Blades without a Banner
- Thread starter Shine
- Start date
Oh no I spoke too soon
Setting Sail
[x] Unrepentant Murder.
It's with a strange finality that you turn to the final stretch before the docks, some of your kin forming a sort of honour guard around you and Dame Tara. The hearth guard waves down a ship's crew, and in seemingly too long and too short a wait, a gangplank is thrown down to bridge you and the wind-catcher.
You've said your goodbyes already, and with your throat still hoarse from the hours fresh brand, you don't trust yourself to speak more regardless. Head high and shoulders set, you vault aboard the ship.
That was the last time you'll ever walk on your own soil.
—————————————————
Pick one Culture from Below
[] Erin
The lands of Erin are settled directly above the majority of the ruins of a lost civilisation- specifically, that of the flesh eating slavers who preceded you. Despite their moral bankruptcy, they wielded advanced sorcery and technology, and their dilapidated remnants are highly valuable for both resources and research. The people of Erin build upon and investigate these sites to adapt around a lack of minerals, as well as the lasting consequences of arcane and unspeakable experiments.
Gain a bonus to detecting traps, hidden passages, treasure and magic.
Gain a bonus to learning new techniques and equipment, and adapting to strange ways of thinking.
You have never heard of curiosity killing cats.
[] Harrow
The Harrow are privileged to more defensible and less violent biomes than their counterparts, and so have had the time and resources to become the most prosperous culture, although not by a significant margin. Possessing both more leisure time and the greatest exposure to foreigners, Harrowfolk like to consider themselves cultured and knowledgeable, and often boast of their pursuit of perfection in their crafts. This has made them somewhat unpopular, due to both arrogance and a worrying fondness for intrigues.
You know more about foreign lands and foreign ways.
Gain a bonus to pushing yourself to greater heights in your strongest skills.
You are used to unwarranted pride, and some creature comforts.
[] Lazarus
Lazarus lands have few rivers and a great deal of stone, yet as technology advanced this disadvantage became a surprising strength due to bounties of minerals, precious metals and sacred amber. The necessary logistics to maintain and defend this web of extraction, transportation and refinement have forged a culture of preparation, planning and frugality, and has made the slightly sparse population unexpectedly wealthy and well armed. Lazarus as a peoples have warm relations with all of Haven, despite a tendency to introspection, for obvious reasons.
Gain a bonus to your civilian craft.
Gain a bonus to requisitioning and efficiently using coin and provisions, and to navigation.
You are hesitant to act swiftly.
[] Marien
The flooded domain of Marien is where many waterways end, and thus is infested with mangroves, and flooded with the aggregate of half a nation's worth of natural mutagenic. Beyond causing an extreme rate of hybrids, this dizzying diversity in the local biomes and the plethora of interesting flora and arcane reagents have created the most divergent peoples (still not very much so) from the warlike standards of Haven. The poisons, philtres and potions Marien natives covet and carefully ration are simultaneously suspect yet quite valuable to their counterparts.
Gain an impressive tolerance to poisons, smoke, drugs and most chemicals.
Gain a bonus to making traps and exploiting your enemy's hopes, fears and preconceptions.
Decreased bonuses from your Islefolk heritage.
[] Snaga
In truth, the Snaga hold very little ground at all, as they live nomadic lives at sea- coalescing into vast fleets of wood, sail and sea-beasts that deftly manoeuvre around swells of monstrous activity. This freedom of movement, ironically combined with cultural distance from other Islefolk, has created a significantly looser and more free form code of behaviour than the standards. For most of Haven this is charming, if quite alien. However, their disagreements with the neighbouring Tallow often erupted into violence before the Queen.
Gain a bonus to being sure footed and agile.
You have a significantly looser code of honour.
Wanderlust will forever restrict you from a peaceful and sedentary life.
[] Tallow
All the cultures are pious, immersed as they are in a land flushed with the supernatural and the divine, but in the storm wracked north the Tallow have ever been known to take these stringent and immutable concepts into their heart and soul. Extraordinary in terms of loyalty and faith, this and tightly woven alliances has made them remarkably united against any outside assault or disaster. It has also made them infamous amongst their neighbours for escalating wars over all matter of grudge and dispute. They particularly come to blows with the wandering Snaga, an animosity only slightly abated by generations of marriage.
