RuneScape Forum Archive | Scions of House Arenar (RP)

NotFishing

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Introduction

Alyssium, capital city of the Realm of Tavia, was abuzz with excitement. The main street was cleared, but adjacent roads were packed with crowds, and in the houses additional observers eagerly waited at the balconies and windows of their houses.

A Prince had returned.

The sons and daughters of the Arenar bloodline were no mere royals or nobles. Divine blood ran through their veins. They were holy warriors and champions, heroes and leaders, mages and miracle-givers. When one showed their face, they were never ignored. If they asked for something, they received it. Everywhere they went, everything they did, was for a greater purpose - even if said purpose was their own indulgence.

And now they were all gathering here, in Alyssium, the Holy Capital, to answer their father's summons. Trueborn and illegimate alike.

For it was time to name the heir.

The Prince - Roland, was his name - smiled at the cheering citizens, and waved, as he sat atop a magnificent black steed. His silvery gold armour shone in the daylight, and a retinue of a dozen similarly armoured knights rode at his back, sitting tall and proud in their saddles. He blew a kiss at the crowd. Two women and one man fainted on the spot.

Without breaking his smile, the Prince turned forward and carried on toward the Divine Palace, even as the sound of lutes and voices began to sound out over the cheers, as bards and minstrels regaled the city with songs of Prince Roland's various adventures - both real and imagined.

He was not the first Prince of House Arenar to recently arrive in the capital.

He would not be the last.

Exciting times lay ahead. Beneath the gold, the Bitter Steel.

02-Jan-2022 05:52:45 - Last edited on 02-Jan-2022 06:13:37 by NotFishing

NotFishing

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Summary

Scions of House Arenar. A roleplay in which we play as the sons and daughters of a powerful dynasty. House Arenar has ruled over the known world for nearly two millennia, through claim of divine right. The King is treated almost as a god, and his children, as demigods. They are the only ones who can wield magic, and are undisputedly the most important people in the known world. The only people who can truly challenge them are their own kin.

Some of these Scions have chosen to reside in the capital and help their father govern and administer the realm... or cozy up to him and his nobles. Others have taken to the countryside, acting as their father's agents, performing valiant deeds, or simply sating their own appetites and curiosities. Perhaps all three.

Regardless, their kingly father has called them all back to the capital, and it is a summon that would be most unwise to refuse. For the time has come to declare the next heir. Because for all of House Arenar's might, they are still mortal. When the King dies, who shall succeed him?

Will it be you? Beneath the gold, the Bitter Steel.

02-Jan-2022 05:52:52 - Last edited on 02-Jan-2022 06:19:32 by NotFishing

NotFishing

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Rules

1. Obligatory "follow the Jagex rules" reminder.

2. You don't have to be a Scion. You can instead play the trusted retainer or agent of one, although you won't have magic.

3. No romance between siblings. Don't be creepy.

4. I'm prepared to allow some degree of races and leeway when it comes to magic and whatnot. Pitch your idea to me in the Story and Roleplay Chat Thread and I'll tell you whether or not it'll fly.

5. Have fun. Beneath the gold, the Bitter Steel.

02-Jan-2022 05:52:58 - Last edited on 04-Jan-2022 05:17:00 by NotFishing

NotFishing

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Bio Format

Name: (Assuming you choose to be a Scion, then it is "Prince" or "Princess" followed by your first name. A Scion's last name will always be Arenar.)
Age: (Needs to be about 14-50.)
Gender: (You're divine royalty. You can identify as whatever you want.)
Race: (Characters in this setting always inherit the race of their mother.)
Parentage: (The King's first wife was an elf. His second one was a human. Please check the timeline to figure out ages and whatnot. Or you can be an illegitimate child born out of wedlock.)

Occupation: (How do they spend their time? Do they hold a political office? Do they wander? Do they lounge about? Please elaborate.)

Greatest Desire: (The thing your character wants most. Please give a sentence or two elaborating on why they want it. Can be tangible or abstract.)
Greatest Fear: (The thing your character is afraid of. Please give a sentence or two explaining why. Can be a tangible or abstract.)

Appearance: (What do you look like? Arenar genes are weird so you don't actually have to resemble your parents at all. But you should still be identifiable as a member of your race.)
Attire: (What do you wear?)

Equipment: (Your go-to weapons in combat, as well as other gear you always carry with you when expecting danger.)
Magic: (What supernatural abilities does your character possess?)

Retinue: (Optional. Any assorted bodyguards, sycophants, and hangers-on that your character may wish to bring with them on a quest.)

