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On The Precipice

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THE REALM
1223

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Check out the On the Precipice community on Discord - hang out with 2 other members and enjoy free voice and text chat.
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I'm using an AU setting of the crpg Inquisitor for...
Redtape

Redtape

THE REALM
1223 ​

Join the On the Precipice Discord Server!

Check out the On the Precipice community on Discord - hang out with 2 other members and enjoy free voice and text chat.
discord.gg discord.gg
I'm using an AU setting of the crpg Inquisitor for most of this, with my own alterations - and anyone is free to join the discord.



Welcome to the Old World! It's a world full of danger and adventure. It is not a world totally different from that of ours, although it is similar to our Dark Middle Ages, but with magic. Just as in Europe of the 14th century, for example, there are monarchs in the Old World reigning over individual countries that have to cope with the day to day troubles of the feudal world—be it the rising power of the aristocracy, demands of citizens growing rich or the all-encompassing power of the Holy Mother Church, the representative of God Almighty on Earth. And when there is nothing else going on, a plague breaks out, or the faithful world is invaded by the pagans from the desert realm of Jad-Habaal or the barbarians from the distant north.

The story that awaits you, and in which you will play the cardinal role, takes place in one of these faithful kingdoms, in an ancient land known as Ultherst that its citizens simply call "The Realm". As well as other faithful countries of the Old World, The Realm has existed for nearly a thousand years now under the protection of God—counting from the instant when the previous pagan regime was overthrown and the individual faithful states rose up on the ruins of the ancient Empire of Ereborn. While it wasn't a time full of calm and peace, as you might imagine, as periods of prosperity took turns with periods of wars and decay, there was, on the other hand, nothing in all those long
thousand years that could severely endanger the faithful world. But that was soon to change, and quickly.

The Prophecy of Saint Ezekiel, one of the twelve followers of the First Prophet, the harbinger of the true faith, written up in the book of Revelation, haunted the faithful world with the fall of the thousand year old Kingdom of God on Earth and the release of the Devil from his prison. That was supposed to happen after an ill star appears in the sky and the land is struck with three terrific disasters called the Scourges of God—famine, plague and a rain of fire. And that is exactly what happened. Three years ago a star appeared in the sky that was never seen before. In the same year, the Realm was smitten with such disastrous bad crops that the people and livestock alike were starving to death. Those who hadn't died, lived to become witness to a far more deadlier catastrophe the subsequent year—a plague. The Black Death consumed more than a half of all citizens of the Realm and turned many towns and villages into deserted ghost towns. It threw the Realm's population into a deep desperation. But that was not supposed to be the end of the suffering—the third Scourge of God struck this year in the form of a rain of fire that engulfed everything it touched.


The Prophecy of Saint Ezekiel simply began to be fulfilled, and there were no doubts that the end of the world was coming. And you know the people—instead of starting to pray to God and to ask Him for forgiveness whosoever began secretly to evaginate the inwards of domestic animals or desecrate wafers in their cellars in an attempt to catch the fancy of the one who will with the utmost probability take it over here for another thousand years. And that is why the inevitable happened—in an effort to prevent the Realm from decaying from within, the king had signed a decree which entrusted all of the investigative and judicial power to the hands of the Inquisition. The Holy Office, as is the pretentious name of this clerical apparatus, began to act immediately and a witch-hunting was commenced that had no match to itself in the last centuries. The whole Realm was veiled in the fumes of burning stakes.


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ULTHERST

The Realm of Ultherst is one of the faithful countries of the Old World. It is surrounded by an ocean from three sides and the high range of the Moonshine mountains on the north separates it from the rest of the faithful world. The capital of the Realm is Alvaron, wherein resides the sovereign of Ultherst, King Edward II. The whole land has been decimated by the Scourges of God that befell it in the last three years, and you can notice the devastation at every step. Most houses in towns are deserted, businesses are stagnated, there is nothing to eat and hellish monsters and bands of bandits swarm outside the town walls.

The King

King Edward II used to be a powerful sovereign and a dauntless warrior that was willing to do anything for the welfare of his Realm. He was loved by people and tolerated by the aristocracy, which was quite something! But since the moment his whole royal family died of the plague, including his three daughters and the Crown Prince Louis, it started to go from bad to worse with King Edward. He was unable to bear his grief and wine became his most faithful companion. That was why he didn't think twice when signing a decree entrusting all of judicial power to the hands of the Inquisition. And with that he plunged the Realm into an even bigger schism that he is not able to resolve alone. Though the far worst question is what happens with the Realm if the king dies and leaves no heir to the throne behind.

