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[LFP] The Path of Twilight - January 9th 2016 - 4 PM CST

The Path of Twilight is an original, dark fantasy role play set in the world of Kerith. I am looking for mature players who are interested in a cloak and dagger styled political role play. While I am not one to discriminate on the basis of age, this role play will focus on many of the darker parts of society, and if you are not comfortable with graphic descriptions, torture and themes of racism then I would suggest you do not join this role play. That doesn't mean that every character will be an evil one, or even that most characters will be, but there is no light without darkness, and no good without evil. Grey morality will be a very common theme, and even the most kind characters may betray you. Additionally, if you cannot sit down and write a character biography that is at least as good as a first year college student's paper, this may not be the role play for you. As you may have inferred from the previous paragraph, The Path of Twilight (TPoT) will not be a combat focused role play; however, whenever combat occurs it will have significant risks. We will use a unique system in which you will not have "hit points". Each wound you receive will go on your character sheet, and like real wounds they will take time to heal. You will not be adventurers cutting down hoards of enemies; even if you are a skilled fighter each battle may be your last. Here are some rules I will be enforcing throughout the role play, these are subject to change, though I will consult with the players before changing them. (1) Be willing to lose. Due to the nature of the role play, player characters will come into direct conflict, and if you can't take a defeat in good humor then you don't belong here. Additionally, while there is no strict rule against "playing to win", if every other player unanimously agrees that you are trying to min-max a given situation based on your out of character knowledge, then I reserve the right to have you removed from the role play. (2) Do not argue with me. If you think something I'm doing isn't realistic then you may bring it up and I will attempt to explain myself. If you are still not satisfied then you may ask for a vote to undo my decision. If four out of six players votes against any decision I make, then I will accept it and revert the decision. I won't hold a grudge against you for doing so. I will also allow myself to be removed from the position of GM and replaced by another player if you have a four out of six majority against me. I won't leave in a rage if you end up doing so, and will continue to play as a player. (3) Live with the consequences of your actions. I am very much in favor of player choice, and I will never tell you that you cannot do something that your character has the physical capability to do; however, you must in turn accept the consequences of your actions. If you decide to draw your sword and stab the ruler of a country right in front of his entire court, then I will allow you to do so. You must accept the results that happen afterwards. (4) Never control another person's character. While we will be using dice to simulate combat, we will also describe our actions. A good way of describing your attack is "(Character) draws his blade in a fluid motion, bringing it up to meet Falron's oncoming attack.", you never directly control "Falron" and you will then roll and leave it up to the GM to describe the results of the action. An example of a bad description is "(Character) draws his blade in a fluid motion, blocking Falron's oncoming attack and knocking his sword away." In that description you are directly controlling "Falron", and that is not acceptable. If you've made it to this point, you haven't been turned off by my rather strict rule set and are probably the sort of person we want in this roleplay. Below, I will be posting several bits of lore and the synopsis of the story. If you are interested in joining this role play, send me a character biography and a time you would like to meet up to discuss your character. Don't worry about your character's stats or abilities at first. While I have a character sheet template, I am mostly concerned with who your character is rather than what he can do. If time permits, I would also like to do a precursor session with each player to properly develop their character and get everyone used to the world of Kerith. Note, most of the lore below is written from the perspective of in character books and journals. Not all information is completely reliable, but it will be believed by most characters. For example, the daemons references in some of the Hamorain texts are mythical creatures, however many Drenan believe they are real. Additionally, we will not be using an established system for combat. I will discuss what we will be using in more detail when I discuss your character.
