m3owdy

Cleo Cleopatra "Ludwig, is that a bloody-" Cleo just manages to kneel down on their strong side behind a weathered gravestone, barely shielding her from the burst of magical flames. A couple of flying bones come to a clacking halt against the stone surface. "Okay, that works too." With practiced hands, Cleo loads black shells into their rifle, takes in a deep breath and trains it at one of the Skelemans peeking out of cover. What they don't notice is the searing, bright red glare from their eyes, landing their baneful gaze onto to their boney forehead, like a red laser marking a target for death. OOC: A Withering Glare would be enough to take the remaining skeleman out the fight, no?

Cleo Cleopatra "You know, Ludwig, I always thought it was a bit of a meme to have firearms in my fluffy JRPG setting? But?" Cleo closes their eyes, takes in a deep breath. A great, gradual intake of air fills her lungs, and a deep, deep sigh heaves back out with a rough grunt, a kind of calm anger starting to take over their general resign-edness towards the whole situation. As they exhale, a jet of sooty air from their lips turns into a small, dark cloud that covers their hands. For a moment, they imagine. They think about the one thing they get to bring into this world from the last one. ".. You said it, boss. We get ambushed?" Something large disturbs the sooty fog, dispelling the miasma gathering around their hands. A rifle from an ancient, realmwide war, with a tongue-in-cheek-ly faithful form, made entirely from a black, ominous metal. "I cast gun." OOC: I'm fine with following the order suggested by Ludwig & Tana. I'll have any position in the back.

Cleo Cleopatra Absolutely wonderful. Let's put that back now, shall we? Cleo sighed, closing her eyes as she gently put Mysterious Stranger Dave's hood back onto its owner. Wouldn't drive a car with the bonnet open and wouldn't leave a man walking around with his insides exposed to the elements. "... Okay, unfortunately, still don't know who you are. Oh well, we can be fellow undocumented peoples." Cleo stopped to think for a bit, looking through the local area chatlogs between her party and the NPCs in the tavern. "Damn." "Dave. Does the mention of a 'Necromancer' ring a bell? Have you seen this symbol before?" They look through their own quest progession notes, and try to draw a copy of it on their wrist with a piece of chalk.

Whispers arise amidst some of the other tables seated, as the leader of another vassal delegation ambles around the grand hall, followed by an entourage of few servants - a grizzled, stone-faced man holds a white, tiered parasol perfectly straight, sheltering their charge with a strong sense of duty, whilst another younger page darts their gaze around with purpose, recognizing those present and whispering names amongst other information to their Lady. They are followed by another two girls - one timidly holding a highly-decorated, lacquered tray containing their Lady's fancies and other ceremonial Svesrin offerings of peace, the other scribbling notes onto paper in shorthand for a non-Imperial script. Queen Kyaravarti speaks in a husky voice, musing and rhyming with ornate syllables that dance around the Common tongue. "Why must we quarrel amongst ourselves, flowers that bloom in the same forest?" she laments, in a formal register. "Hounds - gifted livers, bark for gizzards, fight over scraps and end up gnawing on bones," she scoffs, in the vernacular. They meet the gazes of scowling guests with a mysterious smile, born form neither kindness nor courtesy. Only knowing. She eventually stops by a table at the behest of one of the servants ushering her, stopping to curtsey as her retinue follows in suit. Prince Ieraliun. And the regents of Iemanec-Athiri, H'veckia & Allard; and those of Whitepeak, Farhaven, Katraen; and that of Respita. Queen Kyaravarti had heard of these names before, from letters and contracts made between her suzerainty and her counterparts' ministers. "Svasti," Queen Kyaravarti addresses the table, curtly, yet with due courtesy. One of her servants steps forward, hand on their chest, addressing the crowd. "Esteem of the Black Court and the Spires of Saptamani, she who is robed in the thread of the Golden Banner and the people of Svesri." "Great Lords, Ladies; my Queen, Lady Kyaravarti, wishes to feast with you."

Rework ready for review, is something like this more to your agreement?

