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The heavy oak doors shuddered as the ram pounded into it once again shaking dust from off of the rafters high above the ragged shield wall of men forming before them. Kaella’s heart jumped into her mouth as a huge rent appeared within door, it wouldn’t be long until they were in now and the collection of old men and young boys left to garrison the once mighty fortress would have to face the terrifying might of the Sidhe for what must be the final time “Stand closer men! I want those shields to be touching!” Captain Alayen Northman bellowed from somewhere within the thin line of men, Kaella herself standing a little way behind the shield wall with the collection of barely trained Sentinel recruits and hastily armed servants how she wished that her friends were with her now but they were all gone, scattered to the four winds and separated either through their kings decree or fate.
“We’re not going to be able to hold them back” Alayen whispered into her ear, his sudden and unexpected arrival causing her to involuntarily jump an apologetic smile appearing on his face as he continued his whispered conversation “You need to get out of here…warn the other kingdoms so they don’t suffer the same fate” despite understanding the sense in what he said Kaella somehow suspected that the urgency in his voice was less to do with saving the other kingdoms of man and more to do with the feelings she knew he had for her, feelings that had grown during the course of the war and ones she knew she could never reciprocate towards him.
“No I can’t…what about you? I can’t just leave you and the others to die in this place” she replied as a mighty crack filled the room, the rent in the door suddenly growing in size one more solid blow and they will be inside she told herself, already she could hear their taunting voices as they called through the wood at the terrified defenders gathered within the room with sadistic glee.
Alayen threw a single terrified glance at the door before once again regaining his composure and bellowing over his shoulder in defiance “Stand firm men; tonight we’ll be within the feasting hall of the gods but by Fenrir’s teeth we’ll bring them with us!” the men cheered beating their weapons again elm shields to make a thunderous cacophony of noise drowning out the taunts and cries of the enemy “Now get out of here…GO!” Alayen roared at Kaella seconds before drawing his sword and running to join the line just as the doors finally gave way and the enemy poured in.
She watched in awe stricken horror as the Sidhe poured through the shattered doors resplendent in armour made of bronze, ebony and furs, the glass blades they carried glittering in the torchlight by the god even their weapons are beautiful she thought to herself as they crashed into the line of men, the screams of pain signalling that the killing had begun. Unable to move, her feet feeling as if they were made of lead she watched in stunned fascination until the Sidhe finally cut through the perilously thin line of men like a hot knife through butter before finally finding herself capable of action as she turned for the doors and ran.
Running down the long stone corridor her feet echoing loudly upon the flagstones as she fled with the sound of her men dying behind her, their screams mingling with the clash of weaponry as the enemy over ran their positions.
With only a handful of guardsmen and freshly recruited Sentinels they had never stood a chance, the Sidhe warriors pouring over the walls of Rithe Halla in their hundreds slaying and butchering all that got in their path before finally breaking into the great hall with a sadistic glee unmatched by any other race or nation that Kaella had ever seen on her travels as a bard singing to high and humble alike.
Dashel was dead, slain along with the Talamh king and for all she knew all of her remaining friends before the black gates as they had met the mysterious Kavori Empire or “The Golden Ones” as they more commonly known in open battle. They had fought for three days and night upon that rocky desolate ground before finally being crushed beneath the booted feet of the Golden Legions, the Princess Isolla’s horrifying vision of the future finally coming to fruition despite her best efforts to stop it, her fate to this very day still unknown leaving the Kingdom of Talamh Bui without an heir.
At the height of their power the combined might of the Ascenti and Talamh armies may have stood a chance of holding back the powerful legions however several years of long and bitter warfare meant that they could scarcely field a large enough army and fight one enemy let alone two, the sudden and mysterious arrival of the Sidhe a race of people long forgotten and consigned to the realms of myth and legend now causing many to flee north to the wild lands of the Chasind rather than face them in a fight thought to be lost before it had even begun.
Kicking open the door before her Kaella gives a strangled cry as she finds herself on the battlements over looking the raging river below; she’d gone the wrong way. In her desire to escape she had taken a wrong turn somewhere and instead of coming out at the stairs had instead met a dead end…she would have to double back and quickly if she was to have any hope of escaping the rapidly closing jaws of the trap.