Races and Magic: “We are the children of the Lady. It is our birthright to rule.” - Mehrik I the Founder “As is well known, the Hylkan are a very proud and vengeful people. We have fought them for generations - ever since they made a pact with the cursed daemon Mehrik and were gifted their unnatural powers. If an officer of the Legion is to succeed in any military action, he must have a proper understanding of the enemy. “The first thing that a Cadet must know about the Hylkan is their physical strength. The weakest Hylkan is nearly as strong as the greatest of our Legionnaires. They are quick as well, able to swing a broadsword nearly as swiftly as a master flicks a rapier. Worse yet, swordsmanship comes almost as naturally as walking to them. “This is due to their unnatural powers that are a result of their unnatural union with the daemons. Our sorcerers spent long decades discovering the two abilities that the Hylkan sorcerers possess. “The first is fearsome: the ability to conjure fire that consumes all that it touches, even metal. Countless Legionnaires have perished to this terror, their armor melting into their flesh. Any officer that is deployed against the Hylkan must remember to send levies against their sorcerers, before risking the Legion itself. “Perhaps, however, the second ability that the Hylkans possess is the more terrifying. This ability is the power to divine the future, trifling with the realm of the gods themselves. While the Hylkan cannot glimpse more than a few seconds or minutes with this perversion of reality, this means they can never be caught off guard. The Legion has lost many talented marksmen who attempted to ambush the Hylkan sorcerers. “However, these Hylkan are not without weakness. They are cowards who shy from combat whenever possible and seem to fear death above all else. A talented officer will find a way to use this fear of death to his advantage, whenever the Hylkan deploy their Crimson Guard units. “Due to this fear of death, the Hylkan primarily employ Darhian soldiers to guard their border against the forces of the Legion. “Like the Hylkan, Darhian are stronger and faster than we Drenan, but not so overpoweringly as the Hylkan are. An untrained Darhian is only as strong as a trained and fit Drenan and their trained warriors are not vastly superior to our Legionnaires. “The Darhian sorcerers have natural powers, like our own sorcerers, though most of them are polluted by the Aether provided by the Hylkan. Their powers are simple to explain, but devestating: Darhian sorcerers have the power to push or pull a non-living object from a distance. They must always push or pull on a line directly emanating from their bodies. “Unlike the Hylkan fire, the Darhian’s power cannot directly affect sapient beings. However, it can affect the armor worn or animals. A single sorcerer can achieve multiple pushes and pulls, allowing them to crush a Legionnaire in his armor. It is advised that levies be sent against these sorcerers as they have trouble dealing with lighter armor. Additionally, Darhian sorcerers do not appear to be able to use their power on individuals nearby other sorcerers. However, deploying our own sorcerers on the field has been deemed too great a risk to make use of this. “The Darhian do not seem to have as great a fear of death as the Hylkan do, but they are not as disciplined as our own Legion. The next section will cover a history of weapons favored by the Hylkan.” - Legionnaire Cadet’s Handbook “The Drenan. At best, they are invisible in Hylka. At worst, they are lynched and beaten by Hylkan and Darhian. Of the three sapient species on Kerith, Drenan are by far the least gifted in the Arcane. Their bodies hold less Essence than even Darhian, which possess much less than Hylkan do. “Because of this, their eyes are only a dull blue, as opposed to the piercing red of the Darhian or the burning silver of the Hylkan. They are weaker than both Darhian and Hylkan, as well, though through training they can become very skillful with weapons. “In terms of Gifted, the Drenan have a very unique set of skills. While Darhian and Hylkan Gifted have abilities that result in instantaneous change, Drenan Gifted have the talent to manipulate the body. The changes that a Drenan Gifted can make are limited, but their presence has kept many a wound from being fatal. Also interesting is the fact that Drenan Gifted are capable of curing Karhail poisoning. To this day, they are the only known cure. “Individually, the Drenan are hardly a threat. However, their danger lies in the fact that there are so many of them. The Hamorian Empire alone has many more citizens than Hylka does and it is but one of the Drenan Kingdoms.”      - On the Drenan by Raxen, Gifted of Hylka
Hylka: “Power is our birthright. Through our strength, we provide unity.” - Archmage Ki’en Lekar “Our nation was born in fire and blood. Two hundred years ago, before the Age of Power, Hylkan were hounded relentlessly by the Drenan who sought only to steal their lifeforce for use in their rituals of power. Though individually, the Drenan were weaker than the Hylkan, the Drenan swarmed them with superior numbers. The Empire of Hamor was the greatest of the aggressors and its Iron Legion relentlessly fought and enslaved the free Hylkan kingdoms. “Yet, as the Hylkan nations fell one by one, the Founder Mehrik gathered a stalwart army of Hylkan and Darhian. United, he led them against Hamor’s army, thwarting the Iron Legion’s invasion of his lands. This victory was only temporary, however, and the Hamorians soon rallied another army, eager to slaughter this Hylkan who dared to oppose their