[MS] Non-Linear Worldbuilding: The Succession Wars

[Wasp]

Hi everyone!

This is the game thread for a non-linear worldbuilding game, that is inspired by the game Microscope.

If you are interested in joining, the recruitment thread can be found here.

Players are:

• Kinro
• MornShine
• +5 Vorpal Bunny
• Chas Kramer, and
• me, Wasp

We create together the history of a specific time in a fantasy setting by posting new entries in a timeline in a non-chronological fashion, meaning you can create new periods (and events - but more on that later) which can always be "placed" before, after or between existing periods. This means a player can not just continue the story but also flesh out something already posted, create the periods before periods, create backstories etc. pp

RULES

Spoiler: RULES

Show

1. You can create a Period or an Event OR a Description that defines/expands on a person, group, place or similar that have already been introduced in a Period or Scene.

Periods describe an era on a more top level (one sentence or catchy one-liner). They could also be seen as chapter headings under which the period is then fleshed out more by Events. An example would be: "Earth establishes a first colony on Mars".

Events describe a specific "scene" within a wider Period. This means all Events fall under the heading of a Period and describe something in more detail (one or two sentences). And example for an Event withing the Period "Earth establishes a first colony on Mars" could be "The long awaited supply ship from Earth explodes when attempting to land"

You can also post below the timeline a Description (or add to a Description) about something that has been established in a Period or an Event, like a person, group, place etc. In the above example you could for example write:

"Supply Ships: The second generation of unmanned supply ships bringing essential goods to Mars have been developed by Ares Ltd and are equipped with completely autonomous AI."

2. We have a list of Periods an Events you can edit by inserting your Period or Event anywhere you want. Highlight your new Period/Event for easy identification.

3. The order of posting is first come first serve for each round. Rounds will start every three days or when all players have posted (whichever is earlier

The Big Story for this game is:

"The Wars of Succession after the death of the last Mage-King"

King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances (start period)
Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces (end peiod)

The players have agreed for the following game elements to be included and excluded from the game

Yes-List

• Different Schools of Magic
• Many sapient species, some non-humanoid.
• Extraplanar contact (summoning/binding jinn, devils)
• Ancient ruins from a lost civilization
• Animating spirits (such as spirits of the land, animated objects, etc.)
• A rich seafaring faction/state-city (something like late-medieval Genoa or Venice, or Braavos for the ASOIAF fans)

No-List

• Evil by Nature Factions
• Species monoculture. Not all dwarves are the same, especially against greatly varied background.
• Extraplanar travel (Interplanatery, sure, Extraplanar, no)
• Absolute and scientifically provable morality or religion
• "scientific" magic ( in which specific "inputs" would always and reliably yield the same result )

Please note: Even if something is on the Yes-List, it doesn't exist in the game from the start, it has to be established during Play first.

This is the start set up (including my first turn move, highlighted in red, please copy the following in your posting so we create a timeline together)

"The Wars of Succession after the death of the last Mage-King"

TIMELINE
START
King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances

The Tiefling Archmage and King, Arunidas LXXVII., is found dead in his bed drained of all his blood

Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces
END

DESCRPTIONS
BLANK

So, let's get these wars started!

[Chas Kramer]

Nice; I' ll write in Dark Green


"The Wars of Succession after the death of the last Mage-King"

TIMELINE
START
King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances

The Tiefling Archmage and King, Arunidas LXXVII., is found dead in his bed drained of all his blood

His lesser son (Zardos the White) and his daughter (Kallista) start independently claiming the throne from his firstborn (Astaroth the Silent). Political tension rises.

Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces
END

DESCRPTIONS
BLANK

[+5 Vorpal Bunny]

Looks good! I'll be writing in Gold.

"The Wars of Succession after the death of the last Mage-King"

TIMELINE
START
King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances

The Tiefling Archmage and King, Arunidas LXXVII., is found dead in his bed drained of all his blood

The sole survivor of an expedition into the Morthal Ruins reveals the existence of an ancient Blood Curse before succumbing to it himself.

His lesser son (Zardos the White) and his daughter (Kallista) start independently claiming the throne from his firstborn (Astaroth the Silent). Political tension rises.

Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces
END

DESCRPTIONS
BLANK

[Kinro]

I'll be using purple. Also, I'm resolving a pronoun to prevent confusion. Also, fixing a typo.

"The Wars of Succession after the death of the last Mage-King"

TIMELINE
START
King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances

The Tiefling Archmage and King, Arunidas LXXVII., is found dead in his bed drained of all his blood

The sole survivor of an expedition into the Morthal Ruins reveals the existence of an ancient Blood Curse before succumbing to it himself.

King Arunidas LXXVII's lesser son (Zardos the White) and his daughter (Kallista) start independently claiming the throne from his firstborn (Astaroth the Silent). Political tension rises.

The goblin baroness Nasha forges a secret alliance with the Guild of Three Leaves

Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces
END

DESCRIPTIONS

[Wasp]

Ok, three days have passed. We start a new round, first come, first serve!

MornShine, if you are still interested, feel free to post as well!

[Wasp]

"The Wars of Succession after the death of the last Mage-King"

TIMELINE
START
King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances

The Tiefling Archmage and King, Arunidas LXXVII., is found dead in his bed drained of all his blood

The sole survivor of an expedition into the Morthal Ruins reveals the existence of an ancient Blood Curse before succumbing to it himself.

King Arunidas LXXVII's lesser son (Zardos the White) and his daughter (Kallista) start independently claiming the throne from his firstborn (Astaroth the Silent). Political tension rises.