Holy Mother Church

When the First Prophet died a martyr's death on the cross, he left twelve followers, saint prophets, behind. And it was them who stood at the birth of the Holy Mother Church, a clerical institution continuing the work that the First Prophet and his followers started. The mission of the Church is to bring salvation to people by guiding them to obedience and repentance, similar to a shepherd leading his sheep. During centuries though, the Church ceased to take care of spiritual matters only and became a powerful player in the fields of politics and business as well. The spiritual law binds an entire society without exception, and the position of archbishop, head of the church within the realm, is comparable to that of the king. No wonder there are many people that don't like it, but it is better to hold one's tongue these days. Archbishop Laurencius is the head of the Holy Mother Church within the Realm nowadays, an old priest with a longtime experience obtained inservice at the Apostolic See far beyond Realm's borders.

Inquisition

Although the Holy Office was born from the Holy Mother Church, the Inquisition isn't subordinated to the Church in any way—quite on the contrary. Based on the king's decree, everything and everyone is subject to the Holy Inquisition. The Inquisition has the right to investigate and try all crimes against God and faith, that is all cases of heresy no matter who the suspect is. It is led by the Inquisitor General - Cardinal Commendoni, a strict and reserved man that is absolutely convinced of the rightness of each of his steps. The structure of the Inquisition is rather complicated, it breaks up into individual curia that cover the area of the whole Realm and where the superb authority is maintained by an appropriate curial inquisitor.All inquisitorial judges and investigators in that curia that partake in investigations and trials of cases of heresy are subject to him. And we can't forget to mention that the Inquisition is of course competent to use torture during their interrogations.

Brotherhood of the Righteous

Many centuries ago, when the Old World writhed in agony of crusades waged against the pagan desert realm of Jad-Habaal, a powerful knightly order of the Brotherhood of the Righteous had been born in Ultherst that took justice into its hands in the time when the then leader of the Realm was fighting in distant sand lands for the liberation of God's grave. When crusades died away the order was preserved and extensive competences in the field of administration of justice were entrusted to it. Paladins of the Brotherhood of the Righteous thus above all became a guarantee of safety on roads as well as within cities. But as their power was rising, many started to raise a warning finger because there was no doubt that the order was becoming more powerful than the royal family itself. Currently, the order is headed by Grand Master Christoff de Malamert, a bold and dreaded warrior that has gotten into a bitter conflict with Inquisition because he refused to subdue members of the order to its authority. Relations between the Brotherhood of the Righteous and the Holy Office are thus very tight

Heretics

Heresy existed everywhere and ever since the moment the First Prophet died onthe cross and most of the Old World adopted the true faith there were people that diverted themselves from it for all sorts of reasons, whether they were worshipers of the old pagan gods or followers of the Devil. And the Holy Mother Church does its best the whole time to fight against heresy because it threatens the very principles of faith. Those who were found guilty were burnt at the stake so that the flames of divine justice purified their souls from their sinful bodies. The number of cases of heresy was thus constantly kept in check even though the faithful world was consternated by this or that heretical conspiracy from time to time. But after the ill star had appeared in the sky a few years ago the number of cases of exposed heresy began to rise rapidly in the Realm and it was no longer possible to face them in the same way as before. That is why it was suggested for the Inquisition to receive far broader competences than thus far. And so it happened. But the result wasn't as many had hoped for because heresy and apostasy took roots in the Realm so deep that they reach perhaps into hell itself.

Magic

The supernatural and extraordinary powers of the world are known to the Realm and the neighboring faithful kingdoms though is no longer as well understood due to the fall of Ereborn and the accompanying church sanctions against certain forms of study - most magic of the faithful world is through complex theological formula or the mystical powers contained within the rites and symbols of the Holy Mother Church, the studies of alchemists, to certain proscribed pagan teachings and charms, to the outright illegal summoning of infernal entities! If it could be compared to another work of fiction, magic is somewhat comparable to the magics of the Empire from warhammer fantasy - if somewhat lessened.


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The Council


The Players are vassals, accomplished war leaders, fabulously wealthy burghers, clergy, and other notables worthy of assisting their liege lord (That being a duke of a important duchy within the realm, which the players will vote on).

Character Name

Background

Concept - Fanatical Inquisitorial Judge, Faithful Knight-Captain, Scheming Baron etc etc, the concept will influence your abilities and powerbase.