“If it isn’t Kaella the Songstress…at last we are able to meet in person and what a pleasure it is going to be too” the voice purred softly from behind her sending shivers down her spine.
Grasping the hilt of Ragnar’s long heavy sword she whirls around hoping to catch her opponent off guard by the sudden movement.
There is a flash of light followed by a razor sharp pain in her throat and a horrifying wetness as her blood begins to flow from out of the wound that had surely killed her “Such a pity I had so hoped we could have talked first…perhaps I could have kept you as a pet I am sure mother would have approved” the woman spoke, a vision of angelic beauty; her long fiery red hair flowing around her head, high cheek bones and sensuous lips giving Princess Ariel a regal highborn beauty that many strove for but never achieved.
Feeling her blood seeping out from between her fingers Kaella backed away from the Sidhe princess and her wickedly sharp glass blade, clutching desperately at the wound in her throat hoping to cling onto what small amount of life she had left.
“Any last words before I remove your head completely?...my mother will so want to see it after the trouble you caused her” Kaella tried to speak to say her final defiant last words only to produce a choked gurgling sound as her mouth and throat filled with her own blood.
Already feeling faint and unsteady from the blood loss Kaella is unable to stop her from falling as the back of her legs strike the wall pitching her over the side to plunge down into the raging river below. A howl of rage comes from above her as Ariel denied her prize throws a tantrum, her screams of rage following Kaella all the way down to the raging waters below.
Upon hitting them she immediately disappears from sight as she is washed away by the current her final thoughts before finally blacking out from the pain were this At least this way I get to die intact.
It was on that night when Rithe Halla fell; a fortress once thought to be impregnable, that the dominion of man upon the continent came to an end. With its armies crushed between the combined might of the Sidhe and the Kavori empire both the Kingdoms of Talamh Bui and Ascentia fell closely followed by those upon its borders, only the Chasind and the men of the Daggers far to the north were to escape their attentions as the two mighty powers turned upon one another in a war that was to rage on for the better part of five years ending in an uneasy truce and a bloody stalemate.
Dividing continent in two using the Black gate and the range of mountains upon which it sat as a natural border the two empires have maintained its uneasy peace as both side await the time that would be strong enough to fight the other the small kingdom of men or “Free Folk” as they came to call themselves no longer a concern as they cowered within the Chasind wilds, a broken race incapable of causing them any harm, neither side realising that what they had in fact was a sleeping giant in their midst just waiting for the spark that would cause them to once again rise up and reclaim what had been taken from them with a terrible fury likes of which had never been seen before.
-------------------------------------------------
Right here it is the long awaited and much anticipated sequel to “Rise of the Sentinels” like the last game it is set in the same low fantasy dark ages setting as before, though this time you will be starting within the lands of the Free Folk, a kingdom made up of the refugees from the varying kingdoms defeated during the war, the Chasind tribes that inhabited the land from before the war along with the men of the Daggers (a chain of rocky snow covered islands far to the north, think Vikings) relations between these factions are somewhat strained and the only reason they haven’t come to blows (in any major way that is) is due to their common enemy the Sidhe to the south and the Kavori empire far to the east.
It is set five years after the events in the last story so if you wish to use your existing character can you please adjust your age accordingly and let us know what you have been up to during all this time in you background.
Usual campfire rules apply, If I am not happy with something you’ve written or feel its not in keeping with the story I’ll let you know in a Pm (…or take sadistic pleasure in torturing your character J). If you have any questions or need any help feel free to ask and I’ll try and answer them the best I can.
Other than that have fun and enjoy
-------------------------------------------------
The Character:
The character sheets will be broken into two main portions. Those two portions are attributes and abilities. Attributes are further broken down, and are your core make-up. Abilities are also broken into three categories, and are meant to support your attributes to reflect the uniqueness that is your character.
Attributes are broken into Physical, Social, and Mental.