The goblin baroness Nasha forges a secret alliance with the Guild of Three Leaves

The enormous losses during the Guild War result in the collapse of the 13 Arcane Guilds
Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces
END

DESCRIPTIONS

[Kinro]

"The Wars of Succession after the death of the last Mage-King"

TIMELINE
START
King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances

The Tiefling Archmage and King, Arunidas LXXVII., is found dead in his bed drained of all his blood

The sole survivor of an expedition into the Morthal Ruins reveals the existence of an ancient Blood Curse before succumbing to it himself.

King Arunidas LXXVII's lesser son (Zardos the White) and his daughter (Kallista) start independently claiming the throne from his firstborn (Astaroth the Silent). Political tension rises.

The goblin baroness Nasha forges a secret alliance with the Guild of Three Leaves

The enormous losses during the Guild War result in the collapse of the 13 Arcane Guilds

With no one remaining to maintain them, the Great Seals weaken

Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces
END

DESCRIPTIONS

[+5 Vorpal Bunny]

TIMELINE
START
King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances

The Tiefling Archmage and King, Arunidas LXXVII., is found dead in his bed drained of all his blood

The sole survivor of an expedition into the Morthal Ruins reveals the existence of an ancient Blood Curse before succumbing to it himself.

King Arunidas LXXVII's lesser son (Zardos the White) and his daughter (Kallista) start independently claiming the throne from his firstborn (Astaroth the Silent). Political tension rises.

The goblin baroness Nasha forges a secret alliance with the Guild of Three Leaves

The enormous losses during the Guild War result in the collapse of the 13 Arcane Guilds

With no one remaining to maintain them, the Great Seals weaken

Working with the spirit of Isolar, the Living Island, the former vampire master of the Guild of Necromancy sacrifices himself in a blood ritual to stop the last seal from breaking.

Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces
END

DESCRIPTIONS

[Chas Kramer]

START
King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances

The Tiefling Archmage and King, Arunidas LXXVII., is found dead in his bed drained of all his blood

The sole survivor of an expedition into the Morthal Ruins reveals the existence of an ancient Blood Curse before succumbing to it himself.

King Arunidas LXXVII's lesser son (Zardos the White) and his daughter (Kallista) start independently claiming the throne from his firstborn (Astaroth the Silent). Political tension rises.

The goblin baroness Nasha forges a secret alliance with the Guild of Three Leaves

The enormous losses during the Guild War result in the collapse of the 13 Arcane Guilds

With no one remaining to maintain them, the Great Seals weaken

Working with the spirit of Isolar, the Living Island, the former vampire master of the Guild of Necromancy sacrifices himself in a blood ritual to stop the last seal from breaking.

The post-collapse Great Reform of magic studies happens; the study of the 5 Spheres spreads, co-existing and in attrition with older studies of the guilds era
Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces
END

DESCRIPTIONS

[Wasp]

And with that we can start a new round!

[Kinro]

King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances

The Tiefling Archmage and King, Arunidas LXXVII., is found dead in his bed drained of all his blood

The sole survivor of an expedition into the Morthal Ruins reveals the existence of an ancient Blood Curse before succumbing to it himself.

King Arunidas LXXVII's lesser son (Zardos the White) and his daughter (Kallista) start independently claiming the throne from his firstborn (Astaroth the Silent). Political tension rises.

The goblin baroness Nasha forges a secret alliance with the Guild of Three Leaves

The enormous losses during the Guild War result in the collapse of the 13 Arcane Guilds

With no one remaining to maintain them, the Great Seals weaken

As the Great Seals weaken, the Blood Curse begins to spread through the land

Working with the spirit of Isolar, the Living Island, the former vampire master of the Guild of Necromancy sacrifices himself in a blood ritual to stop the last seal from breaking.

The post-collapse Great Reform of magic studies happens; the study of the 5 Spheres spreads, co-existing and in attrition with older studies of the guilds era
Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces
END

DESCRIPTIONS

[Chas Kramer]

King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances

The Tiefling Archmage and King, Arunidas LXXVII., is found dead in his bed drained of all his blood

The sole survivor of an expedition into the Morthal Ruins reveals the existence of an ancient Blood Curse before succumbing to it himself.

King Arunidas LXXVII's lesser son (Zardos the White) and his daughter (Kallista) start independently claiming the throne from his firstborn (Astaroth the Silent). Political tension rises.

The goblin baroness Nasha forges a secret alliance with the Guild of Three Leaves

The enormous losses during the Guild War result in the collapse of the 13 Arcane Guilds

With no one remaining to maintain them, the Great Seals weaken

As the Great Seals weaken, the Blood Curse begins to spread through the land

Working with the spirit of Isolar, the Living Island, the former vampire master of the Guild of Necromancy sacrifices himself in a blood ritual to stop the last seal from breaking.

The post-collapse Great Reform of magic studies happens; the study of the 5 Spheres spreads, co-existing and in attrition with older studies of the guilds era
Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces
END

DESCRIPTIONS

The study of the 5 Spheres is the reformed way of interpreting magic. Magic is seen in terms of what "costs" a caster withstands, in every "sphere" his being reflects (The Movement of Matter, The Spirit of Nature, The Human Matrix, The Veiled Realm, The Beyond), rather than what it manipulates. Many old scholars (and especially the conservative ones, insisting on magic as an elite knowledge) frown at this reform.

[Wasp]

TIMELINE
START
King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances

The Tiefling Archmage and King, Arunidas LXXVII., is found dead in his bed drained of all his blood

The sole survivor of an expedition into the Morthal Ruins reveals the existence of an ancient Blood Curse before succumbing to it himself.

King Arunidas LXXVII's lesser son (Zardos the White) and his daughter (Kallista) start independently claiming the throne from his firstborn (Astaroth the Silent). Political tension rises.

