The Imperial city of Piera was undergoing some truly strange events. A meeting of Templars and Inquisitors had been called to address truly chilling catastrophies. Now many mage hunters, clad in their solid black armor bearing the triple bars of the Inquisition, headed for the great castle in the center of the city. Accompanying them, strangely enough, were the holy warriors and noble monks of the Knights Templar, clad in their shimmering silver, gold, and red armor. Some were far more decorated than others, but no matter their pride or their humility, all of them carried one thing in common: the shining star of Astra Aeterna.
Inside the castle, many Inquisitors and Templars had already gathered. Within a few moments, they convened in the great hall, all taking seats at a massive table spanning the length of the entire room - a room that was larger in itself than the entire houses of some peasants. To see so many Inquisitors of the Black and the silver and gold Templars seated together was truly a sight.
However, no one celebrated the situation. At the head of the table, seated across from each other, were two mighty commanders.
On the right side, Grand Master Aurora Caelestis of the Knights Templar rose to her feet. She was a tall woman wearing the very finest of deepgold and deepsilver armor, trimmed in red and spangled in the star of Astra Aeterna. Her long, flowing hair was as golden as her metallic adornments, and her bright blue eyes caught the light of the great chandeliers hanging overhead. Those eyes almost seemed to glow as she looked across the table... And the gaze of Grand Master Aurora Caelestis then fell upon the man seated across from her.
Inquisitor-General Karl Metus now rose to his feet. He stood above average height for an Imperial, clad from head to foot in solid black armor. He reached up and removed his black helm, setting it on the table before him to reveal a stern, grizzled, and yet handsome face, clean-shaven but wearing a scowl. His dark hair was cropped efficiently short, and his deep green eyes contrasted the bright glow of those belonging to Grand Master Caelestis.
"I am honored to meet you, Inquisitor-General," said Aurora Caelestis, giving a bow of her golden head.
"Likewise, Grand Master," said Metus in his gravelly voice, though his own nod was not quite so deep. Regardless, his respect was clearly quite genuine.
Karl Metus turned to the others present, looking over the many gathered individuals. Near him sat trusted Ebonguards Ben Blackburn and Yaroslava Sturm, and near Caelestis sat trusted Templars Stevan Rolf and Sebastian Leclair. But many more from each order - and perhaps even some Venatori - were seated up and down the great hall.
"We gather today to discuss a great threat," said Metus, standing his full height and moving to the head of the table. "A man known only as Letom wreaks havoc across the Empire. While his actions have not been so great as to mobilize the entirety of the Inquisition or the Knights Templar, he is a threat that must be answered before greater force must be taken to end his life."
Caelestis approached the head of the table next, and Metus silently moved to one side as she took her place as well.
"Thus far, Letom has taken the life of one Inquisitor in Tabula. From what we've learned, he killed this Inquisitor in his sleep and took his void iron gear. Afterward, Letom attacked a monastery of Astra Aeterna in a small village near Appledale. Whoever Letom may be, he managed to elude capture in the Empire when traveling as far as Tabula to Appledale - many days' and nights' worth of riding."
"We don't know his identity," Metus added, "nor do we know his motivations or his goals... But it's rumored that Letom was seen using magic when he attacked the monastery of Astra. Whether this was magic granted through a pact with a demon, or he is a born mage, we cannot be sure."
"But," Caelestis went on, "he needlessly took the lives of many monks when attacking the monastery. He stole many valuable manuscripts and burned the temple to the ground. His nickname 'Letom' was acquired from this attack, a testimony from one dying survivor. We do not know why he called the man this, but it may be a derivative from the word 'letum,' a High Imperial word for 'death' or 'decay.' It is almost certain this name is unrelated to Letom's true identity.
"Some manuscripts were left to burn with the rest of the monastery, but the ones that Letom stole were all of similar subjects. They concerned the relationships between demons, celestials, and mortals - others discussed the passage of the soul into the afterlife. Whoever Letom may be, he seems obsessed with death... in more than one capacity."
For a moment, silence reigned. Metus at last took a breath and spoke next, "We do not know whether Letom is a member of a cult, if he is a born mage, who he truly is, or why he would kill an Inquisitor, risk stealing his armor, and then tempt the wrath of the Templars as well by stealing manuscripts and defiling a monastery. Whoever the wretch is, we must find him before he strikes again. Many other attacks have cropped up since the death of the Inquisitor he killed, and we've seen a spike in cult activity throughout several regions. Whether they're related to him, we cannot be sure...
