Scrolls of Iria: Shadows Story Our story begins in the vast realm of Hanavar, a continent filled with all manner of terrain; forests and jungles and deserts and plains, mountains and caverns and tundras and swamps. And nestled within the snowy peaks of the north is a kingdom known as Highguard, where the stout and hardened Karos family reside. They rule the mountains with a cold strength and a just fairness, seeking to uphold honour and truth wherever they can. But all is not well in Highguard, as whispers of evil and shadows have entered the keep in the night. Lord Robert Karos has been awoken to find his Commander incredibly worried in the study. You are a member of the castle of Highguard, safely tucked away behind its iron and stone. You are part of the house in some way or another, perhaps a chef or servant or squire, or maybe a farmhand, soldier or knight. Some will know magic; others the skill of steel; and perhaps one or two will have the craft of thievery. Soon your real journey will begin and your destiny revealed. But for now, your presence in the keep is nearly invisible, and the Lord and Ladies see right through you. (Your story starts late at night, with your duties finished and the castle quiet. You may be sleeping, or perhaps enjoying the company of others in your quarters.) Area The realm of Hanavar is large, stretching from the northern peaks of Highguard, all the way south the Marshes of Moar. The island is shaped like a star, each point at the North, South, East and West. To the East is a kingdom time forgot, filled with ancient ruins and secrets not yet unearthed. It is known as only as Iria. To the West is the kingdom of Sin’Das Rei, where the mysterious Drow dwell. But in the center lies ‘The Three Rings’. ‘The Three Rings’ are the collective name for the kingdoms in the middle, known as Darn, Boradith and Terog. They are ruled by three brothers, so that family bonds keep the peace. Though this has not kept true. Races Drow: Drow are dark elves and have kept themselves hidden away in the jungle cities of Sin’Das Rei. Most stay with their own, but some have sought a different life, one that holds more freedom. However the rest of the world are wary of the Drow, for they are mysterious and fearsome creatures. Most follow the law to letter, and do not stray from the rules set by their leaders, whether Drow or not. Though there have been some exceptions. Sun Elves: ‘Sun Elves’ as they are known have fallen from grace, with their homeland of Morolith torn asunder some hundred years ago. Its ruins sit on a small island to the West of Hanavar. At the time of destruction the Sun Elves seeked refuge in Sin’Das Rei, which was refused. So they looked to The Three Rings for support, but it came at a price. For these hundred years or more they have lived in Darn in camps of squalor, treated for the rest of their days as second class citizens. As for their relations with the Drow? Let’s just say it’s very icy at best. Humans: Ah the humans. A formidable group of strength and cunning. Few races have risen to power so quickly in a millennia - yet these folks are smart and organised. The Drow and Dwarves would be more fearful of their actions, if the Humans weren’t bickering between themselves. Unfortunately, the long held ‘family ruling’ law in The Three Rings is causing problems for the people, as each of the three brothers claims to be the true power of the kingdoms. Dwarves: The Dwarves are the explorers of the world. They travel the realm, camping in tents outside towns and cities, selling strange artifacts and showing off their crafting skills. Dwarves tend to be nomadic and have a tendency for violence, which they try to conceal in their inner circles. No one is quite sure where they came from though. Tales tell of them burrowing out from under the ground, but most believe it to be a commoner’s myth. Like the Drow, some have decided to settle and find stability. Combat I am hoping to bring a new type of combat to the forums, so this is a little experimental. It uses DICE. You have been warned. Each player will be allowed an action, which will be determined by their character. So wizards will not be limited to one ‘ice’ spell, for example. Instead the player will write the action how they want it to happen, ending their post just before the outcome. If they are ‘successful’ (which I will get to in a moment) then I will write the outcome of their attack. Here are some examples: A wizard casts a fire spell at the enemy, and it is successful so the enemy catches fire (and most likely dies). However there may be consequences to setting the man on fire, maybe he runs into a curtain in panic and starts a larger fire, which now endangers the group. Another example would be that a warrior swings his heavy longsword sideways towards an enemy. He fails, the enemy ducks and his sword lodges deep into a tree, giving the enemy time to strike. So how is an action determined? By a dice. I will roll a dice, and will then write the conclusion of the roll. The first dice in the game will be six sided, and if a 3 or lower is rolled you will fail your action. I will be completely honest with the dice, so if the games against you, it’s just your luck. However items can improve that luck. Specials Items (special armour, swords, trinkets etc.) will give you action points, which will be added to the roll