Post by ᴏ ᴘ ᴀ ᴌ } on Dec 24, 2013 23:05:22 GMT
In the alternate reality of Promethaen, the Earth has been invaded by behemoths, monsters from beyond our solar system. Very few peoples have survived, and most of them now have assimilated together to form a very viking-esque culture. These vikings, having developed steampunk technologies, have spread about the earth and now maraud around in fleets of airships.
Please note that our characters will all be able to shift into one animal, which you choose when you make your character.
It's also a good idea to remember that there are hundreds of vikings and Drakonrhedi, and we won't be roleplaying them all.
This world is a steampunk world as well. That means that airships and zeppelins are a common sight here. But we also have some fantasy mixed in, as the Drakonrhedi are a police organization who ride snow drakes. Magic is present, as well as the gods, in the form of the Promethaen.
Currency-wise, most people use coins or a barter system. 100 copper coins make a silver coin, 100 silver coins make a gold coin.
There are different classes of airships as well. Zeppelins are slower, more strongly armored airships, while air drakkars (or just drakkars) are faster airships.
Drakkar:
Zeppelin:
There are two remaining bastions of civilization left in the world besides the fleets of airships owned by the viking Clans and villages scattered across the lands. They are Midgardborg and Drakonborg.
Midgardborg is a floating city populated by the Hrafnung Clan, Vikings without an allegiance, and members of other Clans. It is home to maybe a thousand (which, considering what happened to the world, is a considerably large number). It has platforms for airships to land on if they need repairs, or if their occupants wish to visit the city. Throughout the city are carvings, statues and other depictions of the different Clan mascots: you might see a lion head over a doorway, an arch with a stone raven on top, or a statuette of a polar bear beside a fountain.
Drakonborg is also, in effect, a floating city. Only this one floats on the water... or in the air. Drakonborg is the home base of the Drakonrhedi, hence its name. It is capable of housing a few hundred Drakonrhedi and drakes at a time, but that would be very uncomfortable. Its comfortable capacity is around about a hundred rider and drake pairings. Pretty much a giant air and water drakkar, its multiple masts provide ample roosts for the drakes.
The vikings of Promethaen are much like the vikings we know from history- war-like, competitive people. However, these vikings are held in check by the Drakonrhedi, so instead of pillaging each other, they launch raids on the behemoths when they can.
Every viking has the ability to shapeshift into an animal, as determined by the roleplayer. Usually, the animal that one turns into is determined by their Clan, however, there has been some mingling between clans, so all animals are possible in any Clan. Animal forms usually also impact the human form, and vice versa- a person with a bear animal form will probably be bigger and stronger than someone with a raven. That's not to say that you can't have your big manly viking have a hummingbird as his animal form. He just may not be very happy about that.
Vikings usually have their first shift into their animal form at age fifteen. At age sixteen, they're evaluated by the Drakonrhedi who search for possible new drake riders, and have usually discovered their animal form by then.
There are five Viking Clans in the world of Promethaen, each with their own mascot. Almost all of the time, those descended from the Chieftain of each Clan have their mascot animal as their animal form. Tension is high between clans, despite the work of the Drakonrhedi. Battles can break out pretty frequently, considering the nature of the vikings.
The vikings have a ranking system within their clans that ensures that they're at least semi-organized. At age twelve, you become an apprentice to one of the Clan's warriors. Apprentice/mentor pairs are chosen by the Clan chieftain. If you're not chosen as one of the Drakonrhedi at age sixteen, the earliest you can become a warrior is at age twenty. Not all warriors are axe-swingers, though- each apprentice chooses something to specialize in, whether it be steering the ship, melee combat, manning the cannons, or making weapons and armor for the clan. At age eighteen, and they spend the rest of their apprenticeship with a different warrior who specializes in what they chose.
(Please also note that many of the tales below given as examples of each Clan's greatness are exaggerated, as Vikings do like to brag.)
Clan Armfastrung commands a fleet of eight drakkars, its flagship being the Talon, a drakkar specially augmented by the Clan chieftains over decades to make it the swiftest flying ship around. It can fly at the spectacular speed of 56 knots (65 mph) on a normal day, and if piloted by an expert captain and assisted by a strong wind, it can go even faster. However, while their ships are unrivaled in speed, they're not the most robust, and nor do they pack a huge punch, and they're not the easiest to control.
The mascot of Armfastrung is the eagle, a proud and mighty bird. The Chieftains of Armfastrung have long been able to shift into the form of the eagle, and the most famous of them, Chieftain Arik Mammothsquasher Whitefeathered Armfastrung, was able to turn into an albino eagle. Should a viking be born into the clan with the ability to turn into a white eagle like their esteemed ancestor, surely they will be hailed as an heir to the leadership position.
