Melkar

I did play the demo of Skald and I have to admit, its really intriguing. It definitely captures that old-school Ultima feel from the aesthetics and gameplay. Thanks for the recommendation, I'm definitely intrigued to play the full game.

All FAQ's as relates to character creations to go here please.

Map of Thistle Hold

I've got to admit, I'm struggling with a lot of modern games (BG3 excepted) in that they just don't scratch the sort of itch I'm looking for anymore. I've gone back to old classics like the original Baldurs Gate and Neverwinter Nights and, even before those times, Ultima Underworld. I miss those old first person party-based dungeon crawlers in the Might and Magic style that used to be quite common back in the early PC DOS days, but there's very few of them being released now and little chance of the genre ever making a comeback.

Map of Ambria and Davokar

The following is a small overview of the available classes for selection in the game:- Captain The battlefield leaders that were so important in the defeat of the Dark Lords. They are expected to lead both on the battlefield and off it, so possess both personal martial prowess combined with a capability to command. Hunter Covered in the dirt of the wilds, eyes shining with the light of the future, the hunters are vital in the project of cultivating and taming the great forest. They are often signified by their skillful use of ranged weapons and techniques. Exactly how they fight is primarily based on the target they are hunting: criminals, monsters or dark minded sorcerors. Mystics Individuals who can manipulate the flows of both material and non-material energies, some mystics consider themselves to be scholars of reality and existence, others would claim they are part of a pact that offers them an intimate relationship with the source of their power. All of them straddle the fine line between sanity and corruption, always pushing themselves to the very edge of the darkness that yearns for their souls. Scoundrel The word scoundrel is used broadly and refers to all who steal something from others, their trust, secrets, money or life. Charlatan's, explorers, spies, treasure-hunters, even former cultists, their are many who walk the road of the scoundrel and bring their own expertise to such a calling. Warrior Some warriors are professionals - soldiers with a pragmatic point of view. Others stem from noble families and bloodlines, and consider the glory of battle to be a part of their heritage. To some the art of war is nothing more than a method needed to survive, while others use their prowess in battle to serve a higher purpose, perhaps that of Prios the Sun God.

The following origin races are available for selection:- Abducted Humans Stolen away from their natural parents at birth by elves and replaced by changelings, abducted humans are generally raised to be ambassadors between the elven race and the humans, unless their abductions are due to more nefarious purposes. Many, if not all, abducted humans in human society are there because they have run away from their elven homes. Changelings When elves steal human children away from their parents, they are invariably replaced by changelings in their stead. A changeling looks human during their childhood but starts to develop more elf-like features in their adolescent years, though without ever becoming an elf in the true sense of the word. Dwarves Short and wiry folk who have no interest in the history of their kind. They are a people on the move, fleeing a dark past that has given them a sense of community, but without peace or meaning. Elves An offshoot of a greater people, part of a holy guardian order. An elf's long life is interrupted by periods of dormancy wherein the elf grows into the next stage of their life-cycle. Most elves encountered are in their summer cycle, the second phase of their life. The majority of elves are born into the Iron Pact - tasked with preventing the evil that slumbers beneath Davokar's roots and moss from awakening and spreading across the world. Goblins One of the more mysterious races, little is known about the origin of the goblins, but their presence in the southern outskirts of Davokar is obvious. Tribes leaving the darkness of Davokar behind have settled quite close to Thistle Hold, trying to integrate themselves with the human community. Humans The people of Ambria and Davokar ultimately hail from the same tribe. Whereas the Ambrians have fled the destruction of their homeland, Alberetor, in the war against the Dark Lords the Davokarian barbarians guard the perimeter of the forest as part of their respective individual tribes. Ogres Ogres are solitary and odd creatures that come wandering out of the depths of Davokar. Fully grown, yet devoid of memories and with no sense of identity, it is often down to the humans or goblins who eventually take them in to teach them the ways of the world. Trolls The word troll is synonymous with bloody death, yet rumours hold that in the courts of troll kingdoms, songs and ballads are sung by the mighty Troll-Singers, and although it is maintained that trolls are dangerous, there is a civility to them that belies their fearsome reputations. Undead Undead, as in thoroughly corrupted creatures thirsting for the life-blood of the living are nothing new, however reports persist of a new type of undead who have appeared in Ambria. People who die, rise again, and although they show clear indication of being dead -- they are cold, they do not bleed or eat or sleep -- their minds remain intact even as they very slowly decay towards their final death.

Fallout. Just watched the episode and was tentatively impressed by it, it seemed to at least be respectful of the lore behind the series even if some of the protagonist characters seemed particularly unlikeable. We'll see how it goes as I get further into it and whether or not the characters grow on me, I hope so!