The goblin baroness Nasha forges a secret alliance with the Guild of Three Leaves

The enormous losses during the Guild War result in the collapse of the 13 Arcane Guilds

With no one remaining to maintain them, the Great Seals weaken

As the Great Seals weaken, the Blood Curse begins to spread through the land

Working with the spirit of Isolar, the Living Island, the former vampire master of the Guild of Necromancy sacrifices himself in a blood ritual to stop the last seal from breaking.

The post-collapse Great Reform of magic studies happens; the study of the 5 Spheres spreads, co-existing and in attrition with older studies of the guilds era
Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces

The Human Condottiere Iliana Sunshield, is crowned in the new capital of Ildova as Queen, becoming the first ruler of the Kingdom without any magical ability

END

DESCRIPTIONS

The study of the 5 Spheres is the reformed way of interpreting magic. Magic is seen in terms of what "costs" a caster withstands, in every "sphere" his being reflects (The Movement of Matter, The Spirit of Nature, The Human Matrix, The Veiled Realm, The Beyond), rather than what it manipulates. Many old scholars (and especially the conservative ones, insisting on magic as an elite knowledge) frown at this reform.

[Wasp]

And with that three days seem to have passed! New round!

[Kinro]

TIMELINE
START
King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances

The Tiefling Archmage and King, Arunidas LXXVII., is found dead in his bed drained of all his blood

The sole survivor of an expedition into the Morthal Ruins reveals the existence of an ancient Blood Curse before succumbing to it himself.

King Arunidas LXXVII's lesser son (Zardos the White) and his daughter (Kallista) start independently claiming the throne from his firstborn (Astaroth the Silent). Political tension rises.

The goblin baroness Nasha forges a secret alliance with the Guild of Three Leaves

The Guild War rages
The enormous losses during the Guild War result in the collapse of the 13 Arcane Guilds

With no one remaining to maintain them, the Great Seals weaken

As the Great Seals weaken, the Blood Curse begins to spread through the land

Working with the spirit of Isolar, the Living Island, the former vampire master of the Guild of Necromancy sacrifices himself in a blood ritual to stop the last seal from breaking.

The post-collapse Great Reform of magic studies happens; the study of the 5 Spheres spreads, co-existing and in attrition with older studies of the guilds era
Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces

The Human Condottiere Iliana Sunshield, is crowned in the new capital of Ildova as Queen, becoming the first ruler of the Kingdom without any magical ability

END

DESCRIPTIONS

The study of the 5 Spheres is the reformed way of interpreting magic. Magic is seen in terms of what "costs" a caster withstands, in every "sphere" his being reflects (The Movement of Matter, The Spirit of Nature, The Human Matrix, The Veiled Realm, The Beyond), rather than what it manipulates. Many old scholars (and especially the conservative ones, insisting on magic as an elite knowledge) frown at this reform.

[Chas Kramer]

TIMELINE
START
King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances

The Tiefling Archmage and King, Arunidas LXXVII., is found dead in his bed drained of all his blood

The sole survivor of an expedition into the Morthal Ruins reveals the existence of an ancient Blood Curse before succumbing to it himself.

King Arunidas LXXVII's lesser son (Zardos the White) and his daughter (Kallista) start independently claiming the throne from his firstborn (Astaroth the Silent). Political tension rises.

The goblin baroness Nasha forges a secret alliance with the Guild of Three Leaves

Zardos the White consolidates his power over the many tribes of Hroudhorn, uniting them in fear and reverence, thus considerably empowering his army

The Guild War rages
The enormous losses during the Guild War result in the collapse of the 13 Arcane Guilds

With no one remaining to maintain them, the Great Seals weaken

As the Great Seals weaken, the Blood Curse begins to spread through the land

Working with the spirit of Isolar, the Living Island, the former vampire master of the Guild of Necromancy sacrifices himself in a blood ritual to stop the last seal from breaking.

The post-collapse Great Reform of magic studies happens; the study of the 5 Spheres spreads, co-existing and in attrition with older studies of the guilds era
Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces

The Human Condottiere Iliana Sunshield, is crowned in the new capital of Ildova as Queen, becoming the first ruler of the Kingdom without any magical ability

END

DESCRIPTIONS

The study of the 5 Spheres is the reformed way of interpreting magic. Magic is seen in terms of what "costs" a caster withstands, in every "sphere" his being reflects (The Movement of Matter, The Spirit of Nature, The Human Matrix, The Veiled Realm, The Beyond), rather than what it manipulates. Many old scholars (and especially the conservative ones, insisting on magic as an elite knowledge) frown at this reform.

[Wasp]

TIMELINE
START
King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances

The Tiefling Archmage and King, Arunidas LXXVII., is found dead in his bed drained of all his blood

The sole survivor of an expedition into the Morthal Ruins reveals the existence of an ancient Blood Curse before succumbing to it himself.

Suspicions rise when the Guild of Necromancy - the guild of the king's firstborn son, Astaroth the Silent - decides to spend all resources that would be needed to invoke the spirit of the dead king to question him about the circumstances of his death to find out more about the blood curse instead.

King Arunidas LXXVII's lesser son (Zardos the White) and his daughter (Kallista) start independently claiming the throne from his firstborn (Astaroth the Silent). Political tension rises.

The goblin baroness Nasha forges a secret alliance with the Guild of Three Leaves

Zardos the White consolidates his power over the many tribes of Hroudhorn, uniting them in fear and reverence, thus considerably empowering his army

The Guild War rages
The enormous losses during the Guild War result in the collapse of the 13 Arcane Guilds

With no one remaining to maintain them, the Great Seals weaken

As the Great Seals weaken, the Blood Curse begins to spread through the land

Working with the spirit of Isolar, the Living Island, the former vampire master of the Guild of Necromancy sacrifices himself in a blood ritual to stop the last seal from breaking.