empire. “Knowing that he could not triumph with force of arms, Mehrik captured several Hamorian sorcerers and stole their rituals of power. Using these rituals, Mehrik fabricated the devices that would later become known as Light Weavers. These Light Weavers absorbed the blood of Drenan and compacted their lifeforce into a gem, forming the crystal Aether. “Before the Light Weavers, Hylkan had attempted to use rituals of power, but had always failed; the lifeforce concentrated by those rituals was too impure for Hylkan to use. Armed with the pure Aether, the Founder was able to unleash a power that had never before been seen on the face of Kerith: the Arcanis of the Hylkan. Mehrik and his followers annihilated the Iron Legion in an arcane inferno. “Yet, even with Hamor’s armies ground to ash, Mehrik knew the Hylkan would not be safe from the other Drenan nations if they remained fragmented. He gathered the other Hylkan leaders and together they founded the kingdom that would stand eternal as a bastion for Hylkan and Darhian: Hylka.” -The Found of Hylka “The division is simple. One region to produce raw goods and one to refine them.” - Archmage Ki’en Lekar “Like most modern kingdoms, Hylka is divided between agricultural and industrial regions. Only in Hylka, however, is this distinction so marked. “Central Hylka - a region which has its epicenter at the City of Eternal Light - contains the majority of Hylka’s manufacturing and industrialized cities. Particularly of note is the forge city Renhil, which constructs almost all of the nation’s goods. “Few Darhians live in this inner region and almost no Drenan are permitted entry. Those Darhians that do make their lives in Central Hylka serve one of the five great noble familes or are merchants. This is not enforced by law, but a Darhian who is not affiliated with one of the five families will find it very difficult to find shelter or livelihood in Central Hylka. “This region is surrounded by a series of mountains and gorges, so as to isolate it further from Outer Hylka. There are three passes which cut through this rugged terrain and permit trade to the outside world. These passes are carefully guarded by Hylka’s Crimson Guard. “Outer Hylka is, as mentioned earlier, a largely agricultural area. There are a few cities that produce worked metal, but none so sizeable as Renhil. In total, there are thirty cities, each led by a Darhian magistrate. Drenan are more common in this region, though they are still few in number. “The cultural differences between these two regions is just as marked as the economical difference. “Hylkan are divided into two major social categories: nobility and commoners. The commoners live far more freely than do serfs in Drenan kingdoms; Hylkan commoners are permitted to own small amounts of land, independently of a noble family and are entitled to a trial in the courts. “The nobility have four social strata: Arbiter, Elector, Lord Keeper, and Lord Chosen. The Arbiter rank is the lowest of the nobility. Unlike the other noble titles, this title does not include a grant of land and is considered only marginally above a Hylkan commoner. “The Elector rank is the lowest of the landed nobles. Small holdings outside of the major Central Hylkan cities are controlled by Electors, as are many of the caravans that trade with the outside world. “The two highest ranks of nobility, Lord Keeper and Lord Chosen, are far more exclusive. Members of the Lord Keepers are tasked with managing the great cities of Central Hylka and overseeing the Electors. There are only five Lord Chosen, each at the head of one of the five Chosen families and one of the five Tower factions. The Lord Chosen are always powerful Gifted. “Every member of the nobility has the right to challenge a court decision by rite of combat or appeal it the decision to the Headmaster of the Tower. The Headmaster does have the authority to deny these both; this has never been invoked, regarding any person of greater rank than Arbiter. “By tradition, Hylkan who are Gifted wear two rings of Aether. Darhian Gifted wear only a single ring. “The Darhian do not have any sort of nobility. Instead, social ranking is based on a combination of political contacts and general wealth. Surprisingly, talent with the Arcanis does little to further a Darhian’s standing, with the notable exception that Darhian who serve as members of Hylka’s Blades are afforded high levels of respect. “While Darhian are without the concept of nobility, they do have the rank of Magistrate, which is equivalent to a Hylkan Arbiter. Magistrates are rule over and are elected by the people of one of the eighteen major Darhian cities. “Each of these Magistrates belong to one of four Clans. While the Clan leaders and the Clans themselves are not officially recognized by the Hylkan, these individuals wield considerable power and influence in outer Hylka. “Due to the ideological differences between the Hylkan and Darhian, many Hylkan view the Darhian as inferior. This has led to a growing resentment and hostility between the two classes. Headmasters of Hylka have tended to ignore this trend, with the notable exception of the present Headmaster who has been making considerable efforts to ease tension between the two groups.” - A History of Kerith “Rulers rise and fall, nations wax and wane. The City of Eternal Light remains.” - Archmage Ki’en Lekar “The capital city of Hylka, the City of Eternal Light, is one of the greatest marvels of our time. The streets of this city are so smooth and level that a passenger riding in one of the many carriages in this city would feel no bumps or jostles. And the citizens can travel