PHYSICAL: The core movement abilities of your character
Strength: Brute physical power
Dexterity: Familiarity with your bodies capabilities in motion
Stamina: The combination of physical and mental fortitude
SOCIAL: How well you character interacts and is perceived by others
Charisma: How well you present yourself to others
Manipulation: How well you can garner response through deceit and trickery
Appearance: How attractive you are to others
MENTAL: Your mental capabilities
Perception: Conscious and intuitive capabilities to notice details
Intelligence: How smart you are (duh)
Wits: Mental reaction to given situations
Abilities are broken down into three categories
TALENTS: A listing of talents, most are self-explanatory
Alertness: Recognizing specific details
Athletics: Running, climbing, jumping, swimming
Brawl: Fighting with your fists
Dodge: Not getting hit by stuff
Empathy: The understanding the emotions of others'
Expression: The ability to convey meaning through written word or oratory
Intimidation: The ability to gain information or action through threat
Intuition: Gut feelings
Leadership: The ability to motivate through force of personality
Streetwise: Understanding the vernacular of the underbelly of society
Subterfuge: Lying
Performance: Ability to entertain audiences
SKILLS: A listing of skills, most are self-explanatory
Animal Ken: Understanding animal behaviour
Crafts: The ability to construct or repair
Tracking: Your ability to track people or animals using only the signs they’ve left
Riding: Your ability to ride a horse (Or similar animal)
Shooting: Your ability to use missile weapons such as Bows, Crossbows and Javelins
Melee (Small Weapons): Your Skill with single handed weapons such as Swords, Axes, Knives, Clubs etc
Melee (Large Weapons): Your Skill with Large two handed Weapons such as Spears, Glaives, Two Handed axes and swords, etc
Thievery: Your ability to pick peoples pockets and crack locks without being caught
Stealth: Sneaking and hiding
Survival: The knowledge required to adapt enough to continue breathing
Discipline: Your ability to stay focused on the task at hand despite the distractions all around you
KNOWLEDGES: List of knowledge’s, most are self-explanatory
Academics: (Can Read 1, Fully Literate 2, Formal Schooling 3, Academic 4, Scholar 5)
Herbalist: Your Knowledge on plants and how to create potions, poisons and poultices from them
Enigmas: Ability to solve puzzles
Trade: How to get the best deal when buying or selling things
Investigation: Combination of formal investigative procedure and common sense
Sorcery: Your ability (Or Perceived ability) to cast spells and/or resist there affects.
Linguistics: How quickly you can pick up and learn a foreign language
Medicine: Healing
Occult: Knowledge of the supernatural, legends, and myth
Research: How to find a sought answer
Science: The application of science (this is medieval science, think Alchemy)
[spoil]Ok all... that's the list of attributes (which can not be altered) and Abilities (which can be within reason. I know I couldn't list it all)
Ok... now... the numbers. We are going to indicate our characters' attributes and abilities with numbers. This part seems hard, but should be easy when put into use. Attributes and abilities are ranked 1 through 5. As a general belief the numbers can be described as such; 1 poor, 2 average, 3 good, 4 exceptional, 5 outstanding.
Attributes: All categories begin with a base of 1. You are given the following breakdown of points to allocate between the three main attributes (Physical, Social, Mental). They are 7/5/3. That means you can put 7 points into one main attribute, and then 5 in the second most important to you, and finally 3 in the least important. As an example;
I have a soldier. I believe physical, mental, and lastly social to be how I rank importance. I spend 7 points in physical. I have 1 in each category already. So I spend 2 in strength, 3 in dexterity, and 2 in stamina so my final categories would be Strength 3, Dexterity 4, and Stamina 3. Then I would spend 5 points in mental, and lastly 3 in social. Hope it makes sense.
Abilities: All three categories start with nothing in any of the ranks. You can spend the following 13/9/5. Just like attributes, take a moment to look at all the available abilities and rank your categories in order of importance. Your most important logically should have 13 points spent in it, then your second 9, and finally 5 in the least important. There are several abilities that do not require any specialized knowledge to use, Athletics being the first I saw. I can run, but have never been formally trained in real nuance, so I'd have just base dexterity to fall back on. There are others that you have to have at least one rank to perform. Medicine seems to be a good one to use as an example. If you have no training in first aid... you can leave my dangling broken arm alone until somebody who does know what to do comes along thank you very much.
