Path of Fire

[Triyun]

So I was really looking forward to killing dragons but that didn't work out. Therefore I'm going to keep a story going with an internal RP within Tianxia and would like to offer people a chance to sign up.

[center][img]http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/2479/reddragonz.jpg[/img][/center]

Plot:

Two Months after the Crusade on the Ice the Mad Dragon Ancaceleon has appeared over the skies of the Timur Shahdom. Appearing from deep within the ice, he comes with one purpose: revenge on the Horde. His terrible madness is a blight on the land it touches, as his terror spreads so to does his mad plague spread. The Khan of the South, Aden Dawkins, road out to meet the dragon head on but his men quickly succumbed to madness turning on their kind and pressing themselves into the service of their new dragon lord. Succumbing to the Mad Dragon, they have now become part of the ever growing Army of the Damned. In India the surviving cultists which had followed the false prophet Maelstrom have now fallen into line with the Mad Dragon marching under his banner.

The entirety of the Western Empire is now plunged into War. Springing up from the chaos, chieftains now abandon their Khans without shame, aiming to take what they can for their lands, and ignore their obligations to their lords. The Silk Road is now plagued with bandits and the surviving fortress of Herat stands dangerously cut off. As word of the great threat spreads East to the Imperial Capital of Xian, the Empire of Tianxia gathers all forces in the Eastern Empire to Prepare to March West and save the Timur Empire before it falls.

The Imperial Treasury now lies open and the call for heros has gone out for heros... the fate of man hangs in the balance.

How it works:

This RP is set in in sorta a D&D themed setting feel free to make a character for either side in this RP. The degree to which they become a main character is going to be primarily based on RP levels and initiative. More active characters will become more front and center as the RP progresses. You can make a character on either side, they can be non-human and have magic powers just let me know ahead of time, my goal is to keep things somewhat reasonable. Ancacelon will be by far more powerful than any other characters. Including the Emperor and Empress of Tianxia. If someone wishes to RP him instead of me, I'm open to do so, just query me about it, I am ideally looking for a good writer with a lot of activity. His main attributes are that he's a chaotic evil red dragon whose been driven mad. He's greedy and desires worship of the damned and treasure beyond all other things. I'm also looking for people to lead the Dragon Cult and the Army of the Damned. Bad Guys stay bad

Other characters can be fit into the following format simple format:

[quote]Name:
Image or Description: Optional
Affiliation: Tianxia Army, Tianxia Mercenary, Timur Shahdom, Army of the Damned, Dragon Cult, Bandit
Abilities:
Personality/History:[/quote]

Existing characters in CN RP are welcome please translate them into the appropriate era (don't be half robot )

I hope to see a lot of people sign up.

[Owned-You]

[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/EmperorSuleiman.jpg/220px-EmperorSuleiman.jpg[/img]

[i]Suleiman al-Khwarzim[/i]
Affiliation: Timur Shahdom
Abilities: Suleiman is viewed as very charismatic, a great orator, and very well learned in the arts of war.
Personality/History: Suleiman was a young officer of the Shahdom of Timur being educated at the Harat training grounds where he was educated for 6 years in the strategies of battle, leadership, politics, and personal combat. The very day he was set to graduate and become a full fledged officer for the Shahdom the great beast Ancaceleon appeared over the skies of the Shahdom and brought terror and misery to the nation. What was meant to be a day of rejoicing for the young Suleiman turned into a day of remorse as he and his comrades found themselves thrust into armories and outfitted to face the impending doom. Many skirmishes would be had and victories would be far and few between the many defeats and deaths Suleiman witnessed. Hardened by the death surrounding him a young Suleiman finds himself struggling to continue the fight for the shattered remnants of the Shahdom as more and more of his comrades fall to the dark influences of the Mad Dragon.