for a higher score. (I will tell you when you have found a special item, you will not start with one). As the game progresses, larger sided dice (10 sided etc.) will be used, which will indicate harder enemies and more sway in the dice rolls. Now for Health. There will be no HP etc. Just three different states of health. ‘Healthy’, ‘Injured’, and ‘Fallen’. Fallen does not mean dead, but you can no longer participate with actions until after the battle is finished, or someone heals you. One last point. Actions are not just for combat. In special circumstances where, for example, a door needs to be picked by a thief, they will need to roll the dice. Not on every occasion, but certainly on the important ones. (P.S - Or a large warrior could roll to smash the door down, but you’d bring a lot more attention to yourself!) Classes There are three four classes – Warrior, Wizard, Thief and Ranger. But two of the same class can be different. For instance you could be a huge strong and muscular warrior, able to almost throw men; or you could be a small and agile warrior, cutting down men swift and silently. Wizards can be mages, healers, whatever! It’s up to your description what type they are! But just be fair about it – clearly a small and agile warrior isn’t going to be the strongest. Rules You know the rules. If you don’t then check the other RPGs. Just be friendly and play nice. Template - All profiles must be PM'ed to me for approval! Name: Gender: Race: Age: Appearance: Background: Class(Warrior, Wizard, Ranger, Thief): Class Type: Family History (optional): Any Other Information
Chapter One Discs of moonlight filtered through the small slits of the upper tower, bouncing off the marble floor. Lord Robert Jaros passed through the light in a hurry with his small candle leading the way. Each step clattered with an echo, and that echo jumped into the courtyard garden next to the open corridor. Robert was known for the hard lines on his face but on this night they were especially creased, and he pulled continuously on his greying blond beard. His heart lifted when he saw Merda at the door of the study, shuffling with her faded pointy hat. But it was not enough to remove the worry from his face. “Merda, he called for you too?” “Yes my Lord. Master Bane is quite distressed by what his squire told me.” She continued to play with her hat nervously, placing it on her head and then taking it off again. “What do you think it is?” “I do not know, but there is only one way to find out.” Robert gave three slow knocks to the brown oak door, and soon a sliver of warm orange creaked through its opening. The squire had attended to the door, while Master Bane stood by the desk reading scrolls and letters. The homely glow of the candles seemed to distinguish when it tried to reach the cold steel of his armour. “Master, your Lordship has arrived.” “Leave us Tonks.” Bane replied in a gruff, yet strained voice. The boy departed and the three left met in the middle of the room, with Bane’s face the palest. “My Lord, Merda. I thank you for coming on short notice. I have some grave news, which could not wait ‘til the morning.” His face looked so very gaunt from its usual fullness; he was a man of strength of light, but at this moment he looked quite ill indeed. His usual armour had been replaced but a much more fearsome dragonsteel breastplate, with ripples where the black metal had been bent. Even the sword was queer; his usual silver blade now exchanged for a longsword, crafted in stunning crystal, with ruby and onyx merging together inside. “I believe there is a plot against you, my Lord.” “Are you sure of this?” Robert asked. “My men have been shooting down ravens for the last few hours, and we have confirmed it in their letters.” Bane’s voice croaked a little. “I believe it is happening tonight.” “Do we have any defences?” “I have the full force of my two hundred men occupying the inner castle. We are ready to keep everyone safe.” Bane turned away to look at the moonlight creeping through the window. “It is a grave night.” “Indeed.” Merda said. “But who would be so vile to slit our throats in the dark?” At that moment, her question had been answered. A squeal rose from behind the oak door, followed by a heavy slump. The wood creaked ajar and the squire fell through, his eyes frozen and blood seeping from his mouth. Two armoured guards stepped into the candle light, each of their blades coated in crimson. They both wore the sigil of House Jaros on their chest, an ice blue phoenix. ”What is the meaning of this!” Robert shouted. The guards marched in without a word, their faces darkened by shadow and hauntingly emotionless. The eyes were the worst though. They shone the purest of red, like a pool of blood. “Master Bane, do something!” Merda screamed. And he did do something. His crystal blade already unsheathed, he took a step forward and buried it deep into Merda’s chest. The sword past straight through her, and she froze. Her eyes rolled up, and her rosy cheeks vanished. Bane pushed her off his blade and she collapsed to the floor. “Men.” His voice was shrill and ever so cold. “I will escort his Lordship to the cellar. Give the signal to the rest, leave no soul alive.” The guards left without a word and Master Bane turned to Robert, his eyes sparkling red. “Let us make for the cellar. Your time is almost up, my Lord.”