Gain a bonus to physical courage and endurance.
Gain a bonus when taking a great risk in fulfilling an oath, satisfying your faith or defending your allies.
Gain an even stricter code of honour.
Additionally, all Islefolk do have a job outside of the necessary endless war. By the benevolence of the Queen, all her adherents are entitled to free food, water, shelter and reasonable armament in return for their generous tithes, but people generally don't want to live on the bare necessities. Please pick one:
[] Hearth Guard
As a fell hand and Islefolk in good standing, it was difficult but evidently possible for you to impress the Thane with your prowess. From there, you were taken into the Hearth Guard- the personal force of the Peerage, paid generously to be prepared at any point or time to run missions in the name of the greater good. Otherwise, you'd spend your time patrolling a settlement or the immediate outskirts, ensuring the safety of the common peoples, minding children and chasing down the occasional criminal.
Gain an extra Trait from below.
[] Marine
You loved the sea and you loved fighting, and so this felt a natural combination. Joining a crew that made their living hunting in the open waters, you have fond memories of taking a boat hook to all manner of many eyed and excessively limbed sea beasts looking for an easy meal- and promptly becoming one themself. In time, you were even promoted to first mate, and had full command of the Unerring Strike when the captain was predisposed. What they think of you now, you don't know.
Gain a strong bonus to the various skills a Marine would know, like swimming, knots, judging the weather and standing guard.
[] Ore Hunter
Although the biggest deposits of minerals are thankfully static, the impossible biome often churns up small deposits of rare and valuable natural treasures (amongst other things). You regularly made expeditions into the wild to locate these, for a full delving crew to come by later and seize them properly. Nights outside the safety of the walls may be dangerous, but in your eyes that was half the point!
Gain a strong bonus to the various skills an Ore Hunter would know, like geology, stealth, sketching and foraging.
[] Write In
(There are obviously many careers that enable Haven to function and prosper, but keep in mind that your character is a bloodthirsty thrill seeker to some degree, and will likely look for a career that satisfies that. All write in careers can be vetoed by me, but I will discuss them first. Queries welcome.)
Finally, what makes you stand out? Pick two more traits from below. (Three as a Hearthguard.)
[] Powerful
You are, somehow, even stronger than you look.
[] Agile
You are swift and agile, helping you slip out of trouble.
[] Perceptive
It's harder than it seems to slip past your notice.
[] Fully Literate
Most Islefolk know just enough to do their tallies and signatures, and even less in Trade. You are literate in two languages, a very impressive feat.
[] Charismatic
As you think it is.
[] Minor Sorcery
Three cantrips of middling strength. Very reliable tools.
[] Extra Skillset
You're capable of another set of career skills. Write in what career this is (ie. smithing, butchery, tailor).
[] Tough
Islefolk have naturally blessed endurance and easy recoveries, and you especially so.
[] Fearless
Sure to make you friends amongst your people, if you weren't an Exile.
[] Mutation
One third to a quarter of Islefolk at any given times are born Hybrids, not full Humans, by the eldritch nature of their home and the aftershocks of a nearly century old apocalyptic curse. If this is picked, a choice between a breath weapon (very energy intensive), water breathing (but inefficient respiration), excellent but vulnerable senses, and semi-functional wings will occur next update. This trait still cannot be picked more than once.
———————
Some of the crew aboard know you, and some do not, but none look you in the eye nor make conversation except to tell you where you'll be sleeping tonight. It's not as if you're truly a passenger- more extra cargo, one more warm body to ferry as a favour for the clergy on the way to-
———————
[] Darkwater
The largest, most prosperous and most powerful city state your people know of, and a sprawling edifice of civilisation, trade and class inequality. Supposedly, it's somehow shockingly large and wealthy, yet suffused with casual poverty- a contradiction you find quite difficult to believe. This is the Hegemon that Haven has begrudgingly been aligned with by mercantile carrot and political stick, for nearly three generations by now. Haven mercenaries are extremely popular there, making up a majority of the state's naval strength and bodyguard contingent, and so Darkwater is often a first port of call for adventurous youths. Unfortunately, as an Exile, you will not be welcome to Haven's thriving foreign quarter. Even if you don't plan to stay, ships from here set out to almost everywhere on the east coast.