Pretty complex no? It's easy once you grasp the process. Ok... two last things. First, you can only have one rank of 5 on your entire sheet. I don't care if it's attribute or ability. You may have two ranks of 4 anywhere on your sheet. All other ranks must be 3 or less. Second... you get 11 free points to spend wherever you want on your sheet. Attributes cost 5 points each rank. Abilities cost 2 points each rank. So, example, you could pick two attribute ranks, or five abilities, or one attribute and three abilities. [/spoil]
Name: Your name
Gender: Male/Female
Age: How old you are
Occupation: Your job (warrior, thief, nun, mage, etc
Equipment: The things you are carrying
Description: what you look like
Background: your characters back story, who are you? Where have you been all these years? etc (feel free to write as much or as little as you like)
“We’re not going to be able to hold them back” Alayen whispered into her ear, his sudden and unexpected arrival causing her to involuntarily jump an apologetic smile appearing on his face as he continued his whispered conversation “You need to get out of here…warn the other kingdoms so they don’t suffer the same fate” despite understanding the sense in what he said Kaella somehow suspected that the urgency in his voice was less to do with saving the other kingdoms of man and more to do with the feelings she knew he had for her, feelings that had grown during the course of the war and ones she knew she could never reciprocate towards him.
“No I can’t…what about you? I can’t just leave you and the others to die in this place” she replied as a mighty crack filled the room, the rent in the door suddenly growing in size one more solid blow and they will be inside she told herself, already she could hear their taunting voices as they called through the wood at the terrified defenders gathered within the room with sadistic glee.
Alayen threw a single terrified glance at the door before once again regaining his composure and bellowing over his shoulder in defiance “Stand firm men; tonight we’ll be within the feasting hall of the gods but by Fenrir’s teeth we’ll bring them with us!” the men cheered beating their weapons again elm shields to make a thunderous cacophony of noise drowning out the taunts and cries of the enemy “Now get out of here…GO!” Alayen roared at Kaella seconds before drawing his sword and running to join the line just as the doors finally gave way and the enemy poured in.
She watched in awe stricken horror as the Sidhe poured through the shattered doors resplendent in armour made of bronze, ebony and furs, the glass blades they carried glittering in the torchlight by the god even their weapons are beautiful she thought to herself as they crashed into the line of men, the screams of pain signalling that the killing had begun. Unable to move, her feet feeling as if they were made of lead she watched in stunned fascination until the Sidhe finally cut through the perilously thin line of men like a hot knife through butter before finally finding herself capable of action as she turned for the doors and ran.
Running down the long stone corridor her feet echoing loudly upon the flagstones as she fled with the sound of her men dying behind her, their screams mingling with the clash of weaponry as the enemy over ran their positions.
With only a handful of guardsmen and freshly recruited Sentinels they had never stood a chance, the Sidhe warriors pouring over the walls of Rithe Halla in their hundreds slaying and butchering all that got in their path before finally breaking into the great hall with a sadistic glee unmatched by any other race or nation that Kaella had ever seen on her travels as a bard singing to high and humble alike.
Dashel was dead, slain along with the Talamh king and for all she knew all of her remaining friends before the black gates as they had met the mysterious Kavori Empire or “The Golden Ones” as they more commonly known in open battle. They had fought for three days and night upon that rocky desolate ground before finally being crushed beneath the booted feet of the Golden Legions, the Princess Isolla’s horrifying vision of the future finally coming to fruition despite her best efforts to stop it, her fate to this very day still unknown leaving the Kingdom of Talamh Bui without an heir.
At the height of their power the combined might of the Ascenti and Talamh armies may have stood a chance of holding back the powerful legions however several years of long and bitter warfare meant that they could scarcely field a large enough army and fight one enemy let alone two, the sudden and mysterious arrival of the Sidhe a race of people long forgotten and consigned to the realms of myth and legend now causing many to flee north to the wild lands of the Chasind rather than face them in a fight thought to be lost before it had even begun.
Kicking open the door before her Kaella gives a strangled cry as she finds herself on the battlements over looking the raging river below; she’d gone the wrong way. In her desire to escape she had taken a wrong turn somewhere and instead of coming out at the stairs had instead met a dead end…she would have to double back and quickly if she was to have any hope of escaping the rapidly closing jaws of the trap.
“If it isn’t Kaella the Songstress…at last we are able to meet in person and what a pleasure it is going to be too” the voice purred softly from behind her sending shivers down her spine.
Grasping the hilt of Ragnar’s long heavy sword she whirls around hoping to catch her opponent off guard by the sudden movement.