"Therefore, Caelestis and I are forming a team of Inquisitors and Templars to investigate this matter. As a start, you may want to look into other attacks and suspicious activity in the area. You are, as always, authorized to deal with any other threats you find along the way, but you nonetheless currently have a more important mission. Whoever volunteers, understand that it is now your ultimate duty to find Letom, and end him."
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Templar player intro:
As a member of the Knights Templar, your entrance into the castle goes unimpeded. Even from here, you recognize the High Imperial chanting from a nearby monastery of Astra Aeterna: your own goddess. The monks mourn the loss of their brothers in the chaos and devastation caused by this stranger, this "Letom." If you are as faithful as your vocation would imply, you cannot help but feel compelled to bow your own head and murmur a prayer for them as well.
The numerous local knights and watchmen bow their heads or nod to you in passing as you ride up to the gates on your personal steed. Once your horse is stabled and you enter into the castle, you quickly realize there are quite a few Templars and Inquisitors inside already. The Inquisitors don't always regard you with the utmost respect, but they certainly regard you as an equal... Whether or not they enjoy doing so.
The other Templars, however, offer you greetings, salutes, or bows based on their own personal training and beliefs. Some were originally monks and bow their heads, others were originally knights and soldiers and offer you salutes instead, often pounding one fist on their breastplate - over their heart - as a sign of respect. The Inquisitors often just nod, though some of the more respectful ones will salute or bow their heads as well. Whatever the case, and whatever the assorted butting-heads and frequent minor squabbles over jurisdiction, the Templars and Inquisitors are clearly working together right now.
Your order is one of wealth, your station one of nobility and power - no matter who you might've been before you were knighted, if you weren't born into your noble status, like most Templars. Whether you joined this order for the influence and gold, or because your faith drew you to aid others, broker peace between other temples, and protect innocents from the horrors of evil that constantly threaten and tempt this good world, you are here now.
When you arrive at the meeting, you take a seat at the table along with your Templar brothers and sisters, listening intently to the leaders who discuss the situation. In the presence of Grand Master Aurora Caelestis, you feel calm and confident, as if she carries with her a very aura of warmth and wisdom.
As the meeting concludes, however, you must decide... Will you be one of the Templars who answers the call to end this agent of evil and put a stop to his crimes, once and for all?
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Inquisitor player intro:
Some Inquisitors like to say that, of all the Imperial orders, the Inquisition receives the most stares. While that may not necessarily be true, you certainly get your fair share as you approach the castle. Clad in your solid black - or close to it - attire, you look like a servant of Thanatos. And yet you and your order, in spite of their grim appearance and occasionally equally as grim reputation, serve an extremely important role in maintaining peace and protecting the innocent... You hunt down and capture - or, if absolutely necessary, kill - those known as mages. They are called many names, and some call their abilities the Gift, but you know it as "the Condition."
These magi are beings so unimaginably powerful that someone has to be there to keep them from destroying others, decimating villages, and tearing apart the very fabric of existence. Their uncontrollable magic warps reality itself and causes horror beyond comprehension. Even one loose mage could result in catastrophic devastation, no matter how goodhearted that mage may be. You and your order exist to make sure no innocent, no village, and not even the land itself has to suffer from the threat of this nightmare.
Of course, not all the peasants around you realize this. Plenty of the nobles don't understand, either. None of this matters as you enter the castle to attend the meeting between the Inquisitors and another Imperial order, the Knights Templar. Not all of these knights show you a great deal of respect as you pass, and you're aware that many of them disagree with the beliefs of your order. Many of them are willing to set this aside, however, and salute or nod to you regardless. Others show you great respect, on par with what your fellow Inquisitors show - and, sometimes, the Templars are actually more respectful.
You take a seat at the table as the meeting begins. While none of the Masters of the Inquisition are present, an Inquisitor-General is - Inquisitor-General Karl Metus, to be precise. His eyes briefly pass over you, and you know your presence has been acknowledged. Metus stands among the most stern and harsh of even the commanders of the Inquisition, and to even receive a look from him makes you feel a brief swell of pride. It is an honor to stand in the presence of, and serve, a man who has seen and survived the terrors that Karl Metus has endured.