[] Southern Borderlands
Two weeks south is a land riven by petty kings, species tensions, simmering conflicts and endless skirmishes, as somehow this land is largely impossible to unify. Additonally, the neighbouring city states have very vested interests in the place's verdant fields and fisheries, adding fuel to the fire. The work here will be plentiful, if likely not prestigious, and you'll be reasonably far out of Yonai's family's reach if they decide to seek revenge. Additionally, the southern peoples are amongst the more pious and honourable continentals- comparatively- and your people have an exotic reputation there as vicious fighters.
[] Far Continent
You know almost nothing about this place, beyond the wave of insubstantial amazement and rumours that spread with its discovery only a decade and a half ago. Still, the rout is known, the goods very exotic, and the peoples there supposedly just as prone to fighting as ever. Disappearing from your old life into new and exotic locales will be almost trivially easy there, if you're willing to sail for just over two months to do so. Supposedly, their deities are strange, magic frightening and technology slightly antiquated. You've always wondered how valuable your services would be in a place that doesn't natively make steel. You will have to actually work aboard to pay for your passage, however, and you'll probably also need to learn a new language.
——————————————
The winds and tide turn swiftly, as they are ever wont to do when coaxed by the priests, and soon the Laughing Gale is sweeping away from harbour. To your slight shame, you can't stop yourself sitting at the aft of the ship, drinking in one last sight of your coastal home before the ever present mists swallow it up.
It's only somewhat rocky passage under the blessed beacons and lighthouses, but that seems to be enough for the crew to take on a new pitch of activity securing ropes and shifting sails. Soon enough, a trio of linesmen approach you as well, and you grimace at the name on their lips.
'Hey! Exile, get down-'
'I still have a name', you bitterly half-rasp in return. 'It's-'
———————-
You are
[] Male
[] Female
[] Neither
Your name is….
(ie. Female Names- Hansa, Tanno, Adora, Kante, Sorves, Aero, Mortys, Calna, Alyssa, Prephos
Male Names- Heln, Tellos, Yonai, Savyn, Kanye, Soma, Porys, Halnus, Sorma, Rollo, Geln, Varsenly
Nonbinary peoples are too uncommon to have a naming convention. Pick one of the above as you prefer.
Your culture of origin may have a family name, or a pseudonym adopted from your parent's name.
Happy to discuss. Names can be vetoed.)
———————
Plan voting is required, please. Mortarium is six hours, and you have a day to vote.
It's with a strange finality that you turn to the final stretch before the docks, some of your kin forming a sort of honour guard around you and Dame Tara. The hearth guard waves down a ship's crew, and in seemingly too long and too short a wait, a gangplank is thrown down to bridge you and the wind-catcher.
You've said your goodbyes already, and with your throat still hoarse from the hours fresh brand, you don't trust yourself to speak more regardless. Head high and shoulders set, you vault aboard the ship.
That was the last time you'll ever walk on your own soil.
—————————————————
Pick one Culture from Below
[] Erin
The lands of Erin are settled directly above the majority of the ruins of a lost civilisation- specifically, that of the flesh eating slavers who preceded you. Despite their moral bankruptcy, they wielded advanced sorcery and technology, and their dilapidated remnants are highly valuable for both resources and research. The people of Erin build upon and investigate these sites to adapt around a lack of minerals, as well as the lasting consequences of arcane and unspeakable experiments.
Gain a bonus to detecting traps, hidden passages, treasure and magic.
Gain a bonus to learning new techniques and equipment, and adapting to strange ways of thinking.
You have never heard of curiosity killing cats.
[] Harrow
The Harrow are privileged to more defensible and less violent biomes than their counterparts, and so have had the time and resources to become the most prosperous culture, although not by a significant margin. Possessing both more leisure time and the greatest exposure to foreigners, Harrowfolk like to consider themselves cultured and knowledgeable, and often boast of their pursuit of perfection in their crafts. This has made them somewhat unpopular, due to both arrogance and a worrying fondness for intrigues.
You know more about foreign lands and foreign ways.
Gain a bonus to pushing yourself to greater heights in your strongest skills.
You are used to unwarranted pride, and some creature comforts.
