Background
D E A D G O D takes place in a custom setting of mine, Verenkor.
While knowledge of the setting itself is not necessary, in order for
both teams to work within the city I will place some basic knowledge in
this post.
This game occurs in the same world and year as Ardent, 1131 AR.
Returning players of Dead God note that, like Ardent, this game is
several years after the failed revolution of the original game. For the
most part, these are not the same characters. If they are, they should
reflect the change of five or so years and constant, failed fighting on
the part of the rebels. Unlike the first game, this resurrection takes place post-Steam Revolution, just like Ardent. The same technology exists, and is common in Bursia, but is much rarer in the religious city-state. Airships exist, but are generally not accessible. Cross-overs and tie-ins are possible between Ardent and Dead God, but take into account that characters can only be in one place at once and these games are taking place at the same time.
&;;the area
Seboet, as mentioned before, lies in the center of the Bursia region.
The area is comparable to the Middle East and the Mediterranean, with
rocky landscapes, dry days and freezing nights. Seboet has no access to
the sea and is protected by large rocky hills to the south, which keep
the sand to that area. On the north side of the city, slanted trees and
grass become more dominant.
&;;the people
The people of the city are generally tall, lithe and well tanned, as
nearly all of their buildings open to the sunlight. Hair tends to be
black and ranges anywhere from tightly coiled to straight. Seboet is the
least multicultural of all the cities of Bursia, but foreigners are not
unheard of, although foreigners from enemy cities
are. Foreigners, then, are exclusively either from the far north
(Tyrisia), the far south (Au), or the far west (Kerria). Gypsies surround the Bursian countryside, and are descendants of Kerria. Tyrisians are medium height, stouter, fairer; Aun are much darker, shorter,
weaker; Kerrians are tall and broad, a tiny bit fairer, much more likely to be Innates.
&;;the culture
All of Seboet culture has become focused on its religion. It is
comparable to the cultures of Ancient Egypt and Ancient India. With
deadly poverty on one side and startling wealth on the other, the city
remains a place of extremes. The city itself is carved from rocky hill
and built with stone blocks from the northern mountains. All actual
buildings are made from this stone, while those not assigned houses are
left to "slums"--more accurately, cobbled together sticks and fabric.
Covering yourself from the sun more than you need to is looked down
upon, and clothing varies from revealing to moderately conservative.
Gold jewelry and piercings, red fabrics (shiny if at all possible), and
unique glass creations are popular pieces of attire--for those who can
afford them. Although it's government is authoritarian, the city itself
is full of life. Taverns, brothels, dancers, musicians are on nearly
every possible corner--even more than statues of Loegir.
&;;the battle
Some essential information for the two groups: The Faithful are acting covertly--no one but themselves and The Seer
are aware of their duty. Mentioning this may draw unwanted attention by
incompetent superiors and The Seer has strictly forbid this.
A major source of the cult's power comes from the Furnaces, great
temples located inside and outside the city where Innates are taken to
from a young age, indoctrinated and trained to feed fire through special
metal piping. This network of metal pipes exists under the city
provides heat for food, water and homes.
&;;the city
This section is important: It lists all of the major areas of the city.
Don't be afraid to invent places that should be there, but use common
sense and try to stay in these areas in general (or the roads between
them). The city is circular, with one side of it 'flat' at the end. It
is completely surrounded by high, thick walls and has two exits,
detailed below. The city's layout is unusual but is designed to keep the
cult in command. At the center of the city lies its heart, the seat of
all government and religion. Just outside this core lie the wealthiest
of the wealthiest, and just outside those, the somewhat less wealthy.
This "ring" of wealth and power continues outward, with power and wealth
getting smaller the further from the center you get. About halfway
through the city, the ring of houses turns into a great mass of fields
and slums, then just slums. Services and goods reach the center of the
city first and then move outward--heated water cools and becomes
dirtier, becoming filthy, freezing and dangerous by the time it reaches
the slums. Priests deliver specially-cooked foods to those closest to
the center and as the rings move out, deliver to distributors colder and
mass-produced food. The layout is perfect for the city as it maintains a
status quo.