Boons - Perhaps you are an able administrator, or have the attention (with no ire) of some of the most powerful in the kingdom? You get one boon for free, you may gain up to three, but in exchange for a bane of the Gm's choice.
 
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Character Name: Vergilius Maximillian
Background: Born to the lesser noble house of Maximillian, Vergilius -Virgil- has grown up in a God-fearing family that has certainly seen better days. Even so, he has been raised to the best of their means. He has been educated in matters of etiquette, economy, politics, warfare, and even has a more than passing familiarity with a sabre. He has excelled under this attention, which -in these blighted times- has brought as much trouble as reward. His family's hopes of surpassing the achievements of their forebears are splendid, but they also rest quite firmly on his shoulders.
Concept: Watchful Lord. Virgil specialises in keeping tabs on just about everything under his charge, while making use of subordinates to do the legwork.
Boon: Cunning - Virgil's quickness of mind and keeness of insight has combined to give him quite the talent in all matters intriguing.


Is this enough Redtape? How deep a bio are you after?
 
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Character Name: Grandmaster Miklos Bláhi Drăgoi

Background: Hailing from a small county on the Periphery of the realm, brought to utter ruin by the plague, the Order of the Immaculate Saint was once known as a minor, but righteous and brave, group of Knights that held themselves to a strict code of chivalric conduct and kept the peace in their liege's lands. As the realm descended into chaos around them, however, and the plague wracked the lands, the order was slowly reduced in number and grandeur until finally it turned into nothing more than a band of marauders masquerading as Knights.

Unwilling to follow their brothers as they sunk to such a level, the Grandmaster and a handful of Knights exiled themselves from the order and roamed the land, protecting the innocent where they could and surviving on the donations of the grateful. Such a lifestyle was hardly sustainable in the chaotic times they lived in, however, and eventually the group settled in the present Duchy, their future uncertain.

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The youngest child of a minor periphery noble now utterly exterminated by the plague, Miklos is a large, well-built and exceptionally ugly man. Never particularly handsome, time and scars have taken their toll as has the steady decay of morale, leaving him with a bushy wild beard of jet-black color, a shaved head, beady brown eyes and a heavily scarred face and body. Not a shining knight in armor does he represent.

Trained from a young age in the arts of combat and a natural at it, he is in excellent shape that belies his demoralized appearance and is a magnificent combatant whether it be with his axe, the more traditional sword or even just his bare hands. Despite it all, he still retains a commanding presence that makes itself felt whether it be among his allies or his enemies. Although not as significant, Knights of the Immaculate Saint were also trained in battlefield command and given some basics on diplomacy.

Hailing from the periphery of the realm, Miklos and his brothers speak the local language with a thick and very noticeable accent that marks them out as 'bumpkins', at least to certain types. While the man himself is the exception to the rule, the people from his home-region tend to be shorter, but broader in build compared to the taller and lankier individuals of the Realm's heartlands.

Concept: Foreign Knight-Commander. Miklos and what remains of his once proud Knightly Order have sworn service to the Duke, after they were generously saved from certain starvation and given medical aid. Although serving a new master can sometimes leave a bad taste in one's mouth, he and his brothers agree it was either this or a slow and ignoble death of starvation, the small band refusing to descend to banditry for their survival. Miklos doesn't expect he and his brothers will be welcomed with open arms, but having finally found a new home he's willing to give a solid try nonetheless.

Boons:
  • Able Military Commander. Miklos is no natural at command, but through dint of continuous study and experience he has grown into an able and decent commander of soldiers, whether on a grand scale or smaller tactical level.
  • Masterful Warrior. Given the same grueling training as any Knight, Miklos took to it like a fish in water. Although it is questionable whether his talents as an individual soldier, however well-honed they are, will come into play considering the scale on which a Duke's councilor works, it is always worth keeping in mind his mastery of combat.
  • Elite Retinue. The last loyal remnants of the Order of the Immaculate Saint, experienced and well-trained Knights all equipped in heavy (if worn) plate and armed with war-hammers and maces, follow their Grandmaster into battle and guard his being. In their skill and tenacity, a small glimmer of the honor and respect they used to command can be seen.

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Well. Here it is. Went whole hog and took 3 boons. But I'll admit I'm not too sure on those exact boons. If the GM or a fellow player has any suggestions for what to replace them with, feel free to suggest something.
 
I like this concept! Do you think we could play as a commoner who rose to the court's attention through merit, with the possibility of them bringing new ideas to the government?
 