[Captain Enema]

Jarl Fnord Grok
Unaffiliated, free agent, bottle washer extraordinaire, Engineer
Primary skills: linguist, low technology engineering with a hobbyist interest in siege weaponry
Secondary skills (things he knows enough to do a decent job in): welder, mechanic, heavy equipment operator
Combat related skills: Pistol, shotgun - proficiency of use in both weapons, about what is expected of police officer
History: Been working in various 3rd world nations as an expert in low technology engineering to maintain infrastructure and to build structures. Often his work has taken him to projects that at best have a barely working earth mover or two and he's managed to meet his deadlines through the principles of more bodies move more earth if worked around the clock. His interest in siege weaponry came about in University when he helped a professor of Engineering build a few devices for a local re-enactment event. This curiosity of the middle ages never completely left him. His training in the pistol and shotgun came on the job and in the form of having his work sites robbed or attacked. He quickly learned to shoot first and ask questions later and if needed ask them from a far distance away whilst on the run from the local authorities. He picks up languages easily because he has worked is so many strange places with crap translators. He normally just picks up enough to get by but has been making it a point to fully explore the intricacies of various major regional languages for professional reasons.

Edited July 26, 2012 by Tidy Bowl Man

[Triyun]

TBM this is set in a D&D type setting so no guns. You can have like mechanical crossbows though.

[Captain Enema]

Ohhh.. Siegecraft..

Mozi

Tianxian, Philosopher/Engineer/Mathematician (At the era we are in often Mathematicians were Engineers and vice a versa).
Primary skills: linguist, Siege Craft, Geometry, and Civil Engineering
Secondary skills (things he knows enough to do a decent job in): Wood working, farrier, metal working
Combat related skills: bow, spear, shield- proficient enough not to drop them of stick himself and the guy next to him, so.. about the class of a reasonably well trained militiaman.

History:

Consider this an alternative history to this gent:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozi


But let's say he stumbles into this story at 30 years of age and just before the height of his philosophical awakening.

[Triyun]

Yeah I know Mo Zi, I think he was the ancient progenitor of Maoism. Sounds good.

[Lestari]

Name: She is known in the Eastern Continents as Moraes Vieira, with 'Mora' being a further shortening of Moraes.

Image or Description: Moraes Vieira is not someone to be trifled with, a fact that is more than adequately communicated at first glance. Standing at some 205 centimetres tall (six feet and about seven inches) and more than two feet across at the shoulders, Mora strikes rather an intimidating figure with a dauntingly muscular body build weighing in at about 280 lbs. It's obvious that, even at age fourty seven, she's certainly not going soft with age--if anything, her body has remained robust and tough throughout her years as a mercenary, even though it now bears the many scars that a life of war, death, and destruction will brand onto anyone who pursues it.

Sharp, defined features grace a long, dark countenance characteristic of her ethnic heritage, setting her apart from the lands she now finds herself amongst; high, prominent cheekbones carve out a significant portion of her features, surrounding a small, slightly pointed nose (it has something of a crooked bend at the dorsum, indicating that it's been broken more than once in the past), under which rest thin, dark lips ungraced by any wanton smile or careless show of agitation. If anything, you're most likely to find her wearing a fully impartial expression--austere, almost cold, and at times she will find herself expressing discontent or anger through a sharp scowl twisting at her scarred lips. Mora's eyes are heterochromatic, with one being a dark, dull brown, and the other a deep forest green, while her hair, another aspect that works to distinguish Mora from the local population, is styled, in a callback to her own native culture, in dreadlocks that sweep proudly as far as her waist; from time to time she will tie the dreadlocks back into a ponytail. Naturally a wiry black in colour, patches of grey are beginning to fade into existence amidst the black clumps of hair.

As said, Mora's body is no stranger to the scars of battle--a testament to her ability to take grievous wounds and continue to fight with full force (but by no means a testament to her agility), they are to be found all over her body, including one in particular on her face that spans the entirety of her countenance, sprawling across her left cheek from below the corner of her left eye, across her nose, and terminating just above the right corner of her lips. Accompanying the scars, against the dark tawny hue of her skin, are an assortment of tattoos, images etched permanently into her skin. They may depict scenes of battle, paint gruesome images into the canvas of her body, abstract depictions that nobody could quite understand simply looking at them--namely, the letters 'MORA', at least in her native tongue, are etched into the knuckles of her left fist.

