control as well, marking the rebirth of the Aldmeri Dominion, renamed the Altmeri Dominion in the name of the Altmer who had defeated the Empire. Taking the cue, the Ra Gada of Hammerfell rose up in their own defiant way, and though the initial part of the war was unsuccessful, the Roaring Walls of Sentinel soon proved themselves more than capable of bringing the exhausted Legion to a halt. After the assassination of Chancellor Ocato in Hammerfell, the tide of war turned, soon becoming a serious strain on the Empire's already limited resources and prompting another disaster for the Empire: the Elsweyr Retreat.
Though the loss of Hammerfell was an obvious sign that the Empire had lost its forceful power, the Elsweyr Retreat was perhaps an even greater blow to the Legion's prestige. In the face of the Dominion's upcoming invasion -launched do to alleged Khajiit raids that the people of Elsweyr deny completely-, the Elder Council ultimately ordered a full-scale retreat of all areas under the rule of the Mane. In the 3rd year of the Fourth Era, the Altmeri Dominion's forces began their invasion by taking Torval in a bloody, difficult assault. The majority of the legions then retreated to Cyrodiil, while those in Rimmen and Riverhold- the lone two states under direct Imperial rule rather than that of the Mane, held their ground. Others, although a few, held their ground in the south against the Dominion or turned to mercenary work.
A long, costly war ensued within the southern regions of Elsweyr. The next two years were engulfed with constant skirmishes as the strong Dominion army edged its way into the Khajiit lands, gaining more ground as the months passed. Even the army of the Altmer, who had recently won a war with the Empire and supported a Redguard rebellion against the same opponent, began to look weary and exhausted. Khajiit resistance forces, without the firepower to face the Dominion in the open field, began to retreat and scatter as the Dominion subdued the cities and towns of southern Elsweyr. Most importantly, Elsweyr was left without a true leader as the Mane has disappeared, rumored to be dead or in hiding.
The year is 4E 5. Half a decade has passed since the death of Emperor Uriel Septim VII, and the Dominion's armies stand victorious and exhausted. The mane's chief adviser has assembled a group in the Royal Court of Corinthe to search for the Mane's whereabouts. Senchal is surrounded and besieged on Elsweyr's southern tip, holding many of the Khajiit resistance forces. Although standing in the face of the Dominion army, Corinthe is the last free state remaining of the southern Khajiit nobility, and the Kingdom of Anequina has unified to the north- its rule consisting mostly of tribal chieftains who have been fending off small assaults from the neighboring Bosmer tribes. Many bandits and brigands roam the country side; even the Renrijra Krin- a mercenary bandit faction formerly employed by the Dominion in the 2nd Era, have taken advantage of the chaos and occupy a small settlement near Leyawiin. Remmen and Riverhold, being settlements of direct Imperial control and not under the Mane's rule, are the last remaining Imperial holdings defended by the legions.
General Military/Political Composition of Elsweyr:
MAP: http://www.majhost.com/gallery/Woolymammoth45/IBTMAPS/elsweyrcompletetimeline.png
This is the map we will be using. As for how many troops are in each area, I will work that out those details via PM with those it concerns and it will be posted into some sort of list for info's sake.
Khajiit Lore Resources:
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Elsweyr
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Khajiit
Getting Started:
Personally, I've noticed there haven't really been a lot of Elsweyr RP's to ever take place on the forum. It would be something new and cool for everyone. The first thing to keep in mind when joining a RP is: what is my character going to do? Quite honestly, your character can be of any stock, class, trade, or organization as long as he fits into the story line. This RP will revolve around the main factions and the group organized to discover where the Mane may be, as well as the current war/political situation in Elsweyr. Keep in mind that while faction goals may be united, the characters you write will have different goals and ultimately, that is one of the things that really makes RP's interesting. For this RP to work, a few key components have to be there. We have to have someone steering the Dominion, someone leading the Khajiit resistance force, and someone leading the Empire. There is nothing wrong with having multiple characters in different factions. By all means, don't be scared of thee "key roles", but remember the smaller are often just as important and in many cases more enjoyable to read and write. I would recommend only going for a really important role if you are going to be active- and by active, you don't have to post every day. Just be around, as it's very hard to fix a RP once one of the main players has left, especially without telling anyone where they went.
Lastly, don't be afraid to RP with new people. If you're interested in a faction, and another guy that you have never RP'd with before has sizable control over it, make a character and interact with his! That's often the best thing you get out of RPing- friendships. I'm not a social person, yet I am friends with people I have RP'd with for 4 or 5 years- and still enjoy meeting new people to RP with. Every person's writing is unique in some way, and those who aren't as experienced or talented can learn with a good attitude. Very few people start off as expert RPers, and even most people who know a lot about them, including myself, have a lot to learn. And remember, the story is not made to turn out a certain way. You play the characters = you write the story.
Here are some general Rules/Recommendations:
1) I'd recommend reading two guides for this RP, the second of which is very important if you plan to RP any type of soldier- grunt, officer or even a head commander:
Illusionary Nothing's "So You Think You Can RP?" Guide: http://www.gamesas.com/topic/747418-so-you-think-you-can-rp/
Gerald Duval's "Abraisive Guide to Battle RP's" Guide: http://www.gamesas.com/topic/810277-gds-abraisive-guide-to-battle-rps/
2) Power characters do exist in the world, but play them right. All characters have flaws, that's what makes them interesting. And by all means:
3) Don't control someone's character without their permission. I actually think it's pretty cool when people write up dialogue in private and have one person post it up. Make sure that if you plan on controlling someone's character in a post, it is worked out beforehand. Even as GM, I won't ever character control your character without permission unless you haven't been on the forum in a month. Most of the time I'll PM your character, especially if he is in the adventure plot, and say "you've found this that leads to whatever" that helps you figure out what happened to the Mane/ There may an occasional GM post.