Character Name: Allegra Justine De la Rue


Background: Born the youngest of three daughters of a common prostitute, Allegra de la Rue lived a difficult life of poverty and struggle. The matter of who had fathered her was a mystery, but after her mother's tragic death, she and her sisters were taken in by a wealthy old burgher who had recently been cheated out of his hard-earned fortunes. Mister de la Rue taught his three adopted daughters everything he knew about finance and economics, and when he died, the three De la Rue sisters began amassing wealth through loans, investments, and land acquisitions.

Allegra, however, sought to advance her station even further than her sisters. She earned a scholarship to the Royal College of Ultherst, making connections among debt-ridden nobles and wealthy burghers alike. De la Rue cultivated a reputation of being cheerfully frank about her own greed and ambition, going so far as to publish a list of "Rules of Acquisition" that she nailed to the door of her dorm room. She added to this list based on her own observations and experiences on life and economics, even she graduated at the top of her class.

These Rules of Acquisition guided her through the tumultuous times of the Three Plagues. When famine struck, she took a stockpile of food that her sisters had built up and sold it at cheap prices to the poor. When the plague descended, she purchased property in deserted villages as their values dropped, and then sold it at a much higher price as the sickness passed. During the rain of fire, she hoarded gold, knowing that the value of her own fortune would go up as the banks burned down around her. Eventually, despite the efforts of angry hardline royalists, disgruntled debtors, and the Holy Office itself, de la Rue was able to leverage her wealth, connections, and sheer economic talent into a position in the Royal Court, thanks in part to a dearth in skilled officials caused by the plague. In the wake of the devastation of the plagues and the Holy Office's increasing brutality, she's eager to push forward her ideas of self-interest and reliance on the Rules of Acquisition as an alternative philosophy to the Holy Mother Church's blind obedience.

However, despite her façade of pure avarice, she has not forgotten that it was the generosity of Old Mister de la Rue that allowed her to get this far in the first place. As the power of the nobility wanes with the King's ailing health, she secretly hopes to institute means for more commoners like her to have a say in their government.

Concept - Ambitious Burgher: Unbending in will and purpose, Allegra de la Rue will stop at nothing to leave her mark on history. Her financial genius and economic aptitude make her a vital asset to the Duke's government. If people come to her whining about her greed and moral depravity, she'll gently remind them who's keeping their coffers full and their shops running.

Boons:
  • Economics Par Excellence: Allegra is first and foremost an economist, able to predict the invisible hand of the market and use her observations to both exploit opportunities and account for pitfalls.
  • Silver Tongued: Witty and vivacious, as well as disarmingly attractive, it's difficult to dislike Allegra. As well, she's so vocally avaricious that calling her out as a rapacious careerist is like shouting into the wind.
 
Looks fun enough.

Character Name: Eric de Valarie

Background: Abandoned child found by foraging monks and raised as their own. Eric is a quiet man who asked difficult questions about life and state of the world. He witnessed the dark room dealing within the holy mother church, yet it only raised questions instead of stirring just fury.

Concept - Seeking clergyman: What is life if not a journey to discover answers. How can one answer the faithful with truth if one does not understand himself? Answers must be found for us all to approach closure. What drives a man? What compels good and evil from a man? Such questions is beyond the confines of walls and rooms, but prehaps tomes can provide clues.

Boons:
Favor of Holy Mother Church: Eric is not a stupid or naive man. He understand the value of keeping his mouth shut when it doesn't bring him closer to the goal. So it is natural for him to build useful connections though shady business.

Access to hidden church library: It's no secret that the church is becoming more corrupt and oppressive, but it is also an entity that accumulates far more wealth than it can digest. Banned books and manuscripts are often overlooked and far more valuable to the right eyes.
 
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Magister Larquen Gulliver

Background: the Gullivers have been alchemists and artificers in service to the Duke for generations. Of late more been asked of them but they have always been very clear on the types of magic they support and their limitations. They do not produce miracles and wonders but smaller, everyday enchantments to keep men's socks dry on the march and call rainclouds to farmlands.
The plague struck the family hard as many of the elders of the house attempted to treat the sick and succumbed themselves.
At only 37 Larquen is now Patriarch of the Magisterial family that has lost a great deal of its institutional memory.

Concept - Thaumatergical Patriarch

Boons - Alchemical Mastery: Larquen is a extremely competent Alchemist and his potion making is almost on an industrial scale.

Sprawling Family - the Gullivers are a fertile people and the relative security of working for the Duke have led to a Gulliver Magister in the court of many lesser nobles in the Dukedom.
 
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