Post by Queen Coretta de la Courcel on Apr 26, 2011 10:26:48 GMT -5
The War; first the mass PM that went out. Ideas are welcome, thoughts and discussions - just please remember to respect everyone and their ideas, whether or not you agree with them. Disagreeing is fine; it's how you conduct your disagreement that matters.
----------------------------------------------------
The War.
Ok, Niky and I had an outline sketched of the war from the beginning. Now, before you start raising pitchforks at me, let me just say that we were trying something to help the board.. kind of the way you read a book. It had a set ending, but as the reader you don't know what's going to happen until it happens.
I'll be honest -- I've never led a board before, and as lot of things with me is trial and error. I tried this, but I'm not afraid to see things and think that it might be better in a different way. In this case I think the entire plotline should be listed out, and that way people can fit their characters in, can see where things will progress, can have goals to work towards. I see that now where I didn't before, and everyone has my deepest apologies.
The Plot[/u][/color]
PLEASE REMEMBER, this is all subject to change. The storyline is flexible, adaptable; we've already changed things several times to what it is now, and likely it will change again before it's done, but this is what it is now. If anyone has anything they'd like to add in, any suggestions, please do PM them to me!! I want this war to be for everyone, not just a couple people.
Now, like I said, the storyline is fluid. Things might change, can be added or taken away, characters dropped or added, etc.. We haven't talked about TDA sending for aid from Alba/Eire; maybe they do that, and something happens that pushes them to war before a response and/or aide can arrive. Maybe Alba/Eire arrives before they go to war, and they fight alongside TDA. Who knows -- but that is something I want you guys to think about, and give me any and every opinion you can think of! Please please, I beg you to get involved and help me with it.
The characters that I spoke of, Oceane, Joe X, the merchant, peddler, etc, will be up for play. They wont' be just NCPs, but sort of bucket-chars that you guys can take on and play. Heros in the war can be made. Enemies can be made. Villagers taking a sword from their attics to defend their country can be made to play. Nobles can fight in the war. Women can don pants and fight alongside their countrymen. High standing noblewomen wouldn't, recalling propriety, but there are women in the military.
I know this looks like a lot, and it is, but there are so many possibilities!! I'm so excited to be able to do this with you guys. I can't wait to see what you guys come up with, and I really, really hope you're as excited as I am. It's a lot, but we can multitask everything and get it done so it doesn't take years. We will get it done, and with you guys's help and opinions, it will be *great*.
I'm so proud to be on this board with you guys -- you all mean more to me than you know.
----------------------------------------------------
The War.
Ok, Niky and I had an outline sketched of the war from the beginning. Now, before you start raising pitchforks at me, let me just say that we were trying something to help the board.. kind of the way you read a book. It had a set ending, but as the reader you don't know what's going to happen until it happens.
I'll be honest -- I've never led a board before, and as lot of things with me is trial and error. I tried this, but I'm not afraid to see things and think that it might be better in a different way. In this case I think the entire plotline should be listed out, and that way people can fit their characters in, can see where things will progress, can have goals to work towards. I see that now where I didn't before, and everyone has my deepest apologies.
The Plot[/u][/color]
PLEASE REMEMBER, this is all subject to change. The storyline is flexible, adaptable; we've already changed things several times to what it is now, and likely it will change again before it's done, but this is what it is now. If anyone has anything they'd like to add in, any suggestions, please do PM them to me!! I want this war to be for everyone, not just a couple people.
- The poisonings occur. Sabrinas death, Christiens coma. I'm sure you've all guessed by now, but Christiens coma was an effort to allow Coretta to become Queen as I took over the board. That was a huge sacrifice on Nicoles part, and she has my deepest gratitude.
- Suspicion arises from the poisonings, people become more wary.
- Coretta and Marcel become wedded and coronated. Normally they would be different events, but in a country with rising turmoil, they were combined to help stabilize things.
- Hostile raidings increase in Camlach and other provinces at the TDA/Skaldic borders. A ring leader is arising; not someone who is binding them like in the books, but a strong leader with many followers; Eirik, Nicoles character.