History: (Your character would have spent their entire childhood receiving one of the best upbringings money can by. However as they entered their teens they would have received a bit more freedom, and as they reach adulthood they can finally carve out their own path.)
Other: (Anything I missed that you feel the need to include.) Beneath the gold, the Bitter Steel.

02-Jan-2022 05:53:03 - Last edited on 04-Jan-2022 05:49:07 by NotFishing

NotFishing

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Magic

All Scions of House Arenar have the ability to wield magic, and are the only ones in the world who can do so. They all have roughly equal potency.

Growing up, a child of House Arenar first manifests their powers at the age of ten. They will usually demonstrate an aptitude for two or three particular types of magic, but in order to truly progress their understanding of those fields they must dedicate themselves to one. As they specialize themselves, their special aptitude for the other two types of magic will vanish. Children who attempt to specialize themselves in more than one field will find themselves making no meaningful progress at all.

However, just because you have specialized does not mean you cannot use more generic utility spells, such as levitating small objects, unlocking doors without a key, creating a small flame to light a fire, cooling a drink, and maybe the ability to speak a few words through close-range telepathy. These are but a few examples.

It takes somewhere between ten to twenty years of dedicated study to fully master your chosen field. Once mastery is achieved, you are capable of truly amazing feats. Earth and fire mages are walking siege engines. Healers can cure blindness and regrow limbs. Air and water mages can sail ships against the wind.

Practitioners of more unorthodox or unscrupulous fields of magic can be similarly effective as well, although they may have some difficulty finding accurate or reliable notes on the subject - if they find any at all. Thus their mastery might take a few years longer.

When a Scion becomes King or Queen, their power increases tenfold. Beneath the gold, the Bitter Steel.

02-Jan-2022 05:53:08 - Last edited on 04-Jan-2022 03:04:15 by NotFishing

NotFishing

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Race List

Note: All lifespans are operating under the assumption that they never develop any significant illness or are put under ultra-stressful work. This RP takes places in the middle ages, so... yeah. The reality will be far less than that.

Humans
You know what these are.

Elves
Similar in appearance to humans, although slightly taller and a bit slimmer. An elf reaches physical maturity at 30, and dies at 150.

Dwarves
Also similar to humans, but they are shorter, stockier, and stronger. They average between four and five feet in height. A male dwarf without a beard is considered a disgrace among his kind. Females do not have beards, but are expected to grow their hair long. A dwarf reaches physical maturity at 24, and dies around the age of 100.

Orcs
Orcs average between six to seven feet in height, and are naturally muscular. Their skin tends to be varying shades of grey. A pair of short tusks protrude from their mouths, and their noses always have a tendency of looking like they were broken one too many times - even if that's not true. An orc reaches physical maturity at 16 and dies at 50.

Goblins
Short little fellers. Goblins can be as short as three-and-a-half feet, and as tall as four. Their skin is varying shades of green. They have pointed ears, as well as angular cheeks and chins. A goblin reaches physical maturity at 14 and dies at 40.

Other races exist - you are free to make your own. But nothing too crazy. Beneath the gold, the Bitter Steel.

02-Jan-2022 05:53:13 - Last edited on 02-Jan-2022 23:23:23 by NotFishing

NotFishing

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Timeline

1840 AE - The twenty year-old King Yareth marries first wife, an elven noblewoman by the name of Adrianna Diranni.
1853 AE - Queen Adrianna gives birth to Princess Derene Arenar.
1856 AE - Queen Adrianna gives birth to Princess Chloelle Arenar.
1861 AE - Queen Adrianna suffers a slow death from illness.
1862 AE - The King marries his second wife, a human noblewoman by the name of Emilia Vendal.
1863 AE - Queen Emilia gives birth to Prince Flynn Arenar.
1864 AE - Queen Emilia gives birth to Princess Evalayne Arenar.
1865 AE - Queen Emilia gives birth to Prince Roland Arenar.
1866 AE - Twins Adrienne and Ariadne are discovered and brought to the palace and formally acknowledged as King Yareth's children.
1868 AE - Prince Gallus Arenar is born out of wedlock. This creates a minor scandal, as his mother is already married to a noble at court.
1869 AE - Queen Emilia gives birth to Princess Kathlyn Arenar. Dalhover von Wurttemberg is hired as a retainer by House Arenar.
1873 AE - Queen Emilia tragically falls down a flight of stairs and dies.
1893 AE - Word of a human marcher lord by the name of Reyner, who claims to be an illegitimate son of the King reaches the capital. After a short investigation, these rumours are quietly confirmed.
1894 AE - Current year. King Yareth makes plans to announce his next heir. All of his children who are currently abroad are recalled to the capital for the ceremony. Beneath the gold, the Bitter Steel.