The Temple Square Gilded stone
walls, windows draped with yellow linen and paved walkways mark the
beginning of the Temple Square. If it’s important, it’s probably
happening in one of these buildings. A large fountain lies in the center
of the Square, and the faithful--or those who simply pretend to be
so--toss gold coins into the fountain, hoping to gain favor either from
Loegir or his priests.
The Grand Temple Here lies the
seat of Seboet’s government and religion and is the home of the
Priest-King, TheSeer and many high officials. Covered in gold on the
inside and out, draped with fine linens and always smelling of incense,
this is the holiest place in the city as well as the most heavily
guarded--and even the Sol Guards here have gilded armor.
The King’s Room The Priest-King
has not been well lately and has not been out of his room for several
weeks. Publicly it has been blamed on the sinfulness of the city’s
poor--resulting in the more fanatic followers setting fire to
shanties--but the Priest-King’s closest men suspect something more
sinister.
The Inner Sanctum The Seer has
spent nearly their entire life inside this room, which is just down the
hall from the Priest-King. Protected by latticed steal and heavy linen
drapery, they are seen only as a shadow behind a veil by those they
calls on to serve them--whether it be by bringing her food or heads.
The Cafeterium Nearly all of the
food cooked for the city passes through this temple. One of the cult’s
most heavily guarded secrets, the Cafeterium is where the lowliest of
priests “bless” raw meat, water wheat and other crop and send it out
piping hot. The wealthiest of the wealthy--the Priest-King, The Seer,
and their top officials--are given specially cooked meat as well as
other food. The food gets colder and poorer quality the further it gets
from the city.
The Slums The filthy, starving
masses live here, waiting to be sent to war, the fields or some building
project. Water here is cold and disgusting, diseases spread like
wildfire, crime is rampant and when the food finally arrives it is cold
and often whatever wasn't good for anybody else. The slums closest to
Temple Road or the Second Gate are the most popular and liveable--with
those next to Temple Road being able to buy edible food and water off
the street and sell it to those living further away.
Marrus Garvey’s Tavern A popular
spot among the city’s poor, located close to Temple Road, for cheap ale,
cheap rooms and cheap women, Marrus Garvey is notorious for his
friendliness to the seediest in the city, including heretics.
The Waterway All of the city’s
water flows in these aqueducts, which are always either carved grooves
in the street or travel over houses. The water is directed into the
Cafeterium, heated, and sent outwards into the city and into homes,
getting colder and dirtier as it moves further outward.
The Farms Only the nomads live
outside the city, so all farming is done inside the walls. The city’s
poor--when they’re not being sent to fight for the glory of Seboet--are
sent here to farm and given favor for years of service. Wheat, corn, and
chickpeas are the most common crop, while some somewhat corrupted
officials have sectioned off small areas for barley, selling it to the
slum taverns cheap but at a fantastic profit.
The Garden A tiny and not
well-known little hiding place, it is one of many undiscovered jewels of
the city. Not far at all from Marrus Garvey’s Tavern, it takes a little
effort to find this place--only The Agnostic already knows where it is.
Hidden between two low-wealth stone houses that were apparently badly
designed, one must climb on top of a set of stone stairs leading to the
house’s ceiling andwalk across an aqueduct to another roof. This house
has no stairs leading to its roof from the street, but stairs do lead
down into a sort of jagged space between houses. The small space--large
enough for about four people--also has a door which leads into an empty,
spider-filled space large enough for two (if they’re pressed very close
together). Apparently the family living in the obviously badly planned
house haven’t noticed anything.
The First Gate Foreigners and merchants enter through this gate, which leads into Temple Road.