Cleo Cleopatra Phew. Okay, another day, another horror you best not think too hard into. Shut your Human brain off, Jack, start thinking more like your character. Whoever they're meant to be. "Okay mister, relax. Not trying to freak you out, but there seems to be a bout of amnesia-itis going around the town. You're probably here for a good reason. Trust me. Calm down... check your inventory, check your notes. Or your script, or something." "My name's Cleo. This is Ludwig. We also have no idea what's happening or who we are. If you want a name for now, I think Dave is good." "Can't help with the uhh, face... problem... though..." - Cleo hesitates for a moment, considering whether it's wise to try. "... if you're having trouble, I could try helping you take the hood off."

Yes, that is what the image in mind was :) Probably an issue with how I am trying to convey my idea, yeah, a rework of this post is coming soon. Svesri is essentially one tribe absorbing the other six and saying "okay, now let's turn this into an actual kingdom" and linking up with the Empire. Will reflect this overall idea in the rework and make more focus on the three cities as the only seats of governance.

Ready to review.

Nation draft is coming along okayish but I'm still wracking my brain about what I want to do with the ruler & heir... think I need to consider overall how Svesri came to be one of the Empire's vassals and what their intentions are... kinda want to have it torn between assimilation or re-independence (read: backstab.) Wonndering if I'm going a little too fantasy with the locales & techs. Inspiration is the Dali Kingdom / Nanzhao. But I also really kinda want armored lizard shock cavalry, you know...