[] Lazarus
Lazarus lands have few rivers and a great deal of stone, yet as technology advanced this disadvantage became a surprising strength due to bounties of minerals, precious metals and sacred amber. The necessary logistics to maintain and defend this web of extraction, transportation and refinement have forged a culture of preparation, planning and frugality, and has made the slightly sparse population unexpectedly wealthy and well armed. Lazarus as a peoples have warm relations with all of Haven, despite a tendency to introspection, for obvious reasons.
Gain a bonus to your civilian craft.
Gain a bonus to requisitioning and efficiently using coin and provisions, and to navigation.
You are hesitant to act swiftly.
[] Marien
The flooded domain of Marien is where many waterways end, and thus is infested with mangroves, and flooded with the aggregate of half a nation's worth of natural mutagenic. Beyond causing an extreme rate of hybrids, this dizzying diversity in the local biomes and the plethora of interesting flora and arcane reagents have created the most divergent peoples (still not very much so) from the warlike standards of Haven. The poisons, philtres and potions Marien natives covet and carefully ration are simultaneously suspect yet quite valuable to their counterparts.
Gain an impressive tolerance to poisons, smoke, drugs and most chemicals.
Gain a bonus to making traps and exploiting your enemy's hopes, fears and preconceptions.
Decreased bonuses from your Islefolk heritage.
[] Snaga
In truth, the Snaga hold very little ground at all, as they live nomadic lives at sea- coalescing into vast fleets of wood, sail and sea-beasts that deftly manoeuvre around swells of monstrous activity. This freedom of movement, ironically combined with cultural distance from other Islefolk, has created a significantly looser and more free form code of behaviour than the standards. For most of Haven this is charming, if quite alien. However, their disagreements with the neighbouring Tallow often erupted into violence before the Queen.
Gain a bonus to being sure footed and agile.
You have a significantly looser code of honour.
Wanderlust will forever restrict you from a peaceful and sedentary life.
[] Tallow
All the cultures are pious, immersed as they are in a land flushed with the supernatural and the divine, but in the storm wracked north the Tallow have ever been known to take these stringent and immutable concepts into their heart and soul. Extraordinary in terms of loyalty and faith, this and tightly woven alliances has made them remarkably united against any outside assault or disaster. It has also made them infamous amongst their neighbours for escalating wars over all matter of grudge and dispute. They particularly come to blows with the wandering Snaga, an animosity only slightly abated by generations of marriage.
Gain a bonus to physical courage and endurance.
Gain a bonus when taking a great risk in fulfilling an oath, satisfying your faith or defending your allies.
Gain an even stricter code of honour.
Additionally, all Islefolk do have a job outside of the necessary endless war. By the benevolence of the Queen, all her adherents are entitled to free food, water, shelter and reasonable armament in return for their generous tithes, but people generally don't want to live on the bare necessities. Please pick one:
[] Hearth Guard
As a fell hand and Islefolk in good standing, it was difficult but evidently possible for you to impress the Thane with your prowess. From there, you were taken into the Hearth Guard- the personal force of the Peerage, paid generously to be prepared at any point or time to run missions in the name of the greater good. Otherwise, you'd spend your time patrolling a settlement or the immediate outskirts, ensuring the safety of the common peoples, minding children and chasing down the occasional criminal.
Gain an extra Trait from below.
[] Marine
You loved the sea and you loved fighting, and so this felt a natural combination. Joining a crew that made their living hunting in the open waters, you have fond memories of taking a boat hook to all manner of many eyed and excessively limbed sea beasts looking for an easy meal- and promptly becoming one themself. In time, you were even promoted to first mate, and had full command of the Unerring Strike when the captain was predisposed. What they think of you now, you don't know.
Gain a strong bonus to the various skills a Marine would know, like swimming, knots, judging the weather and standing guard.
[] Ore Hunter
Although the biggest deposits of minerals are thankfully static, the impossible biome often churns up small deposits of rare and valuable natural treasures (amongst other things). You regularly made expeditions into the wild to locate these, for a full delving crew to come by later and seize them properly. Nights outside the safety of the walls may be dangerous, but in your eyes that was half the point!
Gain a strong bonus to the various skills an Ore Hunter would know, like geology, stealth, sketching and foraging.
[] Write In
(There are obviously many careers that enable Haven to function and prosper, but keep in mind that your character is a bloodthirsty thrill seeker to some degree, and will likely look for a career that satisfies that. All write in careers can be vetoed by me, but I will discuss them first. Queries welcome.)
