[Silverkiss]

Saeculis Obscuris

A Dark Ages Dresden Files Game

The world is a dark place.

The White Council of Wizards is a fledgeling organization, counting only a couple dozen of members besides the powerful Merlin, its leader. The Faerie Courts play with mortalkind unhindered, bound by nothing and no one in their mischief. The Vampire Courts terrorize the countryside and cities alike, especially the nefarious Black Court, the strongest of the three. Demons run free throughout the lands, called upon by black-hearted sorcerers who care little for the order and boundaries laid out by the White Council. The Church desperately tries to battle the oncoming darkness, but their enemies are many.

The mundane world is not without its problems. War, hunger and diseases take their toll on the superstitious population. Kingdoms rise and fall, much as leaves swept by autumn winds. Fear runs high among the small settlements and the scattered cities, while the nobles and the powerful hide behind their castle walls, leaving the peasants to suffer and die.

Amidst such chaos and death, King Alfred the Great seeks worthy heroes from his throne-city of Winchester, in the Kingdom of Wessex. His daugther, Princess Edith, has fallen prey to a terrible curse, and the King seeks those with brave enough hearts to delve into the mystery of the curse and, if possible, lift it from his sleeping daughter.

The Game

The Premise

Dresden Files, but in the Dark Ages. The regular Dresden Files game-play is to be expected, with two major exceptions: there is no hexing (since there isn't any advanced technology to be hexed) and the Unseelie Accords have not been signed yet. This leads to more chaos in the world, and it is a time of magic and darkness, where peasants and nobles alike know of the dangers that lurk in the dark, and the lands are in need of those worthy enough to combat the waves of evil and to protect mankind.

The Storyteller

It is I, Silverkiss. I have been playing around the Weave for a couple of years, and have some experience with the medium and RPGs in general. I have also played and ran a couple of Dresden games in the past, though I'm by no means an expert. My goal with this game is to create a fun and entertaining story, and I am committed to making it work, as long as at least one player is interested in it. Of course, real life can get in the way sometimes, and I wont lie, I have a few days of slowdown on posting rate every week or so, but I try to maintain a constant pace and, no matter how long I delay, I will deliver. And I make a point to always have an open line of communication with my players, so be sure that you will be forewarned of any longer delays that happen.

Player Expectations

Players are expected to be mature, to be able to play in a group, and to generally avoid being disruptive to the natural flow of the game. You are not required to know the Dresden Files rules by heart, but at least a passing knowledge would be helpful. If you are a newbie and want to apply, however, go ahead and I will help you as much as I can. Likewise, knowledge of the Dresdenverse is neither required nor wanted, since the game does not take place anywhere near Dresdenverse canon. Please remember to notify any absences and, if that is not possible, to explain your absence when you return. Real life happens, and no one will be prejudiced if they are kept away from the Weave for a time, with reasonable explanations or warnings beforehand.

The Setting

Overview

The game is set in Dresdenverse Europe during the Dark Ages. However, this game is not meant to be accurate historically or mythologically (whatever that means), meaning that I will purposely mix and match events and details from different periods of the Dark Ages to make an interesting and fun game. Expect historical figures to appear in a time where they should be already dead or not born yet, expect events to happen out of order or in times where they didn't, and all other sorts of historical "mistakes". My goal is not to make an historical game, after all, but a fun and interesting experience. I will strive to maintain internal consistency and coherency, of course, but do not apply to this game if you are into truly historical games.

Necessary Information

The game will mostly revolve around the Kingdom of Wessex, located in south-west Britain, in the British Isles, and more specifically around the capital city of Winchester. The characters will be able to explore other regions of the British Isles and of Europe, however, either through major missions/cases that take them throughout the world or by their own personal desire for exploration. The city of Winchester holds around six thousand people, and Wessex as a whole holds some four hundred thousand more, spread in small castle-cities, villages and settlements. While the Kingdom is unified, the nobles of the country-side have nigh-unlimited power to do as they wish within their lands, having to answer to the King only in times of war, and internal bickering and disputes are common in times of peace.

Mood and Theme

The world is a dark place. Mundane and supernatural threats cull the population and leave the remaining living cowering in fear. The noble courts of men are filled with petty intrigues and bickering, unable to see the dangers for what they are and unite against mankind's common enemies. Darkness spreads from everywhere, oozing like pus from a wound. However, all is not lost, and there are still small reasons to laugh, to be happy... but for how long?

Application Process

Group Template

The characters must be willing to work together with other people (no lone wolves), and must not be "Chaotic Evil". You can make a selfish, egocentric character who is only willing to help others because he will gain something in the process, but I don't want serial killers who dine on children, nor psychologically dysfunctional characters. Feel free to arrange with other players for in-character connections before the game begins, and apply with joint character concepts (in which case, you are free to fill one of your Guest Starring aspects and phases already, or be as creative as you want with tying the characters together through previous phases/aspects). I am expecting to accept between 2 and 4 people, but it will highly depend on the quality of submissions.

Applying to the Game

To apply to this game, go to the forum, and make a thread in the Applications folder with your character name. Pay attention to the character creation guidelines, located in the same forum. Here, have a link.

Further Considerations

Deadline

It will be set to February 6th, a Monday. Sadly, I will be travelling from the 30th to the 6th, so during that last week I will probably be not available much to answer any questions (though I think I will have an internet connection during my trip, so I may appear once in a while). Use this extended application time to really polish your applications, though.

Addenda

If I forget anything.

Disclaimer: The picture used above was not made by me. Link to original.