Spelheim: The First Magewar (large-scale medieval fantasy)

Interest check for Spelheim: The First Magewar

Greetings, thanks for taking the time.

Does anyone else feel like the scale of fantasy roleplays has been far too small lately? I long for wars between kingdoms, corrupt monarchs, court intrigue, ancient magical mystery. A dynamic world that bustles with activity even if the players aren't there to cause it. Let's try making one.

This is the world of Ylcea. It was once a land ruined by magic, and it is now a land ruled by it. Two human countries exist here in magical isolation. Sea serpents and monstrous fish destroy any attempt at naval exploration, and the rest of the continent is barred by a magical barrier known as the Veil. Many wars were thus waged between the two countries - invariably ending in defeat for the North.

Human countries:
Id-Heren, the Northern Kingdom is a country united under the Saint King. It does not have much arable land, and its people cannot use magic. The mountains known as the Teeth are home to deadly dragons that will prey upon livestock, if not humans. The inhabitants live in constant struggle with nature. Life is difficult.

Spelheim, the Southern State is the polar opposite of Id-Heren. It is ruled by the City Council - a group residing in the capital, a preternaturally large agglomeration of buildings commonly known as the City. The City houses over one third of Spelheim's population, and is surrounded by several villages that exist solely to feed those within the capital's walls. The land is rich, and the City births so many magicians, magic is considered a mundane utility.

A hateful relationship of tenuous economic interaction exists between these two lands. Several post-war pacts were signed that imposed unfair war reparations, breeding resentment.

The premise:
The player's story would start three years after this fragile balance was destroyed by an unexplainable event: the disappearance of the Veil. With the rest of the continent presented to them, the Council immediately ordered expansion to the east, and soon after, it ordered the extermination of the creatures that lived there.

Sile and Kanloi, the Eastern Beastlands, are inhabited by humanoids with animal characteristics. The first encountered beastlings were the feathered - humanoids with avian claws, sometimes even wings. Later, variants with scales and reptilian traits appeared on the frontlines of war. Ancient, forgotten magic lies at their origin, but they think themselves proper races, and for all intents and purposes, they are.

The story:
The war continued. The Council never acknowledged it as one, preferring to call it cleansing, extermination. The overwhelming military of Spelheim led it to victory after victory. In their home forests however, the Beastlings' guerilla warfare was infinitely superior. It was not long before the Council released its mages from its walls, and reluctantly ordered the burning of the forest.

At this point, two City humans, known to humanity as the Apostate and the Red King, defected to the Eastern Beastlands. The Apostate, known to the beasts instead as the Apostle, somehow unlocked the beasts' own magic. The Red King, a demon capable of single-handedly decimating a platoon of soldiers, now leads the Beastlands in a crusade against all of mankind.

Alliances are formed and broken. Spelheim is threatened to end up in a pincer attack by old and new enemies, unless it can convince the other human country to band together against its new enemies. Id-Heren has plans of its own, and the unknown whereabouts of the Apostate cause the humans considerable worry.

The Roleplay:
Moral ambiguity will play a big part in this setting. There is no good or evil: Id-Heren has always systematically dissected any City mage it can kidnap, Spelheim burns up the lives of criminals and prisoners of war to fuel the City's magic, and the more primitive beastslands give as good as they get.

Most of this RP is based on an existing story I wrote (but never finished to satisfaction), meaning the countries are fleshed-out with a rich background. If I am to launch this, I will elaborate on each country's politics, government, religion, customs, technology, people, and secrets in the Places tab. The City is practically a country of its own, and there are many more landmarks of importance. Events will occur even if players aren't there: the Northerners have started to domesticate dragons, the Beastlands are far more advanced than humanity would have you believe, and it is no coincidence the City has so many magicians.

While it is a fantasy world, there will be clear rules under which the world functions, and the characters will be expected to be realistic:
A swordsman will have problems against a fully-armored opponent. A 15-year-old won?t be a master archer, a dirty street rat won?t be loved by every bakery in town, and the beautiful daughter of a noble family won?t be brilliant at cooking, singing, swordplay, street brawls, acrobatics, foreign politics and medicine.

Not every player is expected to play a magician, but there is an elaborate, well-defined magic system in place for those who would desire to.

I will make sure the characters are all involved in the story, and lead sole players toward each other in a believable way. I will allow the widest character selection possible: from City courtiers to Northern dragon-riders to Eastern beasts discovering their newfound magic.

I will confess this is my first attempt at being a GM, but I am motivated and willing to invest considerable time into making this roleplay a reality. Please let me know your opinions.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/LGqJj3Mm0zw/viewtopic.php

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