Finally, what makes you stand out? Pick two more traits from below. (Three as a Hearthguard.)
[] Powerful
You are, somehow, even stronger than you look.
[] Agile
You are swift and agile, helping you slip out of trouble.
[] Perceptive
It's harder than it seems to slip past your notice.
[] Fully Literate
Most Islefolk know just enough to do their tallies and signatures, and even less in Trade. You are literate in two languages, a very impressive feat.
[] Charismatic
As you think it is.
[] Minor Sorcery
Three cantrips of middling strength. Very reliable tools.
[] Extra Skillset
You're capable of another set of career skills. Write in what career this is (ie. smithing, butchery, tailor).
[] Tough
Islefolk have naturally blessed endurance and easy recoveries, and you especially so.
[] Fearless
Sure to make you friends amongst your people, if you weren't an Exile.
[] Mutation
One third to a quarter of Islefolk at any given times are born Hybrids, not full Humans, by the eldritch nature of their home and the aftershocks of a nearly century old apocalyptic curse. If this is picked, a choice between a breath weapon (very energy intensive), water breathing (but inefficient respiration), excellent but vulnerable senses, and semi-functional wings will occur next update. This trait still cannot be picked more than once.
———————
Some of the crew aboard know you, and some do not, but none look you in the eye nor make conversation except to tell you where you'll be sleeping tonight. It's not as if you're truly a passenger- more extra cargo, one more warm body to ferry as a favour for the clergy on the way to-
———————
[] Darkwater
The largest, most prosperous and most powerful city state your people know of, and a sprawling edifice of civilisation, trade and class inequality. Supposedly, it's somehow shockingly large and wealthy, yet suffused with casual poverty- a contradiction you find quite difficult to believe. This is the Hegemon that Haven has begrudgingly been aligned with by mercantile carrot and political stick, for nearly three generations by now. Haven mercenaries are extremely popular there, making up a majority of the state's naval strength and bodyguard contingent, and so Darkwater is often a first port of call for adventurous youths. Unfortunately, as an Exile, you will not be welcome to Haven's thriving foreign quarter. Even if you don't plan to stay, ships from here set out to almost everywhere on the east coast.
[] Southern Borderlands
Two weeks south is a land riven by petty kings, species tensions, simmering conflicts and endless skirmishes, as somehow this land is largely impossible to unify. Additonally, the neighbouring city states have very vested interests in the place's verdant fields and fisheries, adding fuel to the fire. The work here will be plentiful, if likely not prestigious, and you'll be reasonably far out of Yonai's family's reach if they decide to seek revenge. Additionally, the southern peoples are amongst the more pious and honourable continentals- comparatively- and your people have an exotic reputation there as vicious fighters.
[] Far Continent
You know almost nothing about this place, beyond the wave of insubstantial amazement and rumours that spread with its discovery only a decade and a half ago. Still, the rout is known, the goods very exotic, and the peoples there supposedly just as prone to fighting as ever. Disappearing from your old life into new and exotic locales will be almost trivially easy there, if you're willing to sail for just over two months to do so. Supposedly, their deities are strange, magic frightening and technology slightly antiquated. You've always wondered how valuable your services would be in a place that doesn't natively make steel. You will have to actually work aboard to pay for your passage, however, and you'll probably also need to learn a new language.
——————————————
The winds and tide turn swiftly, as they are ever wont to do when coaxed by the priests, and soon the Laughing Gale is sweeping away from harbour. To your slight shame, you can't stop yourself sitting at the aft of the ship, drinking in one last sight of your coastal home before the ever present mists swallow it up.
It's only somewhat rocky passage under the blessed beacons and lighthouses, but that seems to be enough for the crew to take on a new pitch of activity securing ropes and shifting sails. Soon enough, a trio of linesmen approach you as well, and you grimace at the name on their lips.
'Hey! Exile, get down-'
'I still have a name', you bitterly half-rasp in return. 'It's-'
———————-
You are
[] Male
[] Female
[] Neither
Your name is….
(ie. Female Names- Hansa, Tanno, Adora, Kante, Sorves, Aero, Mortys, Calna, Alyssa, Prephos
Male Names- Heln, Tellos, Yonai, Savyn, Kanye, Soma, Porys, Halnus, Sorma, Rollo, Geln, Varsenly
Nonbinary peoples are too uncommon to have a naming convention. Pick one of the above as you prefer.