02-Jan-2022 05:53:19 - Last edited on 11-Jan-2022 13:41:57 by NotFishing

NotFishing

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The Realm of Tavia

Tavia is both nation and continent, consisting of the entire known world. It is a single landmass with a few small islands just off the coast.

Its ruling dynasty is House Arenar. The King (or Queen) rules from the capital city of Alyssium, in the province of Sorus - the nation's cosmopolitan heartland. Although the largest demographic is humans, every race has a significant presence here.

To the north is the province of Orlossik, homeland of the Orcs, and ruled by Jarl Bolag.

To the northeast is the province of Darmoor, homeland of the Dwarves, and ruled by Earl Kalrik Barclay.

To the east is the province of Havelan, another human nation, ruled by Duchess Helena Harstein.

To the southeast is the Goblin Confederacy, ruled by the High Chief Groshub.

To the south is the province of Talongard, homeland of the elves, ruled by Marquis Marian Diranni.

The west makes up roughly a third of the continent. It is a wild, harsh, and unruly land that was twisted and warped by the God Wars. Unforgiving deserts, hazardous volcanoes, deep canyons, and dense jungle. It is spotted with ruins atop ruins, the remnants of civilizations that were destroyed and forgotten, and infested with dangerous monsters that occasionally venture east to plague the more civilized land.

It has never been successfully tamed or colonized. But many have gone adventuring there, and some have come back bearing treasures, trophies, and artifacts. Beneath the gold, the Bitter Steel.

02-Jan-2022 05:53:24 - Last edited on 25-Jan-2022 01:15:34 by NotFishing

NotFishing

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The Three Tenets of Aedus

1. Do not worship or serve any god.

2. Do not wage war against your fellow mortals.

3. Alyssa Arenar and all her descendants shall serve as your rightful leaders.

These are the tenets established by Aedus Lifebringer before he departed Tavia to construct the Divine Barrier. It is said that before he left, he declared that should they be broken, he would let the barrier fall and leave Tavia's inhabitants to the mercies of the entities which lurked outside.

In Tavia's history, however, it has become extremely apparent that these tenets are quite flexible. Cults worshiping false gods have appeared, and while they have never gained enough traction to be anything other than underground movements, some of them have existed for hundreds of years.

And although no formal war has ever been declared, the realm has come to the brink of civil war on more than one occasion, and there have been cases of soldiers being deployed against soldiers. But conflict has never occurred on a nationwide scale.

And of course, there is the question of House Arenar's authority. The Monarch is the highest authority in the land, and the Scions answer to nobody but the Monarch himself. It is often said that to deny the Monarch or any of his Scions is to risk breaking the third tenet. Some, however, claim that this only extends to the Monarch. Other questions remain as well - is refusing to pay taxes a violation of the third tenet? Such queries and confusion have often led to conflict and tension.

However, even though all three of these tenets have been violated to some extend during House Arenar's rule, most of these incidents have been covered up or whitewashed by history. For the ones that couldn't be covered up completely, it has instead been argued that the violation has not yet occurred on a scale significant enough to draw Aedus's notice.

Still, to violate any of these tenets to any extent is considered illegal at best and heretical at worst. Beneath the gold, the Bitter Steel.

02-Jan-2022 05:53:28 - Last edited on 04-Jan-2022 03:43:26 by NotFishing

NotFishing

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Religion

Tavia has no official religion. In fact, openly worshiping any god is actually illegal. It is perfectly fine to acknowledge that gods existed, but to openly name any god other than Aedus or to embrace their teachings is considered heresy. And even though Aedus's existence is acknowledged and his three tenets are followed, there are no altars or religious spaces dedicated to him.

Afterlife

Tavians believe that upon their death they are reincarnated, taking on a lesser or a greater form depending on the strength of their convictions and morals. It is believed that nobles are born with the souls of people who were once paragons and heroes in their past life. The Scions, of course, are believed to be born from the purest and most noble souls of all.

Lesser creatures such as rats are made from the dregs of society, while the most horrible monsters are made from the souls of the truly vile - those who have committed atrocity after atrocity. The Tavians believe it is possible for an 'evil' soul to redeem itself within a lifetime, and it is also possible for a 'noble' soul to become corrupted and fall from grace. Beneath the gold, the Bitter Steel.

02-Jan-2022 05:53:34 - Last edited on 30-Jan-2022 22:53:47 by NotFishing

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Scions of House Arenar (RP)