The post-collapse Great Reform of magic studies happens; the study of the 5 Spheres spreads, co-existing and in attrition with older studies of the guilds era
Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces

The Human Condottiere Iliana Sunshield, is crowned in the new capital of Ildova as Queen, becoming the first ruler of the Kingdom without any magical ability

END

DESCRIPTIONS

The study of the 5 Spheres is the reformed way of interpreting magic. Magic is seen in terms of what "costs" a caster withstands, in every "sphere" his being reflects (The Movement of Matter, The Spirit of Nature, The Human Matrix, The Veiled Realm, The Beyond), rather than what it manipulates. Many old scholars (and especially the conservative ones, insisting on magic as an elite knowledge) frown at this reform.

[Wasp]

New Day! Everyone can post again!

[Chas Kramer]

TIMELINE
START
King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances

The Tiefling Archmage and King, Arunidas LXXVII., is found dead in his bed drained of all his blood

The sole survivor of an expedition into the Morthal Ruins reveals the existence of an ancient Blood Curse before succumbing to it himself.

Suspicions rise when the Guild of Necromancy - the guild of the king's firstborn son, Astaroth the Silent - decides to spend all resources that would be needed to invoke the spirit of the dead king to question him about the circumstances of his death to find out more about the blood curse instead.

King Arunidas LXXVII's lesser son (Zardos the White) and his daughter (Kallista) start independently claiming the throne from his firstborn (Astaroth the Silent). Political tension rises.

The goblin baroness Nasha forges a secret alliance with the Guild of Three Leaves

Zardos the White consolidates his power over the many tribes of Hroudhorn, uniting them in fear and reverence, thus considerably empowering his army

Kallista consolidates, through blood bonds and political action, her supposedly good relations with the rich city-state of Istion, the marine republic; the Bank is happy to fund her campaigns

The Guild War rages
The enormous losses during the Guild War result in the collapse of the 13 Arcane Guilds

With no one remaining to maintain them, the Great Seals weaken

As the Great Seals weaken, the Blood Curse begins to spread through the land

Working with the spirit of Isolar, the Living Island, the former vampire master of the Guild of Necromancy sacrifices himself in a blood ritual to stop the last seal from breaking.

The post-collapse Great Reform of magic studies happens; the study of the 5 Spheres spreads, co-existing and in attrition with older studies of the guilds era
Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces

The Human Condottiere Iliana Sunshield, is crowned in the new capital of Ildova as Queen, becoming the first ruler of the Kingdom without any magical ability

END

DESCRIPTIONS

The study of the 5 Spheres is the reformed way of interpreting magic. Magic is seen in terms of what "costs" a caster withstands, in every "sphere" his being reflects (The Movement of Matter, The Spirit of Nature, The Human Matrix, The Veiled Realm, The Beyond), rather than what it manipulates. Many old scholars (and especially the conservative ones, insisting on magic as an elite knowledge) frown at this reform.

-----------------------

Note:
should we add something to better track the last additions? Underline our posts, or adding a small icon next to it...

[Wasp]

TIMELINE
START
King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances

The Tiefling Archmage and King, Arunidas LXXVII., is found dead in his bed drained of all his blood

The sole survivor of an expedition into the Morthal Ruins reveals the existence of an ancient Blood Curse before succumbing to it himself.

Suspicions rise when the Guild of Necromancy - the guild of the king's firstborn son, Astaroth the Silent - decides to spend all resources that would be needed to invoke the spirit of the dead king to question him about the circumstances of his death to find out more about the blood curse instead.

King Arunidas LXXVII's lesser son (Zardos the White) and his daughter (Kallista) start independently claiming the throne from his firstborn (Astaroth the Silent). Political tension rises.

The goblin baroness Nasha forges a secret alliance with the Guild of Three Leaves

Zardos the White consolidates his power over the many tribes of Hroudhorn, uniting them in fear and reverence, thus considerably empowering his army

Kallista consolidates, through blood bonds and political action, her supposedly good relations with the rich city-state of Istion, the marine republic; the Bank is happy to fund her campaigns

The Guild War rages
The enormous losses during the Guild War result in the collapse of the 13 Arcane Guilds

With no one remaining to maintain them, the Great Seals weaken

As the Great Seals weaken, the Blood Curse begins to spread through the land

Working with the spirit of Isolar, the Living Island, the former vampire master of the Guild of Necromancy sacrifices himself in a blood ritual to stop the last seal from breaking.

The post-collapse Great Reform of magic studies happens; the study of the 5 Spheres spreads, co-existing and in attrition with older studies of the guilds era
Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces

The Human Condottiere Iliana Sunshield, is crowned in the new capital of Ildova as Queen, becoming the first ruler of the Kingdom without any magical ability

END

DESCRIPTIONS

The study of the 5 Spheres is the reformed way of interpreting magic. Magic is seen in terms of what "costs" a caster withstands, in every "sphere" his being reflects (The Movement of Matter, The Spirit of Nature, The Human Matrix, The Veiled Realm, The Beyond), rather than what it manipulates. Many old scholars (and especially the conservative ones, insisting on magic as an elite knowledge) frown at this reform.

>> The Guild of Necromancy - or officially the Guild of the Inner Light - was one of the original 13 Arcane Guilds, but in contrast to Necromancers in other parts of the world, the guild focused not only on death and undeath but also the healing and preservation of the spirit and the living body.

-----------------------

Note:
Yeah, I think we should highlight new entries. A symbol like >> maybe so others can remove it easily? Or we remove the colors and just have the new entries in colored text?

[Kinro]

TIMELINE
START
King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances

The Tiefling Archmage and King, Arunidas LXXVII., is found dead in his bed drained of all his blood

The sole survivor of an expedition into the Morthal Ruins reveals the existence of an ancient Blood Curse before succumbing to it himself.

Suspicions rise when the Guild of Necromancy - the guild of the king's firstborn son, Astaroth the Silent - decides to spend all resources that would be needed to invoke the spirit of the dead king to question him about the circumstances of his death to find out more about the blood curse instead.