the streets freely at night, as the streets are lit perpetually. “Yet, the marvel of these perfect roads is surpassed by the marvels that are visible throughout the city. Massive and elegant structures thrive within this city, rising higher than should be possible through normal construction. Great platforms powered by Darhian Gifted will take any citizen to the top of these structures in moments and these buildings enjoy running warm water, by virtue of the Lightmatrices embedded in the plumbing. “All this is possible due to the Lightweavers that are kept in the Tower and the faroff forge city Renhil. Lightweaver technology has advanced significantly since the time of Mehrik the founder, so that Hylka needs only two Lightweavers to satisfy the Aether needs of the whole nation. In fact, these modern devices do not even operate at full capacity; Hylka could process many more Drenan than it has access to. “Presiding over all this wealth and wonder is the Tower of Arcanis. While some feel that this plain title ill befits the center of all Hylka, the Founder stated that Hylka should never forget what makes it great: the power and wisdom of the Mages. “Unlike other nations who have rulers that style themselves with such titles as Primarch, King, or Emperor, the leader of Hylka is the Headmaster of the Tower. The Headmaster does not live a wasteful and lavish lifestyle, but instead works constantly to improve the greatness of Hylka. Aiding him are the three Archmages, members of the Council of Masters that have proven their ability and have been appointed by the Headmaster to serve in this honored position. “The Council of Masters do not directly serve Hylka, but instead council the Headmaster and the Archmages, performing the advanced research that the Headmaster may not have the time for. In addition to the Council of Masters, the Headmaster often seeks advice from the Council of Factions, a group of ten Mages that represents the wishes of the Gifted of Hylka, two from each Faction. “Every Gifted that trains in the tower and attains the degree of Mage is part of one of the five factions. Each faction is led by the head of one of the five Chosen families, so a faction represents not only a fifth of the Gifted, but also a fifth of Central Hylka. To ensure fairness in ruling, a Headmaster is never chosen from among the Lord Chosen and the Headmaster renounces his former faction when elected to the office of Headmaster. “Yet, with wealth comes enemies. Though Hylka was founded on the principle of peace and learning, Founder Mehrik understood the need for defense. So, he created two separate organizations: the Azure Guard and the Crimson Guard. “The Azure Guard numbers around five hundred strong and is formed of the finest Hylka has to offer. Their duty is to protect the City of Eternal Light and its Gifted. These elite soldiers are each equipped with a Solarail and a two-handed Karhail blade. They wear no armor so should any Darhian Gifted be among the foes they face, the enemy Gifted would not be able to cast on them directly. The Azure Guard do not fear incoming projectiles as they are always deployed with a Hylkan Gifted and the Azure Guard’s Karhail blades allow them to easily win any melee. “The Crimson Guard is far more numerous than the Azure Guard, but still highly trained. It protects the passes into Central Hylka and keeps the peace throughout these inner lands. Some divisions of the Crimson Guard are attached to the Darhian Border Guard, to provide organization and - should an attack overwhelm the Border Guard - aid. Every guardsman in the Crimson Guard is armed with a steel broadsword and a steel shield. As it is often stationed in areas without Hylkan Gifted support, the Crimson Guard is armored in full body steel armor.” - The Might of Hylka “Before the Founder, the Darhians fought terribly wars with each other. Is it any wonder that they remain fragmented even now?” - Archmage Ki’en Lekar “While Central Hylka is tightly unified under the Headmaster, Outer Hylka is divided among the four Clans. What keeps them from reverting to separate countries is the Gathering that the Founder Mehrik forced upon them. “Aptly named, the Citadel of Unity is where the Gathering meets biannually, to discuss policy and concerns. All eighteen Magistrates have a vote in the Gathering. To prevent stalemates, the Gathering appoints a single individual who is not already a Magistrate, to act as Magistrate of the Citadel of Unity. A majority is necessary to appoint this individual, so this individual must have the support of at least two of the Clans. “The Gathering’s agenda is led by one Magistrate that the Gathering appoints. The Leader of the Gathering simply needs a majority to be appointed, requiring the partial support of another clan beyond his own to hold this office. The Leader has two powers granted to him. The ability to manage the Gathering’s schedule, deciding what policies are brought before the Gathering and how long each policy can be debated and the right to head any discussion of policy with the Tower. The Leader serves at the Gathering’s pleasure and can be replaced by a majority vote at any time. “All policies brought before the Gathering, require a full majority to implement. Because all Darhians owe allegiance to one of four Clans and the Clans - at this time - control an equal number of cities and therefore have equal representation in the Gathering, the Gathering often takes some time to implement a policy. “The four Clans themselves do not differ much in ideology. Their members simply seek what is best for their particular Clan. This means that most policies that are