This is a revamp of an old rp that myself and some others played over the summer. We all loved it so much, that after it died (the original creator and some others left) I decided to make this new one and redesign it a little. It's nearing the final stages of completion, so look to see it up soon! And be sure to look back here for more additions to the game.
Here's the original Drops of Sand
And here's the info I have so far for the new one.
SYNOPSIS
Three years have passed since the union of the two Royal Families, Minnylayn of Water and Aekarin of Sand, was forged with the wedlock of the soon-to-be heirs of their respected crowns. The union brought a new peace of which the land had not seen for hundreds of years. But the city of Baatha has changed much over the years; a group of dissenters that had taken control of the city, the Wonderers, now spoke out against the Royal Families. Encapsulating their cause as to end the aristocratic rule, they have sealed a section of the city off from both the Minnylayn and Aekarin loyalists, and have declared an unofficial war of sudden strikes and raids upon both families. Even as the land is divided, a few members of the Royal Families have begun looking toward their old feud, the feelings of bitterness and hatred growing strong once again.
LOCATIONS
Baatha is a sprawling city located on the Darudinub River (or the Border River as it is called by many inhabitants), and serves as the buffer between Minnylayn and Aekarin territories. In fact, it was created many years before, in an attempt to provide the peasants with a neutral zone in which all could live without taking sides in the war. A twenty-foot-high wall surrounds the entire city with the main road passing directly through it, a large gateway on each side of the city. The waterway in the center of the city is usually filled with small fishing or trade boats, coming from up and downstream. There is a large square on the eastern side of the river, filled with many shops and saloons. The buildings are constructed of adobe and have flat roofs, and many of the streets are filled with multi-storied buildings with balconies, awnings and small walkways. One centerpiece in the city now is the new Wonderer district. This section of the city is walled in itself, similar to a small fortress, and contains several large buildings that are interconnected, which form the Wonderers� citadel. No one but Wonderer affiliates may enter this part of the city, and it is heavily guarded on the inside.
Haalas stretches northward from the Tameril mountain range up into the Northern Wastes. Much of Haalas is composed of coniferous forest- thick, cool woodland, with shrubs amongst the needles of the forest floor. The land is largely uninhabited, primarily because there is little room for farming, and winters are typically parlous. In addition, packs of wolves roam through the woods hunting small creatures or grazing beasts. The northern part of Haalas is frozen tundra--flatlands of nothing but short grasses. Much of the tundra remains frozen even in the summer, leaving a blanket of snow covering the ground as far as the eye can see.
Jiasun is a humid land of dense jungle and beautiful glades along its many rivers. It is mostly unexplored, and travel through its rainforests is quite difficult, with humid temperatures to poisonous animals and insects all impeding progress. Much of the region sits on top of swampland, and there are bogs of salt water even forty miles in the mainland. One of the beauties of Jiasun is its canopy trees, which can grow over a hundred feet tall, and blanket the ground from rain. In some spots, they block out the sunlight for other plants, and so a "chamber" is created with a few shrubs on the forest floor, and nothing in between for hundreds of feet up to the canopy ceiling. Jiasun is also home to many exotic varieties of herbs and flowers that are used for special ointments or potions. These unguents are expensive--paid for in the price of death of those who enter the jungles to find them.
The Great Desert is a sea of burning golden sands with dunes that extend to the skies like mountains. The landscape is ever-changing, as the winds sculpt new dunes and landmarks are buried by sand. This makes the only true means of navigation the stars and sun. Most travel should be done at night, when the temperatures are low, and the sand does not form a blinding reflection. There are a few oases that dot the land, giving travelers a temporary rest. The Aekarin palace is located in the northwest portion of the Desert, where the wind is less harsh, the sand less abundant, and the ground flat and drizzled with rainwater much more often.