King Arunidas LXXVII's lesser son (Zardos the White) and his daughter (Kallista) start independently claiming the throne from his firstborn (Astaroth the Silent). Political tension rises.

The goblin baroness Nasha forges a secret alliance with the Guild of Three Leaves

Zardos the White consolidates his power over the many tribes of Hroudhorn, uniting them in fear and reverence, thus considerably empowering his army

Kallista consolidates, through blood bonds and political action, her supposedly good relations with the rich city-state of Istion, the marine republic; the Bank is happy to fund her campaigns

>>The secret alliance of guilds and lesser nobles begins stealth actions against the three children of the late king, undermining their positions.

The Guild War rages
The enormous losses during the Guild War result in the collapse of the 13 Arcane Guilds

With no one remaining to maintain them, the Great Seals weaken

As the Great Seals weaken, the Blood Curse begins to spread through the land

Working with the spirit of Isolar, the Living Island, the former vampire master of the Guild of Necromancy sacrifices himself in a blood ritual to stop the last seal from breaking.

The post-collapse Great Reform of magic studies happens; the study of the 5 Spheres spreads, co-existing and in attrition with older studies of the guilds era
Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces

The Human Condottiere Iliana Sunshield, is crowned in the new capital of Ildova as Queen, becoming the first ruler of the Kingdom without any magical ability

END

DESCRIPTIONS

The study of the 5 Spheres is the reformed way of interpreting magic. Magic is seen in terms of what "costs" a caster withstands, in every "sphere" his being reflects (The Movement of Matter, The Spirit of Nature, The Human Matrix, The Veiled Realm, The Beyond), rather than what it manipulates. Many old scholars (and especially the conservative ones, insisting on magic as an elite knowledge) frown at this reform.

The Guild of Necromancy - or officially the Guild of the Inner Light - was one of the original 13 Arcane Guilds, but in contrast to Necromancers in other parts of the world, the guild focused not only on death and undeath but also the healing and preservation of the spirit and the living body.

[Wasp]

So another new round!

[Chas Kramer]

TIMELINE
START
King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances

The Tiefling Archmage and King, Arunidas LXXVII., is found dead in his bed drained of all his blood

The sole survivor of an expedition into the Morthal Ruins reveals the existence of an ancient Blood Curse before succumbing to it himself.

Suspicions rise when the Guild of Necromancy - the guild of the king's firstborn son, Astaroth the Silent - decides to spend all resources that would be needed to invoke the spirit of the dead king to question him about the circumstances of his death to find out more about the blood curse instead.

King Arunidas LXXVII's lesser son (Zardos the White) and his daughter (Kallista) start independently claiming the throne from his firstborn (Astaroth the Silent). Political tension rises.

The goblin baroness Nasha forges a secret alliance with the Guild of Three Leaves

Zardos the White consolidates his power over the many tribes of Hroudhorn, uniting them in fear and reverence, thus considerably empowering his army

Kallista consolidates, through blood bonds and political action, her supposedly good relations with the rich city-state of Istion, the marine republic; the Bank is happy to fund her campaigns

The secret alliance of guilds and lesser nobles begins stealth actions against the three children of the late king, undermining their positions.

The Guild War rages
The enormous losses during the Guild War result in the collapse of the 13 Arcane Guilds

With no one remaining to maintain them, the Great Seals weaken

As the Great Seals weaken, the Blood Curse begins to spread through the land

Working with the spirit of Isolar, the Living Island, the former vampire master of the Guild of Necromancy sacrifices himself in a blood ritual to stop the last seal from breaking.

The post-collapse Great Reform of magic studies happens; the study of the 5 Spheres spreads, co-existing and in attrition with older studies of the guilds era
Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces

The Human Condottiere Iliana Sunshield, is crowned in the new capital of Ildova as Queen, becoming the first ruler of the Kingdom without any magical ability

END

DESCRIPTIONS

The study of the 5 Spheres is the reformed way of interpreting magic. Magic is seen in terms of what "costs" a caster withstands, in every "sphere" his being reflects (The Movement of Matter, The Spirit of Nature, The Human Matrix, The Veiled Realm, The Beyond), rather than what it manipulates. Many old scholars (and especially the conservative ones, insisting on magic as an elite knowledge) frown at this reform.

The Guild of Necromancy - or officially the Guild of the Inner Light - was one of the original 13 Arcane Guilds, but in contrast to Necromancers in other parts of the world, the guild focused not only on death and undeath but also the healing and preservation of the spirit and the living body.

>> The Free Republic of Istion - also named the "free cities", the "Radiant" one, or simply Istion -is a mainly coastal territory ruled by an independent, oligarchic, state-city. Seafaring, marine commerce and trading and military / economic hegemony over several colonies / tributaries has made the Republic incredibly wealthy, and thus able to preserve independence. The city Bank wisely administers this wealth to generate more, borrowing and retrieving huge sums to (openly or secretly) sponsor this or that political power.

[Wasp]

TIMELINE
START
King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances

The Tiefling Archmage and King, Arunidas LXXVII., is found dead in his bed drained of all his blood

The sole survivor of an expedition into the Morthal Ruins reveals the existence of an ancient Blood Curse before succumbing to it himself.

Suspicions rise when the Guild of Necromancy - the guild of the king's firstborn son, Astaroth the Silent - decides to spend all resources that would be needed to invoke the spirit of the dead king to question him about the circumstances of his death to find out more about the blood curse instead.

King Arunidas LXXVII's lesser son (Zardos the White) and his daughter (Kallista) start independently claiming the throne from his firstborn (Astaroth the Silent). Political tension rises.