There is a flash of light followed by a razor sharp pain in her throat and a horrifying wetness as her blood begins to flow from out of the wound that had surely killed her “Such a pity I had so hoped we could have talked first…perhaps I could have kept you as a pet I am sure mother would have approved” the woman spoke, a vision of angelic beauty; her long fiery red hair flowing around her head, high cheek bones and sensuous lips giving Princess Ariel a regal highborn beauty that many strove for but never achieved.
Feeling her blood seeping out from between her fingers Kaella backed away from the Sidhe princess and her wickedly sharp glass blade, clutching desperately at the wound in her throat hoping to cling onto what small amount of life she had left.
“Any last words before I remove your head completely?...my mother will so want to see it after the trouble you caused her” Kaella tried to speak to say her final defiant last words only to produce a choked gurgling sound as her mouth and throat filled with her own blood.
Already feeling faint and unsteady from the blood loss Kaella is unable to stop her from falling as the back of her legs strike the wall pitching her over the side to plunge down into the raging river below. A howl of rage comes from above her as Ariel denied her prize throws a tantrum, her screams of rage following Kaella all the way down to the raging waters below.
Upon hitting them she immediately disappears from sight as she is washed away by the current her final thoughts before finally blacking out from the pain were this At least this way I get to die intact.
It was on that night when Rithe Halla fell; a fortress once thought to be impregnable, that the dominion of man upon the continent came to an end. With its armies crushed between the combined might of the Sidhe and the Kavori empire both the Kingdoms of Talamh Bui and Ascentia fell closely followed by those upon its borders, only the Chasind and the men of the Daggers far to the north were to escape their attentions as the two mighty powers turned upon one another in a war that was to rage on for the better part of five years ending in an uneasy truce and a bloody stalemate.
Dividing continent in two using the Black gate and the range of mountains upon which it sat as a natural border the two empires have maintained its uneasy peace as both side await the time that would be strong enough to fight the other the small kingdom of men or “Free Folk” as they came to call themselves no longer a concern as they cowered within the Chasind wilds, a broken race incapable of causing them any harm, neither side realising that what they had in fact was a sleeping giant in their midst just waiting for the spark that would cause them to once again rise up and reclaim what had been taken from them with a terrible fury likes of which had never been seen before.
-------------------------------------------------
Right here it is the long awaited and much anticipated sequel to “Rise of the Sentinels” like the last game it is set in the same low fantasy dark ages setting as before, though this time you will be starting within the lands of the Free Folk, a kingdom made up of the refugees from the varying kingdoms defeated during the war, the Chasind tribes that inhabited the land from before the war along with the men of the Daggers (a chain of rocky snow covered islands far to the north, think Vikings) relations between these factions are somewhat strained and the only reason they haven’t come to blows (in any major way that is) is due to their common enemy the Sidhe to the south and the Kavori empire far to the east.
It is set five years after the events in the last story so if you wish to use your existing character can you please adjust your age accordingly and let us know what you have been up to during all this time in you background.
Usual campfire rules apply, If I am not happy with something you’ve written or feel its not in keeping with the story I’ll let you know in a Pm (…or take sadistic pleasure in torturing your character J). If you have any questions or need any help feel free to ask and I’ll try and answer them the best I can.
Other than that have fun and enjoy
-------------------------------------------------
The Character:
The character sheets will be broken into two main portions. Those two portions are attributes and abilities. Attributes are further broken down, and are your core make-up. Abilities are also broken into three categories, and are meant to support your attributes to reflect the uniqueness that is your character.
Attributes are broken into Physical, Social, and Mental.