Your culture of origin may have a family name, or a pseudonym adopted from your parent's name.
Happy to discuss. Names can be vetoed.)
———————
Plan voting is required, please. Mortarium is six hours, and you have a day to vote.
Last edited:
- Location
- UK
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Would anyone here object to naming our character Kanye of the West?
I'm thinking Snaga and minor sorcery could be interesting? If we took the wing mutation maybe we could get some sort of wind cantrip to help flight?
Do you not know who Kanye West is?
- Location
- Singapore
[X] Plan SWOLE Brain
-[X] Tallow
-[X] Hearth Guard
-[X] Tough
-[X] Perceptive
-[X] Fully Literate
-[X] Southern Borderlands
-[X] Male
-[X] [NAME] Soma
I figure with this build we can play up our people's rep as braindead viscious fighters while no one expects us to be literate or able to even think.
-[X] Tallow
-[X] Hearth Guard
-[X] Tough
-[X] Perceptive
-[X] Fully Literate
-[X] Southern Borderlands
-[X] Male
-[X] [NAME] Soma
I figure with this build we can play up our people's rep as braindead viscious fighters while no one expects us to be literate or able to even think.
Last edited:
[X] Happy Killing Time?
-[X] Harrow
-[X] Hearth Guard
-[X] Charismatic
-[X] Fully Literate
-[X] Powerful
-[X] Far Continent
-[X] Male
-[X] Geln
Here we go, a charismatic, strong and learned warrior sailing to the great unknown to make his way in the world I do love my charisma characters. Powerful because well we'll be a mercenary or at least the character in my head will be. And literate because I like the idea of having Geln be educated somewhat. I love the idea of the Far Continent but really all the possible starting points sound interesting. Good job on that Shire.
@Shine what determines how well you can learn a language? And would literate let us learn the language of the Far Continent easier?
-[X] Harrow
-[X] Hearth Guard
-[X] Charismatic
-[X] Fully Literate
-[X] Powerful
-[X] Far Continent
-[X] Male
-[X] Geln
Here we go, a charismatic, strong and learned warrior sailing to the great unknown to make his way in the world I do love my charisma characters. Powerful because well we'll be a mercenary or at least the character in my head will be. And literate because I like the idea of having Geln be educated somewhat. I love the idea of the Far Continent but really all the possible starting points sound interesting. Good job on that Shire.
@Shine what determines how well you can learn a language? And would literate let us learn the language of the Far Continent easier?
As someone who is monolingual, the mechanics of learning a new tongue will be hashed out with my friends, who have learnt a new language. From what I know about linguistics, however, it would, especially if that language is much closer to Trade than Deep Speech (…which is probable).
Additionally, it is infinitely more likely for the merchants on the other side of the vast sea to know Trade than Deep Speech, the former being fairly easy to learn and the latter extremely hard due to mystical reasons.
Finally, it being an entire continent, there will almost certainly be multiple languages in use. Whether they have one unifying pigeon tongue like Trade, you do not know.
You would need a pretty good reason to justify this epithet, which doesn't sound like something the Islefolk would do.
Especially when that person is still alive.
Draugnir the Kind, Soryn the Doomed, Tanya the Brave (or the Mad, for non-Tallow, or the Demon, for the Snaga) all have one thing in common, and that is being dead for at least decades.
Last edited:
- Location
- UK
- Pronouns
- He/Him
As it turns out, another man called Kanye joined the Hearth Guard at around the same time as we did. The fact that we were both called Kanye amused the Thane greatly. This led to us often being assigned to the same missions and duties. Because of this, a method of distinguishing between the two of us in conversations and reports and the like in a way that wouldn't be confusing soon became necessary. Because the other Kanye was born further to the east, he became known as Kanye of the East. And because we were born further to the west, we became known as Kanye of the West.
Lookashiny
First and Only
- Location
- Tanith
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[x] Plan Yar a pirate!
*squints*
…….
Alright, sure.
On the slim chance you want to be non-binary, neither I nor the Islefolk will stop you.
Rolen von Keng
Sleeping Green Bear
- Location
- The Wilderness
[X] Happy Killing Time?