The goblin baroness Nasha forges a secret alliance with the Guild of Three Leaves

Zardos the White consolidates his power over the many tribes of Hroudhorn, uniting them in fear and reverence, thus considerably empowering his army

Kallista consolidates, through blood bonds and political action, her supposedly good relations with the rich city-state of Istion, the marine republic; the Bank is happy to fund her campaigns

The secret alliance of guilds and lesser nobles begins stealth actions against the three children of the late king, undermining their positions.

The Guild War rages

The enormous losses during the Guild War result in the collapse of the 13 Arcane Guilds

With no one remaining to maintain them, the Great Seals weaken

As the Great Seals weaken, the Blood Curse begins to spread through the land

Working with the spirit of Isolar, the Living Island, the former vampire master of the Guild of Necromancy sacrifices himself in a blood ritual to stop the last seal from breaking.

The post-collapse Great Reform of magic studies happens; the study of the 5 Spheres spreads, co-existing and in attrition with older studies of the guilds era

Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces

The Human Condottiere Iliana Sunshield, is crowned in the new capital of Ildova as Queen, becoming the first ruler of the Kingdom without any magical ability

END

DESCRIPTIONS

The study of the 5 Spheres is the reformed way of interpreting magic. Magic is seen in terms of what "costs" a caster withstands, in every "sphere" his being reflects (The Movement of Matter, The Spirit of Nature, The Human Matrix, The Veiled Realm, The Beyond), rather than what it manipulates. Many old scholars (and especially the conservative ones, insisting on magic as an elite knowledge) frown at this reform.

The Guild of Necromancy - or officially the Guild of the Inner Light - was one of the original 13 Arcane Guilds, but in contrast to Necromancers in other parts of the world, the guild focused not only on death and undeath but also the healing and preservation of the spirit and the living body.

The Free Republic of Istion - also named the "free cities", the "Radiant" one, or simply Istion -is a mainly coastal territory ruled by an independent, oligarchic, state-city. Seafaring, marine commerce and trading and military / economic hegemony over several colonies / tributaries has made the Republic incredibly wealthy, and thus able to preserve independence. The city Bank wisely administers this wealth to generate more, borrowing and retrieving huge sums to (openly or secretly) sponsor this or that political power.

>> The Relation between the Guilds and the Nobility of the Inner Provinces at the time of Guild Wars was very complex. In general most Arcane Casters were members of one of the guilds but not all guild members were Arcane Casters. While not all or even a majority of nobles could cast magic, the noble families had to keep up the appearance of being part of an arcane bloodline - which were the basis of their claim to rule - so many became members of the guilds even though they lacked talent.

[Kinro]

TIMELINE
START
King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances

The Tiefling Archmage and King, Arunidas LXXVII., is found dead in his bed drained of all his blood

The sole survivor of an expedition into the Morthal Ruins reveals the existence of an ancient Blood Curse before succumbing to it himself.

Suspicions rise when the Guild of Necromancy - the guild of the king's firstborn son, Astaroth the Silent - decides to spend all resources that would be needed to invoke the spirit of the dead king to question him about the circumstances of his death to find out more about the blood curse instead.

King Arunidas LXXVII's lesser son (Zardos the White) and his daughter (Kallista) start independently claiming the throne from his firstborn (Astaroth the Silent). Political tension rises.

The goblin baroness Nasha forges a secret alliance with the Guild of Three Leaves

Zardos the White consolidates his power over the many tribes of Hroudhorn, uniting them in fear and reverence, thus considerably empowering his army

Kallista consolidates, through blood bonds and political action, her supposedly good relations with the rich city-state of Istion, the marine republic; the Bank is happy to fund her campaigns

The secret alliance of guilds and lesser nobles begins stealth actions against the three children of the late king, undermining their positions.

The Guild War rages

>> Zardos the White mobilizes his troops to occupy the Iridescent Tower

The enormous losses during the Guild War result in the collapse of the 13 Arcane Guilds

With no one remaining to maintain them, the Great Seals weaken

As the Great Seals weaken, the Blood Curse begins to spread through the land

Working with the spirit of Isolar, the Living Island, the former vampire master of the Guild of Necromancy sacrifices himself in a blood ritual to stop the last seal from breaking.

The post-collapse Great Reform of magic studies happens; the study of the 5 Spheres spreads, co-existing and in attrition with older studies of the guilds era

Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces

The Human Condottiere Iliana Sunshield, is crowned in the new capital of Ildova as Queen, becoming the first ruler of the Kingdom without any magical ability

END

DESCRIPTIONS

The study of the 5 Spheres is the reformed way of interpreting magic. Magic is seen in terms of what "costs" a caster withstands, in every "sphere" his being reflects (The Movement of Matter, The Spirit of Nature, The Human Matrix, The Veiled Realm, The Beyond), rather than what it manipulates. Many old scholars (and especially the conservative ones, insisting on magic as an elite knowledge) frown at this reform.

The Guild of Necromancy - or officially the Guild of the Inner Light - was one of the original 13 Arcane Guilds, but in contrast to Necromancers in other parts of the world, the guild focused not only on death and undeath but also the healing and preservation of the spirit and the living body.

The Free Republic of Istion - also named the "free cities", the "Radiant" one, or simply Istion -is a mainly coastal territory ruled by an independent, oligarchic, state-city. Seafaring, marine commerce and trading and military / economic hegemony over several colonies / tributaries has made the Republic incredibly wealthy, and thus able to preserve independence. The city Bank wisely administers this wealth to generate more, borrowing and retrieving huge sums to (openly or secretly) sponsor this or that political power.

The Relation between the Guilds and the Nobility of the Inner Provinces at the time of Guild Wars was very complex. In general most Arcane Casters were members of one of the guilds but not all guild members were Arcane Casters. While not all or even a majority of nobles could cast magic, the noble families had to keep up the appearance of being part of an arcane bloodline - which were the basis of their claim to rule - so many became members of the guilds even though they lacked talent.