passed are trade negotiations or other things of that nature. Darhians that do not follow a particular clan are Outcast and find themselves relegated to performing the most menial of tasks. “The Clans are headed by a Darhian that has acquired the position, not through strength with or knowledge of the Arcanis, but through influence and monetary power. Occasionally, a Clan Head will be a powerful Gifted, but this is not always true. “Each Clan fields an independent army, which varies in terms of equipment and training. Hylkan law forbids the Clans from warring against each other, but it is not unknown for caravans to be raided by ‘bandits’. Aside from this clandestine operation, the Clans use their armies for peacekeeping in their own lands. “Portions of each army is conscripted into the Border Guard, which defends the Perimeter Forts of Hylka, particularly on the Hylkan-Hamorian border. Several divisions of the Crimson Guard oversee the Border Guard, ensuring that the Border Guard’s standards are sufficient and the Border Guard’s duties are performed. “Some members of the Border Guard are organized into raiding parties that strike at the lands of countries that are not at peace with Hylka. These raiding parties do not attempt to capture land or cause significant damage; instead, the raiding parties’ objective is to capture as many Drenan as possible to allow the Lightweavers to produce greater amounts of Aether. Though in recent years this has been augmented by the slave trade, most of Hylka’s Aether production is due to the raiding parties.” - The Might of Hylka
“Service in the blades is the greatest service a Darhian can render to Hylka.” - Archmage Ki’en Lekar “In the earliest days of Hylka, several Darhian Gifted sought to destroy the order imposed by the Founder. Mehrik and his fellow Hylkans found themselves preoccupied with the task of governing a new nation and fighting the threat that Hamor still posed. So, Mehrik authorized the creation of an elite unit of Darhian Gifted. The Blades of Hylka. “Each Blade was provided with a Karhail blade and a gauntlet set with Aether crystals, to give them an advantage over the renegades. These Blades proved extremely effective, so Mehrik made their order permanent. “Since the time of the founding, the Blades have always served Hylka by eliminating Gifted threats, be they Darhian or Drenan. The Blades answer directly to the Tower of Arcanis, bypassing the Gathering entirely. This allows them to respond to threats immediately, without the delay that the Gathering would impose, with its debate. “Due to their invaluable service, the position of a Blade is a very prestigious one and instantly elevates one’s social status. “When a Blade leaves active service, the Blade turns in the Aether gauntlet, but retains the Karhail blade. All Blades that are no longer in active service may be recalled at any time.” - Protectors of the Peace
Technology: “While the Darhian levies employed by the Hylkan are equipped with simple gear not unlike our own levies, the Hylkan themselves utilize devastating and daemonic weapons. “Their so called Azure Guard is equipped with blades forged of a substance they call Karhail. This metal is black as the deepest cave, with tiny points of silver light (much like the Hylkan eyes) shining from the darkness. Karhail is practically unbreakable and the few samples we have been able to recover have never lost their edge. “The most deadly attribute of Karhail, however, is its terrible poison that seems to be perpetually smeared on its edge. A single cut from a Karhail blade will render any limb dead within hours. If the limb is not cut off, the poison will soon travel to the heart, killing slowly. Some victims have suffered for weeks, before death claimed them. Our sorcerers can heal the wounded afflicted by this poison, but they must treat the wounded within a day of the injury, otherwise there will be no saving the victim. “Even these fearsome weapons pale in comparison to the daemonic horror the Hylkan were gifted by the daemon Mehrik. “The Hylkan call these weapons Solarail. They are Karhail shafts about a meter and a half in length, with no visible edge or purpose. Within these seemingly harmless weapons, however, slumbers the same fire that the Hylkan sorcerers unleash upon our soldiers. “Admittedly, the Solarail fire is not as accurate as the Hylkan sorcerers, though it can easily strike our forces from two hundred meters and its flame will melt through a Legionnaire’s armor as surely as any Hylkan power. “Thankfully, the Hylkan do not seem able to deploy these weapons in every engagement. Their Crimson Guard utilizes companies equipped with Solarail, but not every Guardsman is equipped with Solarail and they do not possess Karhail blades. “The Azure Guard is equipped completely with Solarail and Karhail blades, but is rarely deployed. It is advised that all Legionnaire Commanders avoid battle with the Azure Guard, whenever possible.” - Legionnaire Cadet’s Handbook
Synopsis: Our story begins in Outer Hylka near the city of Kyrok; after years of Hylkan oppression discontentment is growing among the Darhians. In an attempt to pacify the Darhian populous, Head Master Merric has appointed Kyla, the leader of the Kyrok clan to the position of Archmage. After receiving news of her appointment, she has begun recruiting Darhian mages to accompany her on her journey to Central Hylka. Since most of the role play will be based around the Kyrok clan, most of the characters will be Darhians. Additionally there should be a reason they are in Kyrok lands and are part of the Archmage's retinue. Map of Hylka and the Surrounding Lands: