After talking with some very fun and interesting players this afternoon, I have decided to take one more stab at running this campaign here on Roll20. Please read the entire post before contacting me about joining. ========================================================= Welcome to the land of Vorkalis, foremost of the kingdoms descended from
those destroyed by the Godswar that nearly brought an end to all life.
Man, dwarf, elf and orc all took up arms against one another and heeded
the call of their kings, queens and even gods in a mad struggle for
supremacy that shook the pillars of heaven while releasing hell on
earth. Nations fell, civilization crumbled, immortals found they could
die and knowledge was lost as the world fought desperately to survive
the chaos it had wrought upon itself. The
path back to civilization has been a long and painful one, but it HAS
been traveled and the you are the offspring of those who have cut that
path. You are the descendants of the resilient men and women who
undertook the rebuilding of the world. You are the product of their hard
work and ingenuity, and as such find yourselves more capable than the
average citizen. Your background has given you more than a passing
familiarity with arms, armor, tactics and even the eldritch arts in some
cases. You find yourselves in unique times as your homeland, the
mightiest empire of the modern age, begins exploration and colonization
to both the east and west. In the north, the dwarves continue their ages
old battle with the giantkin and have allied with the norselike men of
the frigid wilderlands, about whom much has been whispered but little
seen firsthand. And, in the lands of the south, it's rumored that a
nation of the dark jungles has built it's capital in the very heart of
an active volcano, calling it Anshur-Tervahl; "the city of black glass".
In Volungrod, a nation whips itself into a frenzy of hatred for
non-humans and sets it's collective will toward the annihilation of all
who are different. Magic
is the stuff of legends and feared by most, but for those with the
courage and openness of mind to learn more of it, it can be as capable
of miraculous blessings as horrendous evils. There are secrets lost and
forgotten awaiting discovery by the bold explorers of this new age and
you will be at the forefront of that wave. Things
to note: there are no alchemists, gunslingers, summoners, firearms, or
tieflings in this setting. If you are hoping to play a character or race
that is unusual please run it by me via PM first. Your character
background and answers to your questionnaire will be drawn upon to help
flesh out areas of the world that will come into play later in the game,
so please feel free to be as creative as you like. I see world-building
as a cooperative venture and like getting my players involved since
they're the ones who are going to be crawling all over it :) You find yourselves in the small border town of Frostcreek, last
settlement on the trade route north out of Essandir, as it swims in
rumors of an impending Volish invasion, a recent discovery in a nearby
dwarven mining outpost, loggers suffering from some sort of curse, and a
delivery of furs and hides that should have reached town a week ago. A
fairly thick crowd mills around you on the docks, making you wonder at
the town's prosperity in the face of trouble. The Coldrun River churns
south, casting a light mist over the valley behind you as you head up
the hill toward the town's thick log palisade. At the gate you stop and
look east across the water to the town of Oreport, where teams of
workmen are visible loading boats for the trip south. With a shrug, you
duck inside the gates and look to see what this new town may have in
store for you..... ======================================================================================================================
Ok, so that's basically it; it is an ongoing world, complete with
history, religions and an awful lot of lore to be uncovered. It is a
project that has been under development for roughly 18 years now, with a
few long breaks scattered in. Before this I had experience with and
studied the settings of Greyhawk, Lankhmar, Krynn, Faerun and Hyboria,
but did not run campaigns there; so, I'm very familiar with world
building, but not so much with practical application, I will admit. My
campaigns tend to be darker and grittier with less cutesy or fantastical
elements and more realistic reasons for the occurrence of events. I try
my best to bring you a clever, immersive story that makes the game
enjoyable for all involved. I am less concerned (and familiar) with the
rules than I am with everyone enjoying the session. I feel that the game
should be a shared experience that we all contribute to and enjoy as
equally as we can. I have had problems in the past with personality
conflicts in my groups and because of them will only give one warning
before dismissing someone for being disruptive or counter-productive to
the group. I've been involved with RPing games
since 1983, starting with the Basic red box and AD&D. For the
majority of the new millennium I have played online RPGs, while keeping
an eye on various tabletop products, but could never find an area group
to join. This all led to me discovering Roll20 and the great options
they give us for playing online. I find myself here, skeptically, one
more time trying to bring this campaign to life for the right group.
My world does not include any extreme race or class - if you're looking
to play an anime hero or some mythical mixture of creatures for the
class benefits, KEEP MOVING! This game is not for you. If you ARE
looking to play a dwarf, elf, gnome, halfling, half-elf, half-orc or
human in a traditional style class and want to enjoy the world through
exploration and discovery instead of exploitation, please read on.
I run a voice only style game in which players are encouraged to play
their characters as they see them behaving, but actual "in character"
speech is not welcome. If you view role-playing as a chance to practice
your Shakespearean improv, my groups aren't for you. Both humor and
adult themes are allowed if they don't sidetrack the session. You are
asked to provide an image to represent your character as my games are
map and token heavy. And, you are asked to keep a forum thread with an
updated character sheet. What I ask for from you: 1) Cooperation.
With both your group mates and me. Don't be a prima donna. Don't hog
the spotlight from them if you can avoid it. Be a team player who is
concerned with the good of the group first. Trust that I will involve
you in the story unfolding around you in a way that will make you a
major character on the pages of the history of Vorkalis. 2) Candor.
Be frank and open in your evaluation of how the game seems to be going
in your post-session critique. I need a clear view of what you, as
players, like or don't like about my style of GMing. All too often
someone drifts away if there is a clear channel of communication like
this in a group. 3) Camaraderie. I know it's not
always possible, but I've found groups made up of players who are
friendly with one another work best. To further this, I ask that our
players communicate via Skype or the group forums. If you're the sort of
person who logs in expecting to be entertained by the session without
any interaction since the last one, this group isn't for you. What I offer in return: 1) Depth & Detail.
As stated earlier, I have put a lot of work into this campaign and
intend to continue to. It's a labor of love and I am looking for the
right people to share it with. If you are the sort of player who likes
to discover ancient secrets, dig up lost runs, uncover forgotten lore or
even just learn tidbits about the region you're traveling through, I
promise you'll find your fix here. 2) Maps, Maps, Maps and also a few Maps.
Every scene and every setting in my games take place on maps that I
have designed and put long hours of work into to bring greater immersion
to you. 3) Concern for the Players. After each
session you will be asked to submit a critique of what transpired to
help me get a better grasp on what you want or don't, like or don't. I
strive to keep my finger on the pulse of the group so I can create the
best atmosphere for us all. 4) Dynamic Lighting, Background Music, Sound Effects & Handouts.
My style incorporates all of the things available through the
magnificent Roll 20 platform and I will continually work to make our
games more enjoyable for you through their use. I rely heavily on
handouts to guide the narrative and utilize a vast fantasy art library
to help me with this. 5) Passion. Plainly
stated, I love the fantasy genre. I love creating a world in cooperation
with you, my players. When we're all clicking, no amount of work is too
much to overcome to keep the creation going. So, all that being said,
if you're still interested and think this might be the game for
you..... I'm looking at tentative game times as Wednesday
evenings, 7-10:30 pm EST, Saturday afternoons 1-7 pm EST or 6 pm -12 am EST. None of this
is set in stone, but it is a good guess at what we'll try for. If you like what you've read and think you meet these criteria please
send me a PM with a bit about yourself and a description of your
character for me. If you are one of those people who think that anything you read that was negative only pertains to other people (such as those who feel the need to question if race or class choices could "be bent just this once"), your message will get no reply. Thank you for your time and good adventuring to you all.