[Wasp]

This is fun! New round!

[Wasp]

TIMELINE
START
King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances

The Tiefling Archmage and King, Arunidas LXXVII., is found dead in his bed drained of all his blood

The sole survivor of an expedition into the Morthal Ruins reveals the existence of an ancient Blood Curse before succumbing to it himself.

Suspicions rise when the Guild of Necromancy - the guild of the king's firstborn son, Astaroth the Silent - decides to spend all resources that would be needed to invoke the spirit of the dead king to question him about the circumstances of his death to find out more about the blood curse instead.

King Arunidas LXXVII's lesser son (Zardos the White) and his daughter (Kallista) start independently claiming the throne from his firstborn (Astaroth the Silent). Political tension rises.

The goblin baroness Nasha forges a secret alliance with the Guild of Three Leaves

Zardos the White consolidates his power over the many tribes of Hroudhorn, uniting them in fear and reverence, thus considerably empowering his army

Kallista consolidates, through blood bonds and political action, her supposedly good relations with the rich city-state of Istion, the marine republic; the Bank is happy to fund her campaigns

The secret alliance of guilds and lesser nobles begins stealth actions against the three children of the late king, undermining their positions.

The Guild War rages

>>While Astaroth is on the battlefield, the Guild of Anti-Magic, the Guild of Artifice and the King's Arcane Guard take over the Iridescent Tower and declare a Council will rule the Kingdom until the rightful heir has been determined

Zardos the White mobilizes his troops to occupy the Iridescent Tower

The enormous losses during the Guild War result in the collapse of the 13 Arcane Guilds

With no one remaining to maintain them, the Great Seals weaken

As the Great Seals weaken, the Blood Curse begins to spread through the land

Working with the spirit of Isolar, the Living Island, the former vampire master of the Guild of Necromancy sacrifices himself in a blood ritual to stop the last seal from breaking.

The post-collapse Great Reform of magic studies happens; the study of the 5 Spheres spreads, co-existing and in attrition with older studies of the guilds era

Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces

The Human Condottiere Iliana Sunshield, is crowned in the new capital of Ildova as Queen, becoming the first ruler of the Kingdom without any magical ability

END

DESCRIPTIONS

The study of the 5 Spheres is the reformed way of interpreting magic. Magic is seen in terms of what "costs" a caster withstands, in every "sphere" his being reflects (The Movement of Matter, The Spirit of Nature, The Human Matrix, The Veiled Realm, The Beyond), rather than what it manipulates. Many old scholars (and especially the conservative ones, insisting on magic as an elite knowledge) frown at this reform.

The Guild of Necromancy - or officially the Guild of the Inner Light - was one of the original 13 Arcane Guilds, but in contrast to Necromancers in other parts of the world, the guild focused not only on death and undeath but also the healing and preservation of the spirit and the living body.

The Free Republic of Istion - also named the "free cities", the "Radiant" one, or simply Istion -is a mainly coastal territory ruled by an independent, oligarchic, state-city. Seafaring, marine commerce and trading and military / economic hegemony over several colonies / tributaries has made the Republic incredibly wealthy, and thus able to preserve independence. The city Bank wisely administers this wealth to generate more, borrowing and retrieving huge sums to (openly or secretly) sponsor this or that political power.

The Relation between the Guilds and the Nobility of the Inner Provinces at the time of Guild Wars was very complex. In general most Arcane Casters were members of one of the guilds but not all guild members were Arcane Casters. While not all or even a majority of nobles could cast magic, the noble families had to keep up the appearance of being part of an arcane bloodline - which were the basis of their claim to rule - so many became members of the guilds even though they lacked talent.

[Chas Kramer]

TIMELINE
START
King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances

The Tiefling Archmage and King, Arunidas LXXVII., is found dead in his bed drained of all his blood

The sole survivor of an expedition into the Morthal Ruins reveals the existence of an ancient Blood Curse before succumbing to it himself.

Suspicions rise when the Guild of Necromancy - the guild of the king's firstborn son, Astaroth the Silent - decides to spend all resources that would be needed to invoke the spirit of the dead king to question him about the circumstances of his death to find out more about the blood curse instead.

King Arunidas LXXVII's lesser son (Zardos the White) and his daughter (Kallista) start independently claiming the throne from his firstborn (Astaroth the Silent). Political tension rises.

The goblin baroness Nasha forges a secret alliance with the Guild of Three Leaves

Zardos the White consolidates his power over the many tribes of Hroudhorn, uniting them in fear and reverence, thus considerably empowering his army

Kallista consolidates, through blood bonds and political action, her supposedly good relations with the rich city-state of Istion, the marine republic; the Bank is happy to fund her campaigns

The secret alliance of guilds and lesser nobles begins stealth actions against the three children of the late king, undermining their positions.

The Guild War rages

While Astaroth is on the battlefield, the Guild of Anti-Magic, the Guild of Artifice and the King's Arcane Guard take over the Iridescent Tower and declare a Council will rule the Kingdom until the rightful heir has been determined

Zardos the White mobilizes his troops to occupy the Iridescent Tower

>> While the Siege of the Iridescent Tower is coming to an end in favor of Zardos' forces, the goblin faction of Baroness Nasha and the Guild of three leaves sabotages the attacking forces from the underground with alchemic devices. As Zardos and most of his troops die, Nasha gains her place in the Council

The enormous losses during the Guild War result in the collapse of the 13 Arcane Guilds

With no one remaining to maintain them, the Great Seals weaken

As the Great Seals weaken, the Blood Curse begins to spread through the land

Working with the spirit of Isolar, the Living Island, the former vampire master of the Guild of Necromancy sacrifices himself in a blood ritual to stop the last seal from breaking.