The Church of Prios Prios the Sun God is the only recognised deity worshipped by the Ambrians. While there may be other pagan gods worshipped by collectives and individuals, there is no centralised worship the way that Prios is. The church of Prios governs a domain of its own in Ambria centered around the city of Templewall. The First Father of Prios resides in the city selected by the Curia, the ruling body of the Church, which is composed of the leaders of its three subdivisions, the Priesthood, the Templars and the Twilight Friars. The Priesthood are responsible for interpreting Prios's commandments and manage all his temples from the cathedrals in Yndaros and Templewall to the shrine of Karvosti. The current representative in the Curia is Anabela Argona. The Knights of the Dying Sun, also known as the Sun Knights or Templars, are the armed wing of the Church. They are highly skilled and well-equipped Templars who generally hail from noble families. The current Knight Commander of the Templars is one Iakobo Vearra. The Twilight Friars (also known as Black Cloaks) is a monastic order with its main seat south of Yndaros. The spokesperson of the Friars is Brother Eumenos. The Twilight Friars are dedicated to rooting out enemies hidden within Prios's own order.

Timeline: The last 1021 years of history for Symbaroum. Year −1000 (approx.): The civilization of Symbaroum crumbles into oblivion. Year −500 (approx.): The clans of Davokar unite under a high chieftain to battle the Spider King. The city-state of Lindaros is founded. Year −200 (approx.): The population of Lindaros is wiped out by an infectious bleeder’s disease. Year −21: The Dark Lords conquer the border city of Berendoria. Year −19: Alberetor strikes back against the Dark Lords and the Great War starts. Year −10: King Ynedar is killed; Korinthia is crowned the Queen of Alberetor. Year −5: The sun god Prios is declared to be the One and the provider of Alberetor’s laws −2 – Korinthia is taken captive by the Dark Lords Year 0 (winter): The Queen is rescued, the stronghold of the Dark Lords is stormed and the war is over Year 0 (autumn): The barbarian settlement of Kadizar surrenders and becomes Korinthias foothold in the new land Year 5: The duchies of the new realm are established, from the Ravens in the east to the river Eblis in the west Year 7: The Queen arrives, Ambria as well as the capital city get their names Year 8: The Cathedral of Martyrs in Yndaros is inaugurated Year 10: The clan Jezora is slaughtered and its chieftain Haloban executed on the Triumph Plaza Year 11: The eighth duchy is established and its main town of Sevona founded Year 13: Thistle Hold is built Year 15: First Father Jeseebegai ascends to the High Seat of the Sun Church Year 16: The battle of Karvosti results in an agreement according to which the Sun Church is allowed to restore the temple ruin on the plateau Year 19: The Queen dictates that all craftsmen must get organized in guilds Year 21: Present Day

Thistle Hold Thistle Hold is essentially a large palisade, some thirty feet high and made of heavy birch encircling what has become the settlement of Thistlehold, founded by its mayor, Lassifor Nightpitch some eight years ago. In the south of Thistle Hold you will find the homes and abodes of the more prominent citizens, such as the wooden palace of Mayor Nightpitch himself, the tower of the Ordo Magica and the Queen's Legation and a number of fancy houses owned by the settlement's more famous explorers. The center of the town comprises the hub of all commerce in Ambria's northern region. Lined up around the Bronze Well at the Antique Plaza are market stands for buying and selling goods. To the east, west and north of the Antique Plaza are family homes, guest homes and taverns. In the district surrounding the Toad's Square can be found the taverns and other pleasure / leisure activities in Thistle Hold. Taverns: 1. Afadir's Triumph Tavern 2. Brew 3. The Dump 4. Odovakar 5. Blackbrew 6. The Salons of Symbaroum Inns: 7. The Court and the Harp 8. The Winged Ladle 9. The Witch and Familiar 10. Arkerio's Guest House 11. The Rose Garden 12. The Ruin 13. The Barracks 14. The Seamstress's Rest Entertainment: 15. Spectacle 16. Benego's 17. Legends 18. The Hangman's Pole 19. The Abomitorium Trade: 20. Marvalom's 21. The Rope and Axe 22. Big-Basher's Smithy 23. The Thaler's Drugstore 24. The Treasury 25. Faraldo's Novelty Store Other: 26. The Town Seat 27. Nighthome 28. The Sun Temple 29. The Queen's Legation 30. Ordo Magica 31. The Mission House 32. Mother Mehira's 33. The Town Watch 34. The Beacon Squares and Parks: 35. The Antique Plaza 36. The Queen's Square 37. The Toad's Square 38. The Eastern Square 39. Park of the Elders