Svesri, the Golden Banner Region: A proud suzerainty in the northwest covering a unique landscape created by volcanoes and earthquakes, Svesri is covered in dense rainforests, sundered by great, nigh bottomless ravines with waterfalls feeding into the void. Svesri is an abundance of life with canopies reaching the sky, the earth yielding all manner of bounty - it is a wild land that gives as willingly as it takes - teeming with grand beasts and great dangers that its peoples have adapted to and reaped great reward from overcoming. There is a great diversity of flora and fauna, and this shows in everything from the peoples' colorful manner of dress to the great variety of foods, flowers, fruits and herbs that can be found in Svesrin cuisine. Culture: Once a land inhabited by seven fractured tribes called Sashes, united by might under a single, Golden Banner. The people of Svesri are a proud nation united under shared beliefs and values - power, shock and awe in all things. Humanity is as much a force of nature as the rest of Nature's creations, and it is our duty as her progeny to use the gifts she have given us and protect her with them. The people of Svesri are superstitious, using their beliefs and ancestral wisdom to navigate the danger-wrought landscape. They make libations to the earth, and are taught to respect beasts as if they were just as human as man. Water is treated with care, reverence and quite often, fear. Rainwater is sacred. Rivers that go into the ravines are roads to the underworld. Most Svesri are hesitant to enter bodies of water, and look to the blessings of priests for matters related to water sources and travel over water. Standing: Many people have not heard of Svesri - those who have, likely from fantastical literature about it being a cornucopia populated with fantastical creatures and inhabited by barbarians. But an increase in foreign trade and a general move towards industrialisation in the last century by forward-thinking regents have changed this. Svesrin alchemy is realm-renowned, from infamous flasks of firebreathing to ironwood plate armor, and no mention of Svesri comes without mentioning the Golden Apothecary - a high-handed guild with a monopoly on the trade and export of royal medicine. Politically, Svesri is somewhat haughty and/or stubborn. It deals with other polities as either equals, or with implications that one ought to be the subject of the other, even as common vassals of the Empire. Stats Realm Martial: 3 Commercial: 2 Agricultural: 4 Industrial: 3 Artistic: 2 Leftover Points: 2 Settlements - Saptamani Capital: Agri 1, Mar 2, Comm 2, Inds 1, Art 1 The City of Seven Colors, home to the Black Court and the infamous Emerald Apothecary. Beautiful architecture marked by three-tiered black roofs with gold brims and small figures of mythical creatures standing tall at each corner. Being the new, permanent seat of the Golden Banner, all seven Sashes were invited to each contribute a longhouse, a temple and a workshop to the settlement, and as more and more resources and amenities were added to support those living here, the project grew into a functioning city, and eventually the sprawling urban capital it is now, with seven districts - each home to merchants, scholars and craftsman of each Sash's specialties, mirroring the geopolitical field of the whole of Svesri itself. Due to Svesrin taboo towards affairs involving the sea, Saptamani is home to the only seaport of the polity, fortressed facing the shore, built by order of Queen Kyaravarti to maintain trade and travel connections with the rest of Empire without needing their counterparts to brave the treacherous and unfamiliar land route towards the remote polity. - Miresuva Minor City: Agri 2, Mar 1, Inds 1, Art 1 Seat of the Azure Sash, one of the closest Sashes to the Golden Banner. For their loyalty, Miresuva was invested into & developed to become the prosperous, idyllic and well-connected city it is now, surrounded by fields of rice and tea sought after for good quality by Svesrin gourmands. The city is home to blacksmiths and jewelers who work with the precious metals and stones brought out of the ravines by daring spelunkers, who find that the monetary reward for their efforts & seeing their treasures becoming part of their craftsmens' legendary work to be a fulfilling profession despite the risk of life. Home to the Shrine of Falling Waters, a monastery built right above the Nariai Ravine. Spelunkers pay respects here and seek permission from the lords of the underworld before making the dive into the ravine's dark, shimmering depths, taking a blessed talisman candle with them to light their journey and returning to the surface before the realm of the dead claims their living souls as denizens forevermore. - Risau Town: Agri 1, Art 1, Inds 1 Seat of the Violet Sash, a tricky-to-access mountain town with a ancestral tradition of instrument-making. The Violet Sash acceded to the Golden Banner's authority, but a people firmly rooted in tradition and spirituality refused to move their main settlement to Saptamani altogether, finding that having to make the tributary journies to and fro the Svesrin seat of governance itself to be worth it to preserve their settlement of legend. Though the ruling council disliked their stubbornness, time passed has eventually seen the seat of the Violet Sash benefit from its connection to Saptamani, now also home to castes specializing in courier and escort around the polity. Some bards from Svesri and beyond choose to make the pilgrimage to have a zither 'tailored' for them here, chasing legends from epics about the hero-bard Raivatanna, who was said to have established the town by gathering talented hermits to build and bless a forge and its tools to craft the magical, First Zither here. The other Sashes (not counting the Golden Banner itself;) namely the Crimson, the White & the Black Sashes, have elected to resettle their tribes as districts forming Saptamani itself, explaining the lack of notable seats/settlements for those Sashes. The Emerald Sash officially followed suit, but rumors float around (and are done away with) that their main settlement was razed to the ground by the Golden Banner in retaliation of the tribe's resistance to their unification by force. Allies - Nagamalla, the White Sash An indepedent order of knights that