- Andy's kidnapping.
• Again, another attempt at being spontaneous with the board; if there were any ruffled feathers you have my apologies there too. One thing to remember though is things do happen that we don't expect, and sometimes interesting things can arise from the unexpected in RP.
• Uncertainty and fear grow in TDA. Nobles being kidnapped out of their home with the obvious help of at least a couple d'Angelines.
• It points fingers at the Skaldi. Andy sees them, hears them, is taken in the direction of their country; why would anyone not suspect them? - The poisonings and/or murders continue. Delaunay will die by poison. This of it's own will be an important process because of the characters it will involve. On that note:
• Sabrinas death. We have to find out who murdered her, who attempted to murder Christien and would-be Coretta and Marcel as well, but who was it? The answer lays in a chain of people that eventually stem back to one person:
Cassius.
He is the mastermind behind the havoc. He is the one construing to kill off the royalty, to shake TDA to its core so that he can thunder in with forces of arms to the already cracked shell of Terre d'Ange, break it apart and claim it for himself. He'll have urged a war between Terre d'Ange and Skaldia, costing lives and blood, weakening them further and keeping their attention off the Eisande border where he'll be arriving through. He's infatuated with d'Angelines, desires them, wants not just to be their leader but own them. If you haven't read on Cassius, know that he's not just domineering, but a tyrant, crafty and cunning, ruthless and without care for anyone but himself. He has two d'Angelines already, Leighton and Catherine, where his infatuation stems from. A while ago Nicole posted asking if anyone wanted to join her characters party out to Actaeon; that party will eventually be captured by Cassius as well, but they will break free and escape, taking Leighton and Catherine along with them. Leighton is pregnant with Cassius' heir, though she's.. Well, bloodthirsty and a bit crazy in her own right. He'll know she's pregnant though, and it'll piss him off all the more - pardon my french.
To get back to the poisonings though, there's a chain of events and people. The people aren't set in stone, only the fact that there is a chain of events. A few abandoned characters can be used for these, namely an Eglantine adept named Oceane.
Oceane will have made her marque from Eglantine, specializing in food, and rather than staying with her House she chose instead to work for the Palace. She's a fragile soul, strong enough to earn her marque, but upon leaving the security of her House she lost her self confidence in everything but her ability to create beautiful, luscious food.
She meets a man, yet unnamed; for now we'll just call him Joe X. Joe X is a guard of sorts; he knows when to smile, tries to charm, but has a heart as black as they come. He falls in line with others like him, secretive, and becomes entranced with minions of Cassius. Cassius moves stealthily; he employs not his citizens, but others of different nationalities so as not to draw attention and suspicion. In Actaeon he meets a fellow from La Serenissima; the thought for now is that fellow is a peddler, or merchant of sorts. That man gives him information about various things in TDA, as the man has traveled the lands selling wares. Securing the mans loyalties, Cassius employs him to find others to do his bidding, and from there a chain of others are brought into play. Maybe the peddler employs a merchant; the merchant would stand above him in rank and wealth, but the peddler has Cassius' gold, and that makes the difference. The merchant gives her orders to someone else, that person gives it to another, and that person in turn gives their orders to Joe X, the guard.
As a guard, Joe X has the ability to traverse the Palace, and in days of low uncertainty no one would think it strange. He sought out someone to do his bidding - adding poison to the drinks, and he found that person in the easily biddable Oceane. He offers her security, pretends to love her, but keeps her at tentative arms length, as if he's not sure if he will leave her or not. Oceane falls deeply in love with him, willing to do anything he wishes to
secure his love and stability, something she craves. He gets her to put poison in the wine, and though she's not sure at first, she does so in the end.
Christien and Sabrina are thus poisoned.