Cadby The young serving boy was on his knees scrubbing the last bit of floor he had to do for the night. Cadby lifted his head from his chore to look up and down the hallway. His black hair fell in front of his eyes but he wiped it away with his wrist. His hands were wrinkly from the soapy water. When Cadby had determined that no one was around, he straightened with a relieved sigh. Then he stretched out a hand towards the scrub brush. "Molis." He whispered. A soft blue light shone over the brush and it moved on it's own across a dirty spot on the floor. Cadby repeated the magic word and used his hand to guide the magic. Every few seconds he'd look around to make sure no one was watching. Finally, the floor was clean and Cadby stood with the bucket and brush in hand. All he had to do now was put away the supplies and he could go to bed. If he was lucky, he'd get a few hours sleep before a noble needed Cadby to get him a snack or clean up his chamber pot. They didn't seem to realize that servants needed their sleep more than the nobles did. But such was the life of a servant. The young serving boy walked down the hallway of the keep, not knowing that his dull life was about to change forever.
Theresa Gilly Theresa held in the air for a moment, balancing countless scrolls and parchment in her arms. They overflowed in her grasp and she knew that one wrong step would be disaster. The large pile of crispy yellow paper stacked up higher than her bent pointy hat, so her sight was shot but for her left and right. And it was pitch black, save for a single candle on the desk in the corner. To add to her misery she was wearing her lengthy faded wizard robe, catching dust as it dragged along the floor. “Seven hells!” She muttered loudly. Each step on the cobbled stone felt like a tightrope, and she swayed left and right with the towering paper. Bookcases of oak lined the walls, every one of them reaching high up to the ceiling. Their eyes flickered in the candle light and they watched with glee as the apprentice fumbled along. She could feel their stares, whispering to each other, hoping she would fall. Theresa shuffled right a bit, and then left and finally right a bit more, edging so close to the desk now. And then the robe stuck under her foot and pulled her down to the cold hard floor. The crash was immense. Scrolls cracked open on the walls. Paper danced playfully in the air. And one of the bookcases laughed so much that a tome fell out. The echo was relentless, enough to wake The Three Rings from so far away. So Theresa cursed and sobbed for a while, praying that Merda would not come to scold her. She had not noticed the one single parchment dancing too close to the candle. In one breath, the entire room was on fire. From one page to another, then another, and another. Then the curtain. And the desk. A bookcase. The tomes. The orange fury engulfed the place, leaving the sobbing child with something more pressing to contemplate. In her panic, she flicked out a tear from her eye, flinging it into the middle of the room and pressed her hands to the air to follow it. The tiny tear expanded into a giant bubble of water, larger and larger until it filled the room and finally…Pop! And now it was dark again. Theresa knelt there, in the dead of night, and sobbed into her cold scorched hair.
A soft blue light shone over the brush and it moved on it's own across a dirty spot on the floor. _____________________________________ These kinds of sexy costume sale are widely available in the market.