lie within Svesri's borders, also known as the White Sash, famed for their storied reputation and great power. The Nagamalla consider themselves beholden to none, but seem themselves as close, equally-footed allies with the honored Golden Banner, rather than being their inferiors. The beastmasters of the Nagamalla tame armored lizards as steeds for their shock cavalry troops, able to scale uneven terrain with ease and encircle their foes at lightning speed. Early travellers to Svesri have written about them at length and fantastically-charged detail. Leaders of the battlefield command the fight from the backs of war elephants, able to advance unhindered even in the face of heavy defenses. They move from settlement to settlement in Svesri, offering their might to causes they respect - these days they mostly escort merchants and alchemists around the northwestern expanses when expedience is of import. Battle on home turf is scarce, which has led them to occasionally lend their services to foreign patrons as elite troops. Enemies - Petala, the Emerald Sash in Exile In the course of unifying the northwestern expanses, the Emerald Sash made considerable resistance against the Golden Banner, resulting in a number of great and terrible battles and the annexation (or some would say, subjugation) of its people into their new identity as Svesri subjects. Being the former home of what is now called 'royal alchemy', the Emerald Sash split into two factions - those who sold their secrets and offered their services at the Golden Banner's feet, whose descendants now run the Emerald Apothecary, and those who escaped en-masse to neighbouring nations, forming a council-in-exile of the 'true' Emerald Sash. They find ways to wage war against what they view as an overly ambitious scourge on the northwestern expanses, sabotaging Golden Banner workshops, manipulating foreign interests and teaching their crucibles how to make poisons and weapons to use against the Svesri hordes. Ruler Details - Queen Kyaravarti Nagasara-Srisvesri 35, has been on the throne for 5 years since King Yama III's abdication by custom to make way for a queen in times of peace. Will hold the throne until they so choose to abdicate to make way for a king. Has three brothers and two sisters. Stats Martial: 3 Administrative: 3 Diplomatic: 3 Leftover Points: 0 Personality Empire-forward: Queen Kyaravarti has put greater emphasis on Svesri's reputation in the Empire, and has increased the correspondence and embassies sent to the imperial capital in an exchange of ideas about development & higher projection of presence from what was formerly a far-off polity. She wants Svesri to be on good terms with the Empire. Opportunistic: Queen Kyaravarti may be a 'peacetime regent' of Svesri, but they still have the ambition to increase the Golden Banner's influence in the region. They sometimes offer their aid to nearby polities in exchange for economic and military treaties that bypass the Empire altogether. Friends should help each other and settle matters ourselves, no? Prideful: Queen Kyaravarti is haughty and often competitive. They want to make sure others are aware of their nation's culture and power, and does things with overflowing measure. She can be kind and generous, but also petty and in certain cases, cruel. Connections Allies - Katriya, of the Crimson Sash A prince of Crimson Sash blood that pledged his loyalty to Queen Kyaravarti after being outwitted by her at a convocation in the Black Court. As part of an agreement with the Golden Banner, holds one of the largest armies not directly absorbed into the Saptamani garrison, and has formidable siege engineers under his retinue. One of Queen Kyaravarti's most vocal supporters. - Eira van Euleme The daughter of a duke of the Empire, and a relatively close friend of Queen Kyaravarti's after meeting at an imperial banquet and sharing sentiments about increasing the reach of Svesrin alchemy, especially medicine, across the Empire. Has some sway owing to her royalty over the crafters' & healers' guilds in the Capital. Enemies - Pranon, of the Emerald Sash A former vizier to King Yama III whose rebellion against the Golden Banner was crushed with the help of Empire expeditionary forces. Went missing after his forces routed, but rumors are that increasing reports of unrest across Svesri are due to his resurgence in the wake of the young Queen Kyaravarti's succession - something he sees as an opportunity to seize to destabilise the Golden Banner and reclaim Emerald Sash sovereignty. - Yvon Tyl-Grantalier A duke of the empire with a distaste for the Golden Banner's rise and what he sees as Svesri's growing presence in the Empire's affairs. Is convinced Queen Kyaravarti is plotting high treason and uses his wealth and influence in the Capital to tarry Svesri ventures, troubling their land and sea caravans with bandits and pressing other guilds and organisations not to support a vassaldom with a knife behind its smiling curtsey. Heir - Mivan Apyara, of the Azure Sash A young prince of Azure Sash blood was one of the few who spoke against Queen Kyaravarti's ideas in the Black Court at a convocation involving trade attended by Imperial delegates. Though first met with ridicule, doubt in his standing was quickly and surpringly assuaged by his well-elaborated counter-proposals and demonstration of knowledge in realm affairs, even communicating his points to the suzerainty's guests in elegant Tradecommon. This was the first of several such occurrences that eventually won him the approval of Queen Kyaravarti as next-in-line in the event of necessary succession. The Azure Sash rejoiced at his appointment, but jealousy and bitterness began to breed in the Black Court around his rise to fame. By all accounts, Mivan is quite a young scholar, who grew up with his head buried in books and half his age spent abroad, studying the arts and sciences in the Capital. There are those who worry that such an untested and mild leader would not be able to lead the Seven Sashes in a time of war. A king like a queen, with weak roots that sprawl out without growing deep. But then again, no one dares to speak ill of Queen Kyaravarti, considering her ability in manage the polity's peacetime affairs and acting on the Golden Banner's ambitions both just fine. ✅ I have read and agree to the preliminary info doc.