Over the course of the meeting, you cannot help but dwell upon the importance of retrieving these void iron items. The Inquisition is built upon its access to void iron, a metal that absorbs magical attacks. Without it, the Inquisition would be nigh-upon powerless. Given void iron's rarity and value, all Inquisitors hold a great responsibility to maintain their own armor and weapons made from that solid black metal. If an Inquisitor loses his or her void iron - be they dead or alive, and whether they have only lost one piece or an entire panoply of armor - the Inquisition will mobilize to recover it at all costs.
That only leaves one question: will you join your compatriots in the mission to find this merciless killer, defeat him to defend the entire Empire and even the lands beyond it, and recover the slain Inquisitor's void iron?
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Venator player intro:
You approach the castle in silence, lacking the fanfare and stares drawn by the Templars and Inquisitors. You, in your simple attire, with only a dark blue hood and cloak with a silver brooch to mark your allegiance, attract no admiration or respect from the locals. More often than not, you go unnoticed, though sometimes a few will shoot a disdainful glance in your direction. How far the noble order of the Venatori has fallen in the eyes of the people... The useless "monster hunters," outdated and unnecessary, the underfunded men and women watching day and night to keep innocents safe.
Either the disdain is mutual, and your frustration with those around you and their thoughts of the Venatori grows with each look you receive - or you are secure in your discipline. You know what you're doing is right, and whether or not people realize how necessary your order still is does not matter to you. The hunt never ends, and you will not sleep so long as innocents need protecting... No matter how little gratitude they show for your sacrifices.
Or perhaps you're different entirely. Maybe you care nothing for the Venatori and their silly goals, their ridiculous hunting of monsters that barely even exist and certainly are no threat to the Empire. Maybe you find them laughable for their determination to protect peasants from a threat that the vast majority of humanity never even knows is real. Monsters are fairytales and bedtime stories for most Men. Maybe you're just a criminal, lowlife, or some other peasant who had nowhere else to go, so you turned to the Venatori for work... And you're one of the bits of scum dragging down the once good - but long since spat-upon - name of the Venator order.
Regardless of your own feelings, as you approach the castle, you find the occasional Templar or Inquisitor who will extend respect to you. Some salute, nod, or offer another form of greetings. Certain others will glance at you in such a way that clearly indicates they wonder what you're even doing here. How does this concern you and your lowly order?
You are, however, nonetheless seated at the great table with the rest of the Imperial officials. Grand Master Aurora Caelestis clearly respects you and your order, as she bows her head solemnly as you take a seat. Even Inquisitor-General Karl Metus acknowledges you, though he does so only with a glance and a terse nod. Still, from what you gather about him, that is far more than many receive.
As you listen, you realize this may not even concern you. This is certainly the trouble of the Inquisitors and Templars. However, depending on how you may feel about this threat, whether you deem other types of monsters under your jurisdiction are involved, and how you feel about aiding these other two orders, you could nonetheless offer them your aid...
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Welcome to Damnatio Memoriae. This RP (and/or campaign, as I call them, as it's still a part of the persistent world, but it's its own storyline) is heavily centered around certain Imperial factions.
Therefore, you should be prepared to sign up as a member of the Knights Templar, the Imperial Inquisition, or at least the Venatori. I may be able to work in other factions or just factionless - so to speak - knights from certain cities. However, you have to be aligned with the Empire, and it would be vastly preferable if you were just a Templar or Inquisitor, or else a Venator. As mentioned in the intro, there aren't many Venatori involved, so bear that in mind. If you sign up as a character who's not a part of these factions, they'll have to have a very good reason to be there and be allowed to work with these Imperial officials. And, as mentioned, they absolutely cannot be freelance. This is not a place for civilians and/or "adventurers."
In this RP, expect action, adventure, mystery, the occasional touch of horror, numerous sidequests, several NPC companions with their own backstories to explore, and a heavy main plot.
Your goal is - seemingly - simple: find out who this "Letom" is, what his motivations are, and - most of all - find him and put a stop to his crimes... No matter how large in scale they may be or they may become, and no matter how many connections he may have. Along the way, you might just find yourself tangled in complicated moral choices, and the consequences of your actions will stay with you for the rest of your character's life in the world of Errant.
To sign-up for this RP, head on over to the sign-up thread and create your character using that. Copy-paste the sign-up sheet found at the bottom of the sign-up thread, fill it out, and post your character here in this thread.