Affiliation: Mora is a mercenary, has been one for nearly thirty years, and she has sculpted quite a well-earned reputation for herself over those years. Given that she's currently travelling through the Tianxian Empire and there's a very high demand for mercenaries and warriors in Tianxia, she will probably end up in the employ of the Empire. After all, she's heard the murmurings of a vast army of the damned, led by a wicked being of pure, all-consuming evil--what warrior would see fit to pass up such an opportunity?

Abilities: Mora is a formidable combatant, wielding her two-handed blade with a combination of skill and sheer force. She bears no combat training, at least none in a conventional sense--she has instead learnt to wield her weapons in battle solely by her own experience, affording her a sort of 'instinctive' fighting style--one that depends less on technique and more on intuition and the combat instincts that her thirty years of fighting has made second nature to her. This, in conjunction with the overwhelming brutality she fights with, and the considerable, unyielding physical strength she is possessed of, makes her an extremely deadly opponent at close range. She remains a force to be reckoned with even if disarmed, having taught herself to fight with her own two hands and using her unrivalled physical power to even the odds even without a weapon, and if the state of her body as it is should be disregarded as a testament to her sheer endurance, Mora is a combatant who [I]will not give in[/I] during a battle. Neither injury nor exertion short of death itself will put an end to Mora's determination and remarkable will to live and continue fighting. She is highly experienced as a mercenary, can fight effectively in all kinds of terrain from jungle to desert to city streets, and possesses moderate survival skills such as cooking and such.

It is in other areas that Mora becomes less effective. Hand her a bow and an arrow, and she'll toss aside the bow and stab you with the arrow. Hand her a crossbow, and the most effective use of it she knows of would be to sell it, or to deconstruct it and use the parts for scrap. In short, she's useless at long range engagements. Furthermore, despite her physical fortitude, Mora is by no means a particularly agile opponent--she's no lumbering giant, but against a particularly small, fast opponent, she'll inevitably be outpaced, and she'll be forced to depend on her ability to make every hit that does connect be a potential game ender in and of itself. Her size also makes her a bit ungainly, and can be quite a problem in small, enclosed spaces; furthermore, her impulsive nature, 'stab hack and slice it to pieces first and then ask questions' way of going about business, and her gruff, defiant demeanour make her unsuited for situations calling for social tact and diplomacy. As far as Mora's concerned, she's hired for her ability to make things go from 'one whole piece' to 'several pieces lying on the ground, including one piece still stuck on the blade of her sword'. Not for her ability to chat people up, because she has no such ability.

Personality: Moraes Vieira is, like most mercenaries, not a particularly pleasant sort. Put into a simple, succinct sentence, she's gruff, irascible, all too easily stirred into rage and all too stubborn to be quickly placated afterwards. Otherwise, she dons a taciturn, aloof persona--one that, despite her determination to maintain it, falls apart all too easily because Mora is not actually taciturn and aloof by her nature--not anymore, not since the past thirty years have done their work on her. Instead, she ends up vacillating between gruff, laconic reservation and the spontaneous appearance of a boisterous, impulsive, and hot-headed persona, often at the drop of a dime whenever she gets too caught up in whatever's happening in the moment to maintain the façade. At this point she reveals a predilection towards deadpan humour--dry sarcasm thrown in with a bucket load of pessimism and a tendency to, intentionally or otherwise, end up insulting those around her. In short, Mora tries to come off as taciturn and gruff, but is by her own nature a bellicose, aggressive personality with anger issues and a terrible sense of humour.

Complete lack of personal consistency aside, Mora is also characterised by intense perfectionism, indelible will, and a stubbornness that even the most dedicated of religious zealots can only stand in awe before. Perhaps her one greatest weakness is her conviction that to turn away from any fight, no matter how out-numbered or how out-classed she may be, is a concept reprehensible to her on every level; she is simply too stubborn to suffer any perceived slight, too stubborn to turn away from any challenge she believes she has been issued.