Like their mascot animal the bear suggests, everything about the members of Clan Bjornung is bear-like. They're usually bigger people, more muscular and rugged than most vikings.
Bjornung commands a fleet of five of the sturdiest, most powerful ships that have ever sailed the frosty skies above. Every last one of them is a zeppelin, their membranes painted with scenes of battling white bears. Their sides are covered with rigging, as the warriors love to climb up the sides of the zeppelin's balloon and set up their turrets and cannons there to shoot from the topside. While it's a dangerous way of attack, the vikings wouldn't have it any other way.
The greatest ancestor of the Bjornung was Chieftain Svardi Shipbreaker Jaggedclaw Bjornung, who is said to have been so adept at shooting from the topside of his zeppelin Ferocity that he could fell a ship with a single, powerful (and explosive) cannon blast. His ship is now the flagship of Clan Bjornung.
The Hrafnung are a smaller Clan than most. They have a fleet of airships like all Clans, but it is much smaller than the others, and these Vikings are also the guardians of the great city of Midgardborg. While they still pillage, they do so less frequently and are the mildest of the Viking Clans. Their mascot creature is the raven. Specifically, their mascots are the two legendary ravens of Odin: Huginn and Muninn.
The fleet of Hrafnung airships numbers four in total, and consists of two drakkars and two zeppelins. The flagship, Huginn, is a drakkar (the name Muninn currently belongs to her sister ship, the ninth vessel to bear the name- Viking ships don't always last long). Huginn is not as fast as the Armfastrung drakkars, although it can match the Wulfing vessels when necessary. In general it does not, however, and patrols the area around Midgardborg to prevent it from coming under attack. However, Vikings will be Vikings, and those of the Hrafnung Clan are not above a little violent adventure every now and then. How do you think the first eight Muninns were lost?
In case of conflict, Huginn is outfitted with cannons on either side of her deck, and one at the front. Her hull, rumoured to be made of the wood of Yggdrasil (although this is very much a rumour), is covered with carvings depicting the raven mascots and their master, Odin. Legend has it that the founder of the Clan, Hvatgeirr Quicktalon Strongspirit Hrafnung, was actually a high priest and prophet of the Norse god Odin, hence the usage of Huginn and Muninn as the Clan's mascots. In any case, it is almost certain that Hvatgeirr could take the form of a raven.
Lions have adapted well to this new ice age, turning into white-pelted cold-resistant felines capable of surviving easily on the tundra with their considerable agility and ruthless hunting tactics. Clan Lennarting personifies that agility and sneakiness, and to an extent their adaptability. Lennartings are renown for their agility and stealthiness. They're also fairly good negotiators. Many of the members of the lion-strong clan are assassins and thieves, putting their natural skills to a darker cause.
Lennarting ships are of the drakkar model. While they're not as fast as those of Armfastrung, they're much more agile and pack a harder punch. While not as heavy-duty as the zeppelins of Bjornung, Lennartings prefer things that can fell a ship with one well-placed strike, like a sniper turret.
Clan Lennarting's flagship, the infamous Frostfang, originally belonged to a rogue group of assassins who had stolen and modified it. The assassins took down many ships before Chieftain Ralof One-eye Helmcrusher Lennarting boarded it and singlehandedly slew all the rogues, claiming the modified ship as his own.
The Wulfing, whose mascot is the wolf; are a large and quite powerful Viking Clan. Their fleet consists of twelve drakkars which, while not quite able to match the speed of the Armfastrung drakkars; have more firepower than them. The sheer number of Wulfing ships also makes theirs the largest fleet around.
Their flagship is the Fenrir, and it is quite an impressive vessel- it is basically a zeppelin in design, with depictions of the wolven demigod Fenrir gracing its hull. The Fenrir isn't as fast as the Wulfing drakkars (while they can reach about 40 knots on a good day, it can only reach 15), but has far greater firepower. That's not to say that the drakkars are weak: indeed, as mentioned earlier, they have more firepower than Armfastrung drakkars, though they obviously aren't as powerful as zeppelins. Wulfing Vikings boast a combination of power and speed. They are not as powerful as Bjornung warriors or as fast as Armfastrung fighters, but those of the Clan who come close to the wolven ideal possess qualities of speed and strength in admirable doses.
Chieftain Wulfgar One-legged Greyshield Wulfing was the clan's greatest Chieftain. He was the one who drafted the plans for the Fenrir. Once while pillaging a remote village, he happened upon a crippled dwarf smith. In exchange for the smith's life, the dwarf made him the figurehead as well as many of the weapons that are now installed in the Clan's great flagship.