Being such a sweet and docile creature, delicate in many ways, Oceane isn't someone who would ever appear to do something so vile as this. She begs leave of service after, claiming to be too frightened to stay in the Palace, and in many ways she is. Delaunay takes her onto his service after, and at Joe X's bidding, she begins to slowly poison him as well. Azabel doesn't live with him, and though she gets doses of poison at time when she visits, it's never enough to do anything more than make her sick before she leaves for her apartments in the Palace. The poisonings of Delaunay are done slowly though, so as not to draw attention; no outward sign that anything is wrong other than an upset stomach, headaches, but poison builds in his system.
Delaunay will die at the hands of Cassius in the end, but no one will know that it is infact Cassius behind it. - Along the way, ire rises towards Skaldia. Coretta and Marcel are infuriated, appalled, hurt and very much looking for retribution at the atrocious murders and provocations against her country. Nobles should feel the same way, and bursts of pride for the country and its defense and honor. The call to war comes up.
- Terre d'Ange and Skaldia go to war. Truth be, there should be a.. Ah hell I forget the term. Men should be called to bear arms for their service, recruited. It'd be a short storyline for all your menfolk characters, but in the end it could aid their character, could give depth to them that they wouldn't otherwise have. That depends on how you'd like to play it out, of course.
- The war rages. TDA has the element of surprise against Skaldia, which is centered on Eiriks forces. They rage against Skaldia, pushing into their territories, but Skaldics respond with ferocity. TDA gets pushed back into their country again, where the fighting peaks... and one of the d'Angelines who had betrayed their country to Cassius are caught. The truth comes out. Oceane, maybe? She leaves Dels service after he dies and to a new noble home, where someone becomes suspicious? Not sure; I'd love any thought from you guys.
- Coretta is forced to apologize. She does so in person, humiliated in the beginnings of her reign. I'm offering her up for that humiliation for the board, to try to bring a depth and intensity. What Marcel will do I'm not sure; I don't remember if Nicole and I spoke about it or not, and I don't want to speak for her; it's not my place.
- Coretta meets with Eirik and apologizes formally to him. Retributions need to be made; if anyone has any ideas I'm all ears. A marriage to a noble family, maybe? Lands? Estate? No idea.
- Cassius hits from behind. He comes in through Eisande, and mayhap Lessa is there, sees him, tries to hold him back with the small force she kept for Eisandes defense. Her own personal guard, maybe? I don't know about all this either, as again I don't want to speak for Trish. Things are always fluid with storylines anyway, who knows what'll happen.
- TDA rides to war again, this time towards the real enemy. They're bloodied though, broken, slow, no time to recover and heal. Cassius pushes forward, and TDA begins to break under the strain.
- When it seems all is lost, a force rides up behind TDA; Skaldia, under the direction Eirik. They give TDA heart, and together they push back Cassius, whose forces aren't near as large as the two together, even with their fatigue and wounds.
Now, like I said, the storyline is fluid. Things might change, can be added or taken away, characters dropped or added, etc.. We haven't talked about TDA sending for aid from Alba/Eire; maybe they do that, and something happens that pushes them to war before a response and/or aide can arrive. Maybe Alba/Eire arrives before they go to war, and they fight alongside TDA. Who knows -- but that is something I want you guys to think about, and give me any and every opinion you can think of! Please please, I beg you to get involved and help me with it.
The characters that I spoke of, Oceane, Joe X, the merchant, peddler, etc, will be up for play. They wont' be just NCPs, but sort of bucket-chars that you guys can take on and play. Heros in the war can be made. Enemies can be made. Villagers taking a sword from their attics to defend their country can be made to play. Nobles can fight in the war. Women can don pants and fight alongside their countrymen. High standing noblewomen wouldn't, recalling propriety, but there are women in the military.
I know this looks like a lot, and it is, but there are so many possibilities!! I'm so excited to be able to do this with you guys. I can't wait to see what you guys come up with, and I really, really hope you're as excited as I am. It's a lot, but we can multitask everything and get it done so it doesn't take years. We will get it done, and with you guys's help and opinions, it will be *great*.
I'm so proud to be on this board with you guys -- you all mean more to me than you know.