Mora does not pursue a career as a mercenary solely for the financial gains to be had--though they are significant and she does make a living off the profession. Nor is she a moral crusader who takes on only those hirings which agree with her 'moral code'; she's not about to go setting fire to the countryside and decapitating children, and she recognises and opposes true evil where she sees it, but it's not a primary factor for her. No, for Mora, the most important part of being a mercenary is the thrill of it--the challenges to be faced, the rush of battle and the inimitable [I]fun[/I] of war.

History: The taciturn mercenary known to much of the world as Moraes Vieira was born far, far away from the lands of Tianxia and Timur, a land of jungles and vicious beasts, a land where few of its denizens ever venture out into the wider world. Amidst warring clans and the constant threat from the savage creatures that stalked amongst the shadows of the jungles, Mora learnt one thing above all: you're useless if you can't defend yourself. A drag, a mere burden unto your clan, if you are unable to take up arms and to fight. Those who could not keep up with the brutal lifestyle the people of the jungle lived didn't even need to be disposed of--in shame, they disposed of themselves, unable to stand the thought of being seen as weak and malleable--unable to stand the thought of bringing failure to their clan for their physical deficiency.

Mora took those ideals to heart--perhaps a little too deeply to heart. Day and night she spent crafting her body into a tool of physical dominance and power, such that she disregarded any consideration for social functions and interaction with other people. Even to her own family she became distant and secluded, until eschewing human company in favour of physical exercise seemed only natural to Mora and most time not spent honing her physical attributes was time wasted on pointless social pleasantries. From the age of thirteen onwards, she would also accompany the soldiers of her clan to battles with the other clans--vicious wars of attrition, chapters of blood and brutality; while the other soldiers actively sought to increase their kill count and spill the blood of rival clans, the young Mora was expected simply to survive, to flee if she were come upon by an enemy. An expectation which did not stop her from slaying any opponent she felt threatened by as she laid low in the shadows of the canopy high above--Mora refused to be seen as the little one that required protecting. Her stubborn sense of self-sufficiency and self-reliance would permit her to accept no such views of her.

By age seventeen, Mora was no longer expected to fear and flee--now, she was a true warrior, and she was to actively participate in warfare with the other clans. She shook with anticipation for the moment when she would step foot on the battlefield and it would truly be [I]her[/I] battlefield--but that moment never came. At least, not as she had anticipated it would come--it came in the form of the torches and the blades of invading clans, silently slaughtering the sentries who were to alert the clan capital, the motley assortment of wooden structures and stone barracks that Mora called home, that attack was on the way. It was unprecedented--always had it been understood that battle was waged in fairness. The belief that surprise attacks were indelibly undignified was so ingrained within many of the clans that when it did happen, when one clan at last made the unspeakable act, it was wholly unexpected.

Mora lived to see her village burnt and annihilated, her people massacred--a slaughter so complete, so total, that only one seventeen year old woman escaped. Consumed with indecision, split between fighting to the last breath even if it meant the final destruction of her clan and fleeing a pointless death devoid of dignity and fairness, Mora tentatively chose the latter--and subsequently was so devoured with guilt over the one time she ever chose to flee that she has spent the rest of her life deliberately refusing to give in, whether it be a clash of mere words or a clash of blades.

Mora carved her way out of the jungles, finding herself coming into an alien landscape. Beyond the jungles lay a mountain range that clung to the coasts of the continent, and amidst the mountains flourished a civilisation unlike any she'd seen before--cities sculpted into the mountains themselves, people who took up professions as traders and writers and artists (all concepts nigh-foreign to the woman still in shock over what had befallen her and what had once been her family), a society that not only did not exist in a state of constant war with its neighbours, but even encouraged trade and travel between them...it was a most alien world Mora came upon as she left behind the rainforests of her youth.