Please note that our characters will all be able to shift into one animal, which you choose when you make your character.
It's also a good idea to remember that there are hundreds of vikings and Drakonrhedi, and we won't be roleplaying them all.
This world is a steampunk world as well. That means that airships and zeppelins are a common sight here. But we also have some fantasy mixed in, as the Drakonrhedi are a police organization who ride snow drakes. Magic is present, as well as the gods, in the form of the Promethaen.
Currency-wise, most people use coins or a barter system. 100 copper coins make a silver coin, 100 silver coins make a gold coin.
There are different classes of airships as well. Zeppelins are slower, more strongly armored airships, while air drakkars (or just drakkars) are faster airships.
Drakkar:
Zeppelin:
There are two remaining bastions of civilization left in the world besides the fleets of airships owned by the viking Clans and villages scattered across the lands. They are Midgardborg and Drakonborg.
Midgardborg is a floating city populated by the Hrafnung Clan, Vikings without an allegiance, and members of other Clans. It is home to maybe a thousand (which, considering what happened to the world, is a considerably large number). It has platforms for airships to land on if they need repairs, or if their occupants wish to visit the city. Throughout the city are carvings, statues and other depictions of the different Clan mascots: you might see a lion head over a doorway, an arch with a stone raven on top, or a statuette of a polar bear beside a fountain.
Drakonborg is also, in effect, a floating city. Only this one floats on the water... or in the air. Drakonborg is the home base of the Drakonrhedi, hence its name. It is capable of housing a few hundred Drakonrhedi and drakes at a time, but that would be very uncomfortable. Its comfortable capacity is around about a hundred rider and drake pairings. Pretty much a giant air and water drakkar, its multiple masts provide ample roosts for the drakes.
The vikings of Promethaen are much like the vikings we know from history- war-like, competitive people. However, these vikings are held in check by the Drakonrhedi, so instead of pillaging each other, they launch raids on the behemoths when they can.
Every viking has the ability to shapeshift into an animal, as determined by the roleplayer. Usually, the animal that one turns into is determined by their Clan, however, there has been some mingling between clans, so all animals are possible in any Clan. Animal forms usually also impact the human form, and vice versa- a person with a bear animal form will probably be bigger and stronger than someone with a raven. That's not to say that you can't have your big manly viking have a hummingbird as his animal form. He just may not be very happy about that.
Vikings usually have their first shift into their animal form at age fifteen. At age sixteen, they're evaluated by the Drakonrhedi who search for possible new drake riders, and have usually discovered their animal form by then.
There are five Viking Clans in the world of Promethaen, each with their own mascot. Almost all of the time, those descended from the Chieftain of each Clan have their mascot animal as their animal form. Tension is high between clans, despite the work of the Drakonrhedi. Battles can break out pretty frequently, considering the nature of the vikings.
The vikings have a ranking system within their clans that ensures that they're at least semi-organized. At age twelve, you become an apprentice to one of the Clan's warriors. Apprentice/mentor pairs are chosen by the Clan chieftain. If you're not chosen as one of the Drakonrhedi at age sixteen, the earliest you can become a warrior is at age twenty. Not all warriors are axe-swingers, though- each apprentice chooses something to specialize in, whether it be steering the ship, melee combat, manning the cannons, or making weapons and armor for the clan. At age eighteen, and they spend the rest of their apprenticeship with a different warrior who specializes in what they chose.
(Please also note that many of the tales below given as examples of each Clan's greatness are exaggerated, as Vikings do like to brag.)
armfastrung
swift eagle clan
Clan Armfastrung commands a fleet of eight drakkars, its flagship being the Talon, a drakkar specially augmented by the Clan chieftains over decades to make it the swiftest flying ship around. It can fly at the spectacular speed of 56 knots (65 mph) on a normal day, and if piloted by an expert captain and assisted by a strong wind, it can go even faster. However, while their ships are unrivaled in speed, they're not the most robust, and nor do they pack a huge punch, and they're not the easiest to control.
The mascot of Armfastrung is the eagle, a proud and mighty bird. The Chieftains of Armfastrung have long been able to shift into the form of the eagle, and the most famous of them, Chieftain Arik Mammothsquasher Whitefeathered Armfastrung, was able to turn into an albino eagle. Should a viking be born into the clan with the ability to turn into a white eagle like their esteemed ancestor, surely they will be hailed as an heir to the leadership position.
Bjornung
clan of the polar bear
Like their mascot animal the bear suggests, everything about the members of Clan Bjornung is bear-like. They're usually bigger people, more muscular and rugged than most vikings.