The post-collapse Great Reform of magic studies happens; the study of the 5 Spheres spreads, co-existing and in attrition with older studies of the guilds era

Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces

The Human Condottiere Iliana Sunshield, is crowned in the new capital of Ildova as Queen, becoming the first ruler of the Kingdom without any magical ability

END

DESCRIPTIONS

The study of the 5 Spheres is the reformed way of interpreting magic. Magic is seen in terms of what "costs" a caster withstands, in every "sphere" his being reflects (The Movement of Matter, The Spirit of Nature, The Human Matrix, The Veiled Realm, The Beyond), rather than what it manipulates. Many old scholars (and especially the conservative ones, insisting on magic as an elite knowledge) frown at this reform.

The Guild of Necromancy - or officially the Guild of the Inner Light - was one of the original 13 Arcane Guilds, but in contrast to Necromancers in other parts of the world, the guild focused not only on death and undeath but also the healing and preservation of the spirit and the living body.

The Free Republic of Istion - also named the "free cities", the "Radiant" one, or simply Istion -is a mainly coastal territory ruled by an independent, oligarchic, state-city. Seafaring, marine commerce and trading and military / economic hegemony over several colonies / tributaries has made the Republic incredibly wealthy, and thus able to preserve independence. The city Bank wisely administers this wealth to generate more, borrowing and retrieving huge sums to (openly or secretly) sponsor this or that political power.

The Relation between the Guilds and the Nobility of the Inner Provinces at the time of Guild Wars was very complex. In general most Arcane Casters were members of one of the guilds but not all guild members were Arcane Casters. While not all or even a majority of nobles could cast magic, the noble families had to keep up the appearance of being part of an arcane bloodline - which were the basis of their claim to rule - so many became members of the guilds even though they lacked talent.

[Kinro]

TIMELINE
START
King Arunidas LXXVII. dies under mysterious circumstances

The Tiefling Archmage and King, Arunidas LXXVII., is found dead in his bed drained of all his blood

The sole survivor of an expedition into the Morthal Ruins reveals the existence of an ancient Blood Curse before succumbing to it himself.

Suspicions rise when the Guild of Necromancy - the guild of the king's firstborn son, Astaroth the Silent - decides to spend all resources that would be needed to invoke the spirit of the dead king to question him about the circumstances of his death to find out more about the blood curse instead.

King Arunidas LXXVII's lesser son (Zardos the White) and his daughter (Kallista) start independently claiming the throne from his firstborn (Astaroth the Silent). Political tension rises.

The goblin baroness Nasha forges a secret alliance with the Guild of Three Leaves

Zardos the White consolidates his power over the many tribes of Hroudhorn, uniting them in fear and reverence, thus considerably empowering his army

Kallista consolidates, through blood bonds and political action, her supposedly good relations with the rich city-state of Istion, the marine republic; the Bank is happy to fund her campaigns

The secret alliance of guilds and lesser nobles begins stealth actions against the three children of the late king, undermining their positions.

>>The secret alliance now revealed, the remaining guilds split and join into factions.

The Guild War rages

While Astaroth is on the battlefield, the Guild of Anti-Magic, the Guild of Artifice and the King's Arcane Guard take over the Iridescent Tower and declare a Council will rule the Kingdom until the rightful heir has been determined

Zardos the White mobilizes his troops to occupy the Iridescent Tower

While the Siege of the Iridescent Tower is coming to an end in favor of Zardos' forces, the goblin faction of Baroness Nasha and the Guild of three leaves sabotages the attacking forces from the underground with alchemic devices. As Zardos and most of his troops die, Nasha gains her place in the Council

The enormous losses during the Guild War result in the collapse of the 13 Arcane Guilds

With no one remaining to maintain them, the Great Seals weaken

As the Great Seals weaken, the Blood Curse begins to spread through the land

Working with the spirit of Isolar, the Living Island, the former vampire master of the Guild of Necromancy sacrifices himself in a blood ritual to stop the last seal from breaking.

The post-collapse Great Reform of magic studies happens; the study of the 5 Spheres spreads, co-existing and in attrition with older studies of the guilds era

Iliana Sunshield is elected for life as Queen over the remaining provinces

The Human Condottiere Iliana Sunshield, is crowned in the new capital of Ildova as Queen, becoming the first ruler of the Kingdom without any magical ability

END

DESCRIPTIONS

The study of the 5 Spheres is the reformed way of interpreting magic. Magic is seen in terms of what "costs" a caster withstands, in every "sphere" his being reflects (The Movement of Matter, The Spirit of Nature, The Human Matrix, The Veiled Realm, The Beyond), rather than what it manipulates. Many old scholars (and especially the conservative ones, insisting on magic as an elite knowledge) frown at this reform.

The Guild of Necromancy - or officially the Guild of the Inner Light - was one of the original 13 Arcane Guilds, but in contrast to Necromancers in other parts of the world, the guild focused not only on death and undeath but also the healing and preservation of the spirit and the living body.

The Free Republic of Istion - also named the "free cities", the "Radiant" one, or simply Istion -is a mainly coastal territory ruled by an independent, oligarchic, state-city. Seafaring, marine commerce and trading and military / economic hegemony over several colonies / tributaries has made the Republic incredibly wealthy, and thus able to preserve independence. The city Bank wisely administers this wealth to generate more, borrowing and retrieving huge sums to (openly or secretly) sponsor this or that political power.

The Relation between the Guilds and the Nobility of the Inner Provinces at the time of Guild Wars was very complex. In general most Arcane Casters were members of one of the guilds but not all guild members were Arcane Casters. While not all or even a majority of nobles could cast magic, the noble families had to keep up the appearance of being part of an arcane bloodline - which were the basis of their claim to rule - so many became members of the guilds even though they lacked talent.

[Wasp]

And we have a new round!