4) Try to use good grammar and spelling. It makes reading easier for everyone. It doesn't have to be perfect, but try. If not, put your post in word or spellcheck or something.
5) Your character shouldn't know everything that is going on. Your character is not you.
6) Don't dwell too much on game mechanics. It's a story, not a video game, right?
Factions:
Most characters will be involved with a faction one way or another, unless they are just a traveling foreigner or adventurer. This section details a brief overview of the factions. Keep in mind that other groups can be roleplayed or created! Dres slavers would be great in Elsweyr. Maybe the Dark Brotherhood is somehow involved, Chorrol allies of Leyawiin due to family relations, etc. However, these factions aren't really necessary (even though they could potentially be good additions) for the plot, which is why they aren't included in this list. This list is made to lay out objectives/descriptions. For the RP to work, we really need 3 people or so in the Dominion, the Khajiit factions, and the Empire.
Altmeri Dominion/Bosmeri Tribes:
The invading Altmeri Dominion has invaded under the mask of what it calls a response of raids. They have deemed themselves liberators of the Khajiit from Imperial Rule, and seek to please the Bosmer under their rule. Even under the rule of the former Empire of Man, the Bosmer have been a race at war forever with the Khajiit. Though it would be a great power play for both, handing territory to the Bosmer or Khajiit would certainly displease the other. Maintaining a hold over their already conquered territories, gaining more territory, and weakening their Imperial rivals would be their first and foremost objectives. The last two years have been long and costly for the Dominion, and continuing to fight a prolonged war could prove to be at an undesired expense.
Imperial Remnants:
The days of the great Empire of Talos are over. With a full-scale retreat from most of Elsweyr underway, some Imperials seek to fall back to Rimmen while others stay to fight the Dominion. While the Empire should continue to hold its territories and potentially attempt to retain the loyalty of its former Khajiit subjugates, its primary goal is to defeat and cripple the Dominion. The Empire cannot afford to allow Dominion to further change the Empire's landscape, especially one that would give it a backdoor to the Imperial Province.
Kingdom of Anequina:
While not in a direct war with the Dominion, the northern states of Elsweyr, mostly under tribal rule, have always been in direct war with their Bosmeri neighbors. The same foes are still present as the tribal capital of Dune attempts to fend off Bosmer raids. Though the southern nobles and jungle cats have not always been the best of partners, they are far more of friends than the Altmer. While helping your Khajiit partners is your first priority, perhaps independence could be something valuable to the tribal kingdoms.
Corinthe/Senchal/Torval Resistance:
Corinthe and Senchal are the last remaining states of the southern Khajiit nobility that are left unconquered by the Dominion. Senchal is currently under siege and surrounded by Dominion forces. Corinthe is free and still rules its territories but seeks help against the approaching Dominion force, whether that be from the tribes, Empire, Leyawiin, or even some sort of Truce. Remnants of the Torval government, nobility, and general refugees have come to Senchal and Corinthe a lot to form a stand against the Dominion and reclaim their rightful place.
Leyawiin:
Loyal to the Empire, Leyawiin is concerned with the immediate threats of the Renrijra Krin and their occupation of a part of Elsweyr's neighboring eastern area. The current situation holds not only danger, but promise for Leyawiin. While avoiding a hostile Khajiit nation or a hungry Dominion at their doorstep would be their first priority, perhaps an ambitious or clever individual could gain Leyawiin's independence from the Empire under the right circumstances.
Renrijra Krin:
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Renrijra_Krin
A group originating back to the 2nd era, the Renrijra Krin were originally hired by the Aldmeri Dominion of old at different times and worked as mercenaries and pirates all over Tamriel. They are well praised by many of the Khajiit of Elsweyr and focus primarily on reclaiming the Empire and Leyawiin's lands which they believe belong to Elsweyr. Many of them see the Dominion as liberators of their people from the Empire. They have occupied a small region of eastern Elsweyr and are currently conducting raids against the County of Leyawiin and its inhabitants.
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In the RP, you can write for just about any character(s). You can either play an adventurer, loyalist or agent sent to find the whereabouts of the Mane in Corinthe, or a general, nobleman, spy, soldier, mercenary, anything like that- whatever you want, as long as they find their way into the story. You can play a baker, for all I care. Anything will do. As you saw, the map is fairly large, so these are the points where most of the action will focus towards the beginning of the RP. You are not confined to one of these places. There will probably be some type of tribal meeting in Dune, and some characters will be interacting in their respective home areas.
Recommended Starting Locations
1) Corinthe - Area where mercenaries/loyalists have been assembled to find the Mane's whereabouts.
2) Siege of Senchal - Dominion is currently sieging the area. People are trapped inside. Senchal is a huge port town.
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Character Sheet:
Name: (Lore Sense)
Gender:
Birthsign:
Race:
Sub-Race (If Khajiit! Check UESP page linked above for sub-races.):
Age: (Lore Sense - Generally Man 1 to 1 from apparent, Bosmer 2 to 1, Dunmer 5 to 1, Altmer 10 to 1. Varies for all races due to how much magicka is possessed.)
Apparent Age:
Appearance:
Occupation:
Faction: (If none, write N/A)
History/Bio:
Companions:
Anything else you want to add.
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Please either send sheets to Woolymammoth or post in IBT discussion thread for approval. If you have any questions or are interested but don't know quite where to fit in, send me a message! I'll be glad to help you out.