Aekaris, the Aekarin Palace, is a grand structure of bleached marble, limestone, and granite. The Palace is actually located in a large oasis, with cliffs surrounding its back end and a marvelous courtyard in front with stone pathways and archways over them. There are also many trees with large trunks and ponds lining the paths. It is known for its beautiful grand halls filled with massive collumns and hanging gardens, which are on large balconies and courtyards elevated several floors from the ground. One of the most impressive displays in the palace is in the Great Hall. Behind the thrown, there is a magic-powered sand "waterfall" that flows constantly and lines the entire back of the Hall. All the servants live inside the Palace, and there are over seventy individual bedrooms.
Minnylayn, like its Aekarin counterpart, is a grand palace of the Minnylayn family. It, however, has a very distinct style from that of Aekaris. It has seven main towers, the seventh being the largest and centerpiece, with a massive dome on top that displays a tableau portrayal of the sky in the day, and the stars at night. Also contained behind the main tower is an enormous covered bath. The water is always kept warm, though there are many smaller heated and cool baths throughout the palace grounds. Small streams and channels flow fresh, clean water all around the palace, with many natural streams flowing from the Lake of Life. The other six towers have secondary functions: as watch towers for palace. A wall encircles the entire palace, connecting the towers together, and a large moat is contained just within.
MAP
Updated Map
CHARACTERS
The characters of Drops of Sand are inherently Human. Sorry, no Elves, Orcs, or Dwarves here. But despite this, as with the world today, there are many, many different kinds of culture and the human form can be changed for each environment. Having only humans may seem limiting to some, but to others it creates a unique fantasy environment that is devoid of the "racial clich�s". It also will allow for a more balanced group of characters between the several parties.
Your character in this rp is, essentially, you. Just like you, they make mistakes. Just like you, they don't always succeed in what they're trying to do. This rp takes into account these many aspects of humanity.
First, your character must have an appropriate age. If you were thirteen years old and a group of bandits attacked you, you could do little more than cry and scream like a baby. However, some people seem to think that a thirteen-year-old can wield a large sword or battle axe that weighs about as much as they do, and still manage to not get a single scratch. So, your age will also affect your character's abilities, physical and mental, and just about everything else they do. Please try to avoid the "youthful hero" stereotypical character. Remember, you don't have to be the same things as your character.
Another aspect of this is that ALL characters, when they first begin the rp, are NOT matured, no matter what their age. In this respect, they have a limited amount of experience. Therefore, a character who's been in the rp longer will have more experience, and, will probably perform tasks much better than someone who just joined. All players with magical abilities will start out at Level I.
Magic vs. Nonmagic
A character with the ability to use magic of any type, regardless of level, will not be as strong physically as someone who does not. (The amount of magic a character can perform also affects this ratio). So, there are no characters with superb magic skills that can physically fight a person without magic. (As the mind strengthens, the body weakens.)
Fighting Other Players
When you fight against another player (as is often the case), the best thing to do is to PM each other, and make decisions and compromises on how to set up the whole fight, and then have one player submit the entire fight for both characters.
If there is more than two characters involved in a fight, you can do as above, though it may be more difficult. In this case, it is acceptable to freestyle, but try to tell other players before you attack them so you can make the appropriate adjustments.
Remember, the key to PC fighting is not to win, but to make the story more interesting. Add a twist. Losing never hurt anyone.
MAGIC
There are several types of magic in this particular universe: Sand, Water, and Miscellaneous magic. There are six levels of magical ability. ALL characters WILL start out at the first level, although level 0 is optional (null magic). Below is a list of the current magical abilities and their appropriate levels.
Sand Magics:
Family Bond � Constant � The blood-bound members of the Aekarin family, (ie those who share the same blood as the royal family) have the ability to communicate with each other psychically. They can �think� to each other, and can also determine the general direction of each other. However, certain conditions may block this ability (such as using Shroud).
Sand Golems � Lv. I � VI � Sand Golems start out as 6-inch tall �sand men� that can travel quickly to a person from another, glowing softly with a magical aura, and have several properties like healing, eavesdropping, and vocal transmission. Size and power vary with level.