The Second Gate The longest least
pleasant way in and out of the city, no attempts have been made to
impress those using this entrance. It leads directly out into a nomad
hamlet, and directly into the most packed area of the city and only well
guarded area of the slums, making it a popular location among the poor.
Temple Road Extremely wide, paved
and surrounded on each side by the front side (or back side, depending
on whether you’re a visitor or resident) of temples, the well-guarded
road is designed to impress foreigners and keep them from entering the
city through its slums. All of the temples on the road are designed to
have two front sides and service both foreigners and people at every
level of the city.
The Market The alleys and sides
of Temple Road are packed with merchants both from in and outside the
city. It is the only place in which people from all over the city
mingle. Closest to the city core, where the wealthy live, the finest of
goods are displayed: gold, fine linen, olives, jewelry, glass, paint,
pottery, and much more. Imported and more expensive foods are sold close
to this area while quality and price decreases closer to the wall.
Interspersed throughout the food stalls are goods which also decrease in
quality and price--always matching the status of those closest. Black market, smuggled food is sold here. Dahlia's Backhouse, the HQ for The Flame, is located here.
&;;the npcs
The Priest-King The man's name
has long since passed from the city's collective memory, aside from a
few dusty old priests, as speaking the name of the avatar of Loegir is
beyond heresy and disrespect. The imposing, huge man is beginning to
show signs of middle age, grey hairs finding their way into his curling
black hair. He has ruled Seboet for nearly twenty years since he was
very young, and is so much like his father that few who know him can
remember any difference. Others remember a time when purges were regular
and the man's fanatical beliefs left the city terrified. Now, as age is
beginning to find him and sickness has recently gripped him, the city
enjoys a relative time of peace as it has become mostly ruled by
bureaucrats and lowlier priests.
Marrus Garvey Having fought in
one battle before becoming crippled, Marrus nevertheless has returned
home with the small amount of money he won and started a successful
tavern. He's a man who enjoys life with a hedonistic worldview--though
by a hedonist's standards he isn't doing too well. He has a way with
women and ale and regularly uses both at his tavern.
The Jackal The name given to the
mysterious thief that has begun stealing from some of the more wealthy
homes. The people of the slums have begun to idolize this mystery thief.
Isabella Ro One of the many cheap
whores/waitresses of Marrus Garvey's, she is also one of the very few
number of people in the city from a rival city. Her occupation means
nobody ever asks, and she looks enough like a far northerner to pass by
unnoticed. She, on the other hand, has begun to notice something fishy
going on in Marrus Garvey's.
Old Rossen The head cook of the Cafeterium,
Pek One of the countless orphaned
street rats in the slums, he has lasted longer than most and is
beginning to make some wonder how.
Junau and Fran The two servant girls of Makeeda, who were kicked out along with her.
Guard Imir A friendly and
well-known guard in the area around Marrus Garvey's, he is known to be
at least a little sympathetic to the people of the slums and disapproves
of their oppression.
The Queen The king's third wife,
she is regal, ambitious and cold. She was able to depose not only the
last Queen but the last of the king's concubines, Makeeda thanks to her
beauty and manipulation (the last Queen had managed to kick out the rest
of them after giving birth to a son). However, she has so far not been
able to produce a child and her position is becoming increasingly
precarious.
The Priest-King's Children
Amir The oldest son, by the
king's first wife. He has been practically cast aside since he was born
with club foot. He still lives in the Grand Temple but is practically
invisible. The young man is intelligent and perceptive, however, and
knows more about the going-ons in the Temple than even the king himself.
Abbas The presumed heir, by the king's first wife, his stupidity and almost heretical disinterest in Loegir is testing this.
Nahlah Ambitious, intelligent and
jealous of her older brother's status, she is the last of the children
of the king's first wife. She intends to take the throne for herself and
has been seeking Amir's help.
Ruqaya First child of the king's
second wife, she was her mother's favorite and has proven to be spoiled
and happy to do as she's told.