PHYSICAL: The core movement abilities of your character
Strength: Brute physical power
Dexterity: Familiarity with your bodies capabilities in motion
Stamina: The combination of physical and mental fortitude
SOCIAL: How well you character interacts and is perceived by others
Charisma: How well you present yourself to others
Manipulation: How well you can garner response through deceit and trickery
Appearance: How attractive you are to others
MENTAL: Your mental capabilities
Perception: Conscious and intuitive capabilities to notice details
Intelligence: How smart you are (duh)
Wits: Mental reaction to given situations
Abilities are broken down into three categories
TALENTS: A listing of talents, most are self-explanatory
Alertness: Recognizing specific details
Athletics: Running, climbing, jumping, swimming
Brawl: Fighting with your fists
Dodge: Not getting hit by stuff
Empathy: The understanding the emotions of others'
Expression: The ability to convey meaning through written word or oratory
Intimidation: The ability to gain information or action through threat
Intuition: Gut feelings
Leadership: The ability to motivate through force of personality
Streetwise: Understanding the vernacular of the underbelly of society
Subterfuge: Lying
Performance: Ability to entertain audiences
SKILLS: A listing of skills, most are self-explanatory
Animal Ken: Understanding animal behaviour
Crafts: The ability to construct or repair
Tracking: Your ability to track people or animals using only the signs they’ve left
Riding: Your ability to ride a horse (Or similar animal)
Shooting: Your ability to use missile weapons such as Bows, Crossbows and Javelins
Melee (Small Weapons): Your Skill with single handed weapons such as Swords, Axes, Knives, Clubs etc
Melee (Large Weapons): Your Skill with Large two handed Weapons such as Spears, Glaives, Two Handed axes and swords, etc
Thievery: Your ability to pick peoples pockets and crack locks without being caught
Stealth: Sneaking and hiding
Survival: The knowledge required to adapt enough to continue breathing
Discipline: Your ability to stay focused on the task at hand despite the distractions all around you
KNOWLEDGES: List of knowledge’s, most are self-explanatory
Academics: (Can Read 1, Fully Literate 2, Formal Schooling 3, Academic 4, Scholar 5)
Herbalist: Your Knowledge on plants and how to create potions, poisons and poultices from them
Enigmas: Ability to solve puzzles
Trade: How to get the best deal when buying or selling things
Investigation: Combination of formal investigative procedure and common sense
Sorcery: Your ability (Or Perceived ability) to cast spells and/or resist there affects.
Linguistics: How quickly you can pick up and learn a foreign language
Medicine: Healing
Occult: Knowledge of the supernatural, legends, and myth
Research: How to find a sought answer
Science: The application of science (this is medieval science, think Alchemy)
[spoil]Ok all... that's the list of attributes (which can not be altered) and Abilities (which can be within reason. I know I couldn't list it all)
Ok... now... the numbers. We are going to indicate our characters' attributes and abilities with numbers. This part seems hard, but should be easy when put into use. Attributes and abilities are ranked 1 through 5. As a general belief the numbers can be described as such; 1 poor, 2 average, 3 good, 4 exceptional, 5 outstanding.
Attributes: All categories begin with a base of 1. You are given the following breakdown of points to allocate between the three main attributes (Physical, Social, Mental). They are 7/5/3. That means you can put 7 points into one main attribute, and then 5 in the second most important to you, and finally 3 in the least important. As an example;
I have a soldier. I believe physical, mental, and lastly social to be how I rank importance. I spend 7 points in physical. I have 1 in each category already. So I spend 2 in strength, 3 in dexterity, and 2 in stamina so my final categories would be Strength 3, Dexterity 4, and Stamina 3. Then I would spend 5 points in mental, and lastly 3 in social. Hope it makes sense.
Abilities: All three categories start with nothing in any of the ranks. You can spend the following 13/9/5. Just like attributes, take a moment to look at all the available abilities and rank your categories in order of importance. Your most important logically should have 13 points spent in it, then your second 9, and finally 5 in the least important. There are several abilities that do not require any specialized knowledge to use, Athletics being the first I saw. I can run, but have never been formally trained in real nuance, so I'd have just base dexterity to fall back on. There are others that you have to have at least one rank to perform. Medicine seems to be a good one to use as an example. If you have no training in first aid... you can leave my dangling broken arm alone until somebody who does know what to do comes along thank you very much.
Pretty complex no? It's easy once you grasp the process. Ok... two last things. First, you can only have one rank of 5 on your entire sheet. I don't care if it's attribute or ability. You may have two ranks of 4 anywhere on your sheet. All other ranks must be 3 or less. Second... you get 11 free points to spend wherever you want on your sheet. Attributes cost 5 points each rank. Abilities cost 2 points each rank. So, example, you could pick two attribute ranks, or five abilities, or one attribute and three abilities. [/spoil]
Name: Your name
Gender: Male/Female
Age: How old you are
Occupation: Your job (warrior, thief, nun, mage, etc
Equipment: The things you are carrying
Description: what you look like
Background: your characters back story, who are you? Where have you been all these years? etc (feel free to write as much or as little as you like)