Not much is known about the great forest of Davokar which lies on the Ambrian border. Although concerted efforts have been made to map the forest, such maps tend to be unreliable due to the nature of the forest itself which seems to shift and change periodically. Sustained efforts to map the forest are dangerous at best due to the corruption and creatures that lie within the forest. What is known for sure is that something dark and extremely dangerous lies at the heart of the forest and the source of the corruption that emanates outwards in waves, although the true nature of this entity, whatever it is, is unknown. Davokar can be divided into two broad sections, the more well-known and travelled Bright Davokar and the extremely deadly and hazardous Dark Davokar which pervades the further you get into the heart of the forest. Bright Davokar: The outskirts of Davokar is hauntingly beautiful and remarkably lush, however this is tempered by the fact that no matter how beautiful the surroundings are they are full of hidden dangers - fruits and berries can be lethal to ingest and there are many deep swamps and marshes that have claimed the lives of many a traveller. Bright Davokar is the domain of barbarians and prey animals. In addition to this, the elves jealousy guard the interior of the forest from human incursion. Many ruins are dotted in the midst of the Bright Davokar, hiding treasures and artifacts, although note as well that quite often these ruins also hide dangerous creatures and blight-born creatures ready to devour and destroy the unwary. Dark Davokar: It is said that the vegetation and trees are so thick and tall in Dark Davokar that sunlight does not reach the forest floor. These regions should not be travelled without great care and well-prepared companions. The depths are riddled with grave dangers and there are no barbarians or ranger patrols that would come to the aid of a traveller in danger here. One never ventures into the heart of Dark Davokar without being prepared to risk their lives in pursuit of the treasures that are said to lie within. Little is known about this enigmatic region save that here the dense and wild vegetation closes out all light, and that threats lurk where one would least expect, bottomless streams, tiny yet poisonous insects, carnivorous and bloodthirsty vines, not to mention the deadly inhabitants of this region, abominations, feral rage trolls, giant spiders and worse still. Not to mention the corruption that is said to lie at the very heart of the forest and is expanding from the forest's core....

All general OOC will go in here.

Application Overview: 1. Create a thread in this forum 2. Provide me with the following details:- a. Character Name, Origin and Class. The Origin and Class must be taken from the Ruins of Symbaroum Players Guide b. Provide a background. Either create your own or use the backgrounds presented in the Ruins of Symbaroum Players Guide for your chosen Origin. c. Provide Bond, Ideal, Flaw and 2 x Personality Traits. Either create your own or use the options presented in the Ruins of Symbaroum Players Guide. d. Description. Please provide a picture and 1-2 paragraphs accompanying the description e. High Level Character Concept. Give me a couple of paragraphs detailing just a rough overview of your character concept. Who are they? What are their ambitions / fears etc. Why would they accept a contract to go into the dangerous Davokar forest? Perhaps they desire to become an explorer or perhaps there is another reason as to why they would want to put themselves in harm's way like this. 3. Character Sheets:- The site's sheet is fine. If you want to use your own sheet template and formatting that is also fine. I don't necessarily need a character sheet prior to acceptance but if you want to do one it is up to you. 4. Create a second post in your application. I'd like to know a bit about you as a player. I'd like for you to answer the following questions:- a. What attracted you to this game? Is there anything you would like to get out of this game or anything you are looking for specifically? b. What would an ideal PbP game look like to you? c. What sorts of things turn you off from a PbP game? Is there anything in terms of content or story that is a hard no from you? If you like you can secret this answer to me. d. What is your ideal posting rate? 5. Finally, create a third post in your application. This will have your posting template and stat block attached inside of it. Character Creation specifics 1) Acceptable Sources: Ruins of Symbaroum Players Guide only. Yes, I am aware that this will likely deter a good number of applications, but the class and origin changes for the Symbaroum setting are far too vast and wide for me to even contemplate transcribing or even summarising here. You can find more details on the Ruins of Symbaroum 2) Starting Level: Level 1 3) Ability Point Generation: Point Buy 4) Hit Point Generation: Max 1st Level 5) Starting Equipment: As per Ruins of Symbaroum Players Guide Please note that for this game all equipment, currency, feats etc. will be drawn solely from the Ruins of Symbaroum Player's Guide.

Resting Short Rest: One hour of light effort, nothing more strenuous than talking, sitting, tending to wounds etc. You get the following options and benefits:- Spend one or more Hit Dice to regain hit points by rolling dice for your HD. Reduce temporary Corruption by your proficiency bonus. Spend one or more Hit Dice to reduce temporary Corruption again by your proficiency bonus. Long Rest: Eight hours of rest, six of which must be spent sleeping. You get the following benefits and options:- Recover HP equal to the maximum value of your HD + Con modifier. Reduce temporary Corruption by twice your proficiency bonus. Spend one or more Hit Dice to regain hit points by rolling dice for your HD. Spend one or more Hit Dice to reduce temporary Corruption again by your proficiency bonus. Extended Rest: An extended rest is at least 24 hours of rest in a safe place. The following benefits are gained:- Regain all HP Recover all your Hit Dice Temporary Corruption reduces to 0 Hit Dice can only be regained on an Extended Rest. Corruption Certain events or actions (such as casting spells) will increase your corruption levels. Corruption starts at 0 and increases from that point depending on the actions that you take. In certain cases, dependent on class and origin selected, you may even begin with permanent corruption. Each character begins with a corruption threshold, calculated as such:- Non-Mystic Characters:- Corruption Threshold = Proficiency Bonus x 2 + Charisma Modifier Mystic Characters:- Corruption Threshold = Proficiency Bonus x 2 + Spellcasting Modifier There are a variety of ways that both temporary and permanent corruption can be accrued dependent on the events of the game, such as casting a spell, using a magical item, in-game events etc. If your corruption score (temporary + permanent) ever crosses your corruption threshold, then you will gain a Mark of Corruption, which we can discuss in-game when, or if, this happens. If your permanent corruption score ever crosses your threshold, then the character will be thoroughly corrupted and become a blight-beast under the control of the GM.