Yafiah Second child of the king's
second wife, she has been a difficult, wild and uncooperative girl.
Most worrying of all, she has repeatedly refused to worship Loegir.
Kep The toddler is the only male child of the king's second wife, and is a favorite of visiting dignitaries.
Characters
&;;apply
To play,write a bio then get in your profile. Be sure to give your character a little title or I will. Your character does not need to be committed to either side and can change sides at any point during the game. I'll approve on my own terms. Please remember that this game takes place several years after the failed revolution of the first game. The organizations are the same, but in most cases new individuals have stepped up to carry the torch, so to speak. Note that I am less likely to accept a bio for a team that is under"staffed".
&;;minor characters
Minor characters are non-slot characters who are not allowed to assist main characters in ways like pep talks, hints and magically making a character who
otherwise would not look a certain, crucial direction do so. Use your
common sense and play fair!
&;;the heretics
Survivors and rebels, The Flame exists
in fragments across the city. This division remains the most powerful
and threatening one and has managed to attract the attention of someone
very high up in the cult. If their identity becomes known they will not
be able to walk in the city freely but have the allegiance of the
ignored class, the many at the bottom of the cult's ladder. However, all
of them are poor and homeless.
[The Seeress] ♀ Adele Faa
Nobody knows where she came from, but rumor has it The Seeress simply appeared at the old commander's side one day, whispering into
his ear. A kidnapped priestess, her Sight is not as strong as The Seer's, but her strength lies in her fire magic. She has quietly stepped up to take command after the old commander's disappearance.
Innate and Fugitive.
[The Agnostic] ♂/♀ Dervish
This fighter really isn't sure what they believe. Unlike the rest of the
Flame, they’re open to the idea that Loegir exists, but just doesn’t
agree with the god’s followers. Just about everyone in the Flame is a
bit suspicious of The Agnostic. Fighter and Unsure.
[The Hostess] ♀ Dahlia Farah
Unable to perform as well as she should as a fire-wielding priestess, she enjoys a retirement of sorts running a business in the slums, which The Flame use as a base of operations. Innate and Established.
&;;the undecided
[The Bard] ♂ NPC
A traveler, tale-teller, and man of the world. The Bard has seen it all, and has watched the showdown in Seboet unfold.
&;;the followers
The Faithful, five people handpicked by a
mysterious Seer who lies at the heart of the cult's power, have been
tasked with the eradication of the heretic threat. Those higher up the
ladder in the city are their allies and can act as their eyes and ears,
while those further down the ladder may even assist the heretics.
[The Seer] ♂/♀ Azil Dreamreaper
Everyone in Seboet knows of them, but few have ever seen the oracle of Seboet.
Hidden away in the walls of the city's largest temple, their default
task is finding new Innates to work as priests or warriors. But the
heretic threat them and they have begun secretly organizing a force to
fight it. Innate and Brainwashed.
[The Concubine] ♀ Nyaera
A southern import, her beauty is the talk of the town and she was said
to be the Priest-King’s favorite mistress. But recently she was
practically thrown out and has found herself involved in the Faithful
thanks to her way with words and knowledge of the world outside the
city. She has a great many connections and is very persuasive. Beautiful and Connected.
[The Sniper] ♂/♀ Jacob Einsen
A gun-wielding mercenary from out of the city, The Sniper is more interested in the paycheck than the problems of the city. They're an excellent shot with their rifle, but are useless in combat up close. They bring their own problems from outside the city. Mercenary and Uninvolved.
[The Protector] ♂/♀ Dair Abar
Once one of The Seer's most loyal guards, The Protector has taken an oath to protect The Seer with their life, and has guarded them for many years. But recent events have made them unsure as to how best to protect them. While not so great a fighter as The Inquisitor or The Agnostic, they swore many years ago to protect The Seer with their life. Masked and Loyal.
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