Bjornung commands a fleet of five of the sturdiest, most powerful ships that have ever sailed the frosty skies above. Every last one of them is a zeppelin, their membranes painted with scenes of battling white bears. Their sides are covered with rigging, as the warriors love to climb up the sides of the zeppelin's balloon and set up their turrets and cannons there to shoot from the topside. While it's a dangerous way of attack, the vikings wouldn't have it any other way.
The greatest ancestor of the Bjornung was Chieftain Svardi Shipbreaker Jaggedclaw Bjornung, who is said to have been so adept at shooting from the topside of his zeppelin Ferocity that he could fell a ship with a single, powerful (and explosive) cannon blast. His ship is now the flagship of Clan Bjornung.
hrafnung
raven clan
The Hrafnung are a smaller Clan than most. They have a fleet of airships like all Clans, but it is much smaller than the others, and these Vikings are also the guardians of the great city of Midgardborg. While they still pillage, they do so less frequently and are the mildest of the Viking Clans. Their mascot creature is the raven. Specifically, their mascots are the two legendary ravens of Odin: Huginn and Muninn.
The fleet of Hrafnung airships numbers four in total, and consists of two drakkars and two zeppelins. The flagship, Huginn, is a drakkar (the name Muninn currently belongs to her sister ship, the ninth vessel to bear the name- Viking ships don't always last long). Huginn is not as fast as the Armfastrung drakkars, although it can match the Wulfing vessels when necessary. In general it does not, however, and patrols the area around Midgardborg to prevent it from coming under attack. However, Vikings will be Vikings, and those of the Hrafnung Clan are not above a little violent adventure every now and then. How do you think the first eight Muninns were lost?
In case of conflict, Huginn is outfitted with cannons on either side of her deck, and one at the front. Her hull, rumoured to be made of the wood of Yggdrasil (although this is very much a rumour), is covered with carvings depicting the raven mascots and their master, Odin. Legend has it that the founder of the Clan, Hvatgeirr Quicktalon Strongspirit Hrafnung, was actually a high priest and prophet of the Norse god Odin, hence the usage of Huginn and Muninn as the Clan's mascots. In any case, it is almost certain that Hvatgeirr could take the form of a raven.
Lennarting
lion-strong clan
Lions have adapted well to this new ice age, turning into white-pelted cold-resistant felines capable of surviving easily on the tundra with their considerable agility and ruthless hunting tactics. Clan Lennarting personifies that agility and sneakiness, and to an extent their adaptability. Lennartings are renown for their agility and stealthiness. They're also fairly good negotiators. Many of the members of the lion-strong clan are assassins and thieves, putting their natural skills to a darker cause.
Lennarting ships are of the drakkar model. While they're not as fast as those of Armfastrung, they're much more agile and pack a harder punch. While not as heavy-duty as the zeppelins of Bjornung, Lennartings prefer things that can fell a ship with one well-placed strike, like a sniper turret.
Clan Lennarting's flagship, the infamous Frostfang, originally belonged to a rogue group of assassins who had stolen and modified it. The assassins took down many ships before Chieftain Ralof One-eye Helmcrusher Lennarting boarded it and singlehandedly slew all the rogues, claiming the modified ship as his own.
Wulfing
wolf clan
The Wulfing, whose mascot is the wolf; are a large and quite powerful Viking Clan. Their fleet consists of twelve drakkars which, while not quite able to match the speed of the Armfastrung drakkars; have more firepower than them. The sheer number of Wulfing ships also makes theirs the largest fleet around.
Their flagship is the Fenrir, and it is quite an impressive vessel- it is basically a zeppelin in design, with depictions of the wolven demigod Fenrir gracing its hull. The Fenrir isn't as fast as the Wulfing drakkars (while they can reach about 40 knots on a good day, it can only reach 15), but has far greater firepower. That's not to say that the drakkars are weak: indeed, as mentioned earlier, they have more firepower than Armfastrung drakkars, though they obviously aren't as powerful as zeppelins. Wulfing Vikings boast a combination of power and speed. They are not as powerful as Bjornung warriors or as fast as Armfastrung fighters, but those of the Clan who come close to the wolven ideal possess qualities of speed and strength in admirable doses.
Chieftain Wulfgar One-legged Greyshield Wulfing was the clan's greatest Chieftain. He was the one who drafted the plans for the Fenrir. Once while pillaging a remote village, he happened upon a crippled dwarf smith. In exchange for the smith's life, the dwarf made him the figurehead as well as many of the weapons that are now installed in the Clan's great flagship.