Character Creation Criteria
First and foremost, your character must be a member of the Knights Templar or the Imperial Inquisition. You can also be a Venator, but I would prefer fewer numbers of those overall. That doesn't mean they're disallowed, however. As mentioned, arguments could be made for other factions or else for just some Imperial knights not necessarily belonging to a particular order, Paladins, the Imperial Legion, or Knights of Dracon or Knights of the Star Sapphire, but the majority of players should be Templars or Inquisitors or Venatori.
For more info on these assorted factions, consult the Wulfgard wiki and the sign-up thread. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask me anything (preferably doing so in the Wulfgard Q&A thread in the Wulfgard board, via PMs, or else just in this topic - but the Q&A thread would be best).
Races that are allowed must adhere to the rules listed under the Faction sections in the sign-up thread, or else something that can pass as a human. In other words...
Accepted:
- Templars - Humans, possibly half-elves and some other more human-like races or half-bloods (but anything other than just a pure-blooded human would be very rare and rather shunned, as the Templars are knights and thus are generally Imperial nobles and/or at least Imperials who were knighted by Achaean royalty, or else they're priests of Astra)
- Inquisitors - Humans, possibly half-elves and some other more human-like races or half-bloods (but anything other than just a pure-blooded human would be very rare, as the rest are magical races)
- Venatori - Humans, elves, dwarves (Elves and dwarves being comparatively very rare, especially elves of any type, but not shunned from the order)
Kill-on-sight, but can hide among humans:
- Templars - Werewolves, human magi; vampires and demon-kin would be unable to hide amongst the Templars due to their unholy nature
- Inquisitors - Werewolves, vampires, demon-kin, human magi
- Venatori - Human magi; werewolves and vampires would have a nigh-upon impossible time hiding amongst Venatori, and demon-kin would be hard pressed to remain hidden as well, but if someone makes a really good case for some of those, we can see how that goes
If anyone has any monsters-hiding-among-men that I've left out and you want to sign up as that, just let me know and we can try to work something out, depending on what it is.
As always, sign up as a hidden monster at your own risk. I don't plan to pull punches in this RP... And yet hiding your true nature can be so very exciting, so no one can blame you if you want to try! You could even be spying for a different organization, if you're creative enough...
Posting Schedule: This is a section intended to inform me about my own posting schedule, not dictate yours to you. This is going to be fun and fairly slow-moving, so you should be able to keep up. I'm very busy, myself, and while I still have to figure out an exact posting schedule I can theoretically try to uphold, it should go something like this...
Big DM posts that advance the plot (and/or advance the current sidequest) will generally be posted once a week, most likely on Friday or Saturday. If I can't get a DM post up one week, I'll do my best to let everyone know. If I choose not to advance the plot because there are too many interesting character interactions going on, I'll also let everyone know. But, generally speaking, the RP should update about once a week over the weekend. I'll be posting smaller posts more frequently as necessary for character/NPC interactions, however.
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Player List:
TEMPLARS:
Dalton Westmoore - Malvolio Borgia
Flammenwerfer - Gauvain Frigidian
Harry Monster - Lady Wilhelmina "Mina" Tamaria
Maverick-Werewolf - Knight-Captain Stevan Rolf (NPC, info/description found in NPC companions thread)
Maverick-Werewolf - Sebastian Leclair (NPC, info/description found under NPC companions thread)
INQUISITORS:
Sareth - Kristina Reyne - Channeler
Dalton Westmoore - Dakari "Evan" Ebonstone - Ebonguard
Burger Warrior - Mettius Tibur - Ebonguard
Neyo Wargear - Cicero Silius - Ebonguard
Ratcatcher - Lucilla "Lucy" Augustus - Channeler
Balder - Inquisitor-General Sir Tobias du Edrimark - Inquisitor-General
Clone Commando - Augustin Caesar - Ebonguard
DragonJedi - Inghus Casperius - Ebonguard
Maverick-Werewolf - Ben Blackburn (NPC, info/description found under NPC companions thread) - Ebonguard
Maverick-Werewolf - Yaroslava Sturm (NPC, info/description found under NPC companions thread) - Ebonguard
Maverick-Werewolf - Shade, the hound (NPC, info/description found under NPC companions thread) - Dog
Maverick-Werewolf - Jane, the cat (NPC, info/description found under NPC companions thread) - Cat
VENATORI:
GhostlyCheese - Grey Blackwell