Cleo Cleopatra A vague, but powerful sense of hunger, like a hitherto unknown primordial urge filled Cleo's chest. An invigorating yearning. She felt like taking an ugly chomp out of one of those mutton(?) legs thick as a thigh with a single perfectly white bone through them, then downing an entire tankard of scientifically, medievally impossibly fizzy and frothy ale. And then, oh yes, proceeding to arm-wrestle and/or beat the crack out of every last equally intoxicated patron in the establishment without so much as care as to the legal ramifications of committing affray. "Mys-terry-oose S-trãnger," Cleo said with a strange enunciation, reading the cloaked man's title out as if it were his name. "Dunno, Mr S'trangeré doesn't look too friendly to me. We could send the one of us with the highest Aura over and try to make an impression." "Or Delvin might have a unique dialogue option. Just hope it doesn't put us in any forced events we'd be better off without." "I'm supposed to have some sort of noble-related background, and I'm a Rai-Neko too. Known for our superior beauty and intelligence, hmm?" - Cleo prodded Delvin with a cocky smile on her face. "I'm a 10/10. Sheet says so. I'd be happy to lead." "You wouldn't say no to a catgirl in a maid outfit, would you, eh?" "Tanabackmeuponthis."

Cleo Cleopatra "Oh, nice." Once again, Cleo is craning their neck into the tent from behind the rest of the party, not having heard much of their discussion as she makes a blithe comment. Sigh. The Rai-Neko looked behind her to see if their tutorial NPC was still in tow. Maybe, this was all intentional, some kind of meta-setting about the players saving the game itself. Just maybe. She hoped Kaori had enough SAN left, if that was even a mechanic implemented into this version of the game. "Hah, Tana, how's your Passive Perception?" If anything, this little catgirl has way better hearing and sight than I do i-r-l. I haven't seen this well without glasses. I can hear the butterflies beat their wings. I'd be surprised if we were caught off guard by anything trying to approach us...

Cleo Cleopatra "Miss Nagisora? You alright, mate?" The apothecary's was starting to get pretty cramped, and Jackson being at the rear of the party, decided to stay outside the shop and take in the scenery for a bit. He'd often wondered what life would be like in a town in a Dynasty game - not as a Chosen One or anything, but just as a regular, run-of-the-mill citizen. Or at least a side NPC. As things started to make less and less 'sense' as the series started to veer away from its nerdier roots in worn TTRPG books, he'd started to like it less and less. Jackson liked gritty, he liked a fantasy that kept it real. 'This' wasn't the perfect solution or answer to that question, but it sure as hell was a good one. This kind of idyllic silence, skies this clear didn't exist 'back home' and probably never would again. Somehow, it felt familiar, like this was always his home, even though he'd only seen it through digital works of fiction and the mind's eye, and even though he'd just been spirited away moments ago. Jackson's mind began to settle in, like a snowglobe finally being left alone after a violent agitation. But clearly, someone else's wasn't. Jackson liked to try chatting with NPCs if they still stuck around during or after players had completed their quests, just to see if the devs tried hiding lore snippets into dialogue not many people would read, or to pay a visit to that sweet old lady growing flowers since his PC was a wee old Rank 1. Something felt off about the tutorial guide's blank, disturbed expression, frozen outside the gates of their home. And he felt compelled to talk to her, not out of a detached curiosity, but out of empathy. For another person. "Hello?"

Cleo Cleopatra "Take my eleven coins, but you aren't taking my skillet away from me. No-one takes my skillet away from me, not in any of my previous reincarnations, or the next." Jackson'd been through almost every Dynasty release starting with a skillet and staying with one for as long as he could - sometimes, to the very end, cheesing his way through end-game bosses by being the only DPS in the party with the rest being healers & supports. All be damned if he wasn't leaving this world one way or another without cast-iron in hand. Cleo heaved a sigh. And for a moment, one could swear a wisp of black smoke shot out with their breath. "We'll be fine on the gear side of things, weapon stats shouldn't matter this early into our progression. And we might be able to get some during our forays into the unknown; they can be better than store-bought," Cleo said, matter-of-factly. "If anything, some of us could use the armour. And a pick-me-up from Mirabelle's. I'm with Tana." "We ought to reconvene at the inn, yeah." OOC: Murder Princesses can't use anything other than Standard Weapons and their Wrath's Blade 😁

Cleo Cleopatra Cleo does that thing where one willingly-unwillingly offers a hand to someone, an arm on their waist as they turn a smile away from the party with a huff. To the circle of swords, they offer a cast-iron skillet. What? Starter weapons all have the same garbage stats anyway, you might as well do it in style. "Right, we're set. I need a bed, a drink, a smoke and however many potions can fit in my inventory without overencumbering me, in that order." Cleo strained their eyes towards the corners of their peripheral vision to check if there were any icons leading them to the inn, a shop and/or anything else of interest. Like a guild. Or a cash shop they could use to sugar-whale them (and their party) overpowered equipment. They say you can't take a penny with you beyond the grave, but they weren't exactly dead, were they. Cleo shot Kaori an expectant look. They were fairly certain an explanation to the economy of the world was forthcoming, one way or another.