Possessed of a quick mind and an aptitude for picking up such skills, Mora was able to develop a rapid understanding for the basics of the language of 'people of the mountains' spoke, and as a refugee of the jungles (whose people, she discovered to her confusion, were regarded as something like unprincipled barbarians) she was welcomed into this new society. It was no place for someone so thoroughly reared in combat and a life of war as Mora, however--and she quickly realised there was no niche she could fill in this new society, lacking skills as an artisan, or as a trader ([I]definitely[/I] not as a trader), or anything else the 'civilised' folk of the mountains would need. Instead, hearing of tales of wandering warriors for hire who would often find work with traders and other unscrupulous men from the other continents (Mora was still trying to wrap her mind around the concept of continents), acting as bodyguards, or as

//to be completed later

Edited July 27, 2012 by dotCom

[Captain Enema]

[quote name='Triyun' timestamp='1343282973' post='3015637']
Yeah I know Mo Zi, I think he was the ancient progenitor of Maoism. Sounds good.
[/quote]

Maoism/Communism and the Mozi school of thought have been compared and I suspect some of Mozi's work certain influenced Mao as well. I'm not sure I'd call it a progenitor though, but certainly would say it was a contributing factor into Mao's philosophical inclinations, one of many. Regardless, just a damn fascinating all around bloke, hope the mad dragon doesn't eat him.

[Kevin Kingswell]

Name: Tyranthius

Image or Description: [img]http://www.deviantart.com/download/67141075/Red_Half_Dragon_by_D_MAC.jpg[/img]

Affiliation: Army of the Damned

Abilities: Limited minor regeneration, excels at martial combat with sword and shield, good leadership skills, limited flight

Personality/History: Tyranthius is a minor drake in Ancaceleon's army and has risen to command a small handful of the mad dragon's troops in his crusade against Tianxia. In battle Tyranthius has his soldiers wear heavy armour modeled after his own and wielding either sword or axe with shield. When engaging his foes Tyranthius uses his soldiers as a shock force plunging them in head first and using sheer brute force to batter his enemies this is a crystal clear reflection of his own personality as Tyranthius has no time for being nice and diplomatic instead he batters his way through any obstacle in his path with either force or words and damn the consequences. His abilities are few though. He does possess wings like his larger cousins but due to the time he spends walking in his armour they have weakened meaning he can only remain in the air for a short time, he also possesses a form of limited regeneration and can regrow lost limbs as long as it is not his head but he must concentrate immensely to do so and it takes a lot of energy so he can not do so in the midst of battle.

[KaiserMelech Mikhail]

Name: Nan Man
Image or Description:
[img]http://dynastywarriors.neoseeker.com/w/i/dynastywarriors/8/85/Meng_Huo_dw5.png[/img]
Affiliation: Tianxia Mercenary
Abilities: Charismatic leadership, ability to rip people to shreds with his bear claw gauntlets
Personality/History:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meng_Huo

[Triyun]

Please note that the RP has begun in earnest, those in Chang'an (Xian) who wish to make their way to Herat for the first major battle should begin doing so. The blue markings represent areas of bandit groups.

[img]http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/6210/scenariopart1.png[/img]

[Lestari]

I may be unable to make an actual post within the next couple of days. Just putting it out there in case I end up getting left behind in the posting. :v

[Padraig Rua]

[center][img]http://www.military-history.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Celtic-warrior.jpg[/img][/center]

[b]Name[/b]: Padráig Ó Dhéin
[b]Affiliation[/b]: Tianxia Mercenary
[b]Abilities[/b]: Padráig Ó Dhéín has great strength, stamina, speed and reflexes. He is quite intelligent and charismatic. Padráíg is also an exceptional warrior with a sword and in unarmed combat.
[b]Personality/History[/b]: Padráig Ó Dhéin hails from the lands of Connacht. One of the five ancient Kingdoms of Ireland. He is a true Gael. After being educated in all fields of learning and trained in the use of shield and sword, he decided to travel the world to test his skills. Now he finds himself in the Orient and wishes to offer his services to the Tianxian Emperor and Empress, for the time being.