Shroud � Lv. II � VI � With a cloud of sand, the magic user can turn invisible like the wind and travel much faster for a certain length of time. The shroud takes up a great amount of magical energy, and can normally be used only once or twice a day.
Sand Telekinesis � Lv. II � VI � Sand Telekinesis is the ability to manipulate sand in close proximity around the user. Note that this does not change the molecular properties of the sand, but simply uses it like, say, a fire hose, to shoot powerful bursts of sand or act as a simple deflector.
Water Magics:
Water Golem � Lv. I � VI � Water golems are similar to Sand golems, but they are not humanoid, resembling a globule that has several tentacle-like extensions protruding from it. They have the same abilities as sand golems.
Swim � Constant � While this is not exactly magic, Minnylayn family can swim quite well, unlike most others in the land. They can hold their breaths for a very long amount of time, allowing them to escape pursuit effectively.
Hydrokinesis � Lv. II � V � Hydrokinesis is the ability to manipulate water in close proximity around the user. As with Sand Telekinesis, this does not include making objects from water, but simply pushing or pulling it for effect.
Extended Hydrokinesis � Lv. VI - This is one of the ultimate water magics. With this ability, the user can summon water particles in the air (scientifically, either water vapor or hydrogen and oxygen molecules) to compact, forming water spontaneously. Using this ability allows the person to use hydrokinesis when no water is available.
Miscellaneous Magics:
Blast Magics � Lv. I � VI � Blast magics are pure energy put into a physical form to push, burn or destroy objects in their paths.
Telekinesis � Lv. III � V � Telekinesis is the power to move or manipulate objects without physical interaction. A person with telekinesis can push, pull, pick up, or distort objects around them, depending on their skill level. Range is also affected by level.
Healing � Lv. I � VI � A person with healing abilities can use magic to restore damaged tissue to its healthy state. Healing one's self can cause extreme fatigue, however, as the body must not only heal, but generate magic.
(NOTE: Not all characters need (or should) have magic. Only those characters with a special affinity for magic should use more than a few spells. If you�d like to add new spells, please notify me FIRST and we can work them out.)
THE PROFILE
Your profile is where you can describe your character (as detailed as you like, though it would be best not to put in an entire story in the History section, as everyone must read others' bios).
Here's what you need for the standard profile. (History is an optional feature).
Name:
Age:
Affiliation:
Description (Appearance/Personality):
History: (Optional)
Magic:
I did not put a "weapon" entry, because it is common for a character to use whatever weapon is onhand. However, if you have a special weapon (non-magic, strictly), then you may add that in the Description section.
There is also a rule against using your avatar and account as a basis for your character. You may not have descriptions like "Avatar", nor can you write out in full what your avatar looks like. This is mainly because I'd like to keep this an rp that does not have any anime characteristics in it. So no hair colors that aren't the normal black, brown, blonde, gray, or white. Sorry if you have a problem with this.
Another thing, is that I'd like all names of characters to at least sound a little exotic, due to the fact that this rp is more of a story told by many people from different angles. To fully envelope other characters in this world, you must (at least try) to come up with an interesting name (without numbers, or your account name in it, unless it's a good name then). Sorry for being a**l about this, but I'll let you know if you can use a name or not, and if you want, I can help you out.
Affiliations:
There are four different affiliations that you may choose to side with when you join the rp. They are as follows: Minnylayn, Aekarin, Wonderers, and Freelancers.
You may only choose one side to ally, but, Freelancers may act as go betweens for all both Minnylayn and Aekarin, or may act on their own volition.
(NOTE: Basically, the Minnylayn and Aekarin families are not participating in the feud, but several members of each are secretly plotting to continue it. If you join either of these families, you may choose to be a "New Peacer" or an "Old Feuder". The choice is up to you.)
And that's all I have! Thanks for reading. surprised
