Premise
The current place in the story...
Ten years ago, Ea – ruler of the sky and overseer of all magic – stopped raising the sun which put the world in an eternal twilight. The major human societies are beginning to experience the consequences of this abrupt absence and are taking it upon themselves to reform their old ways.
Representatives of magical and non-magical kingdoms alike have been summoned to the Court of Fables, to decide the fate of the enchanted world.
You play as a representative, envoy, or adventurer, in attendance to the Court of Fables.
Eternal Twilight
Two months ago, a letter made its way into your hands.
The Court of Fables formally invites you to the domain of Ea to discuss matters progressing forward in the light of her absence. The aim of this meeting is to establish a network of kingdoms in the realm to allow better coordination and cooperation between the nations under Ea.
You have been selected based on the command of your respective regions and the expertise you have in your field.
The success of this meeting depends on the quality of participation and dynamics of the debate in order to arrive at a desired solution. Therefore, we should like to call your attention to the meeting’s method of work which is based on your active participation and sharing of practical experience. Thus, each participant will communicate their organization’s unique experiences as well as best practices to share with others. The Court of Fables will support the nations and integrate their experiences in its Strategic Plan.
Travel and accommodations will be covered by yours truly.
A carriage will come to collect your representative in two months.
- Alistair
Before you now is a carriage, as promised, having arrived and planning to depart without a driver.
If you wanted answers to your questions you had no choice but to step on and go where it takes you.
History
Ea, ruler of the sky and overseer of all magic, made the world with the muses by singing the chorus of creation. Upon completion, Ea populated the world with sentient creatures. All of nature lived in harmony in accordance with their song.
The residual magic used to create the world gave rise to the faeries. They were otherworldly beings in possession of a small portion of Ea’s magic, and they bestowed powerful gifts upon humanity with the intent to shape the history of mankind.
Humans and magic would feed into one another in a seemingly endless cycle toward the progression of their goals. The delicate balance between mankind and magic would be violently disrupted one fateful evening – Eventides.
Ea had failed to raise the sun, and it sits idling on the horizon. But more recently, there has been a strange rumor spreading across the land
For the first time in recorded history, a faerie had been killed, and by a human nonetheless.
World
The world is flat. Although mountains and valleys exist, it’s as if a map laid on a table depicts it to be – flat. Those foolish enough to sail to the edge of the world never came back to report what they found, as far as anyone is concerned it simply doesn’t exist.
The magic in the world allows for fantastic and unnatural landscapes to exist. Floating hilltops, underground caves complete with a night sky, forests with trees that stretch into the clouds, glistening sand dunes made of rare minerals, are just a few lands that inhabit the world.
Technology varies between kingdoms and nations. Steam and coal still dominate urban environments, but places are beginning to see electricity in their cities.
You are free and encouraged to make your own kingdoms, settlements, and lands for your characters and the purposes of your stories.
Enchanted Kingdoms
It’s not uncommon to find kingdoms residing on terrain shaped by magic. Some were designed that way as the world was sung into creation, others have been shaped by the faeries out of their whims or at the behest of their human worshippers.
Human Settlements
Landscapes that harmonize with their environment are known as human settlements. Water flows down from Everests, and currents form from the tides. Magic contributes little to how and why things operate.
The human settlements which relied on the sun to grow their crops and feed their livestock have suffered the most. Many are collapsing as goods and resources become scarce.
The Court of Fables
The Court of Fables is a castle-archive of legends maintained by the servus, a bipedal race of creatures with inherent magical ability. They were created by Ea to help maintain the castle which also served as their home. Only a servus can navigate the realm where the castle lies.
Their duties are to collect and record the major historical events of the world, making their appearance either revered or feared. They are rarely seen, and don’t stay for long. Many doubt the very existence of the servus and the court itself.
Inhabitants
Servus
Most are rather simple-minded compared to the faeries. Maintaining the castle archives is their primary goal. They have no interest involving themselves with the faeries, fabled, or humans.
Although they were born of magic, most are typically less powerful than their faerie counterparts.
They only eat baked goods and pastries.
Faeries
They come in many shapes and sizes, appearing before humans in a form that would best allow them to communicate.
Faeries are quite mischievous, so while they can help commandeer the landscape with their magic they are best left out of political squabbles.
Despite the immense power at their fingertips, they cannot kill another living creature.
Giants
Giants are the forces behind storms, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. They were made by the muses and lack any form of sentience. Supposedly they appear when two dense deposits of magic in the land collide.
Their storms are more intense and fleeting than the storms found in human settlements.
Dragons
The muses made them as wards of resilience, and they obey the lands which they protect. They are seen as greedy with a low regard for human life.
Dragons subsist on magic to reach an old age and retain their abilities. Elder dragons are known to communicate using the native language of the land.
Fabled
The Fabled are creatures made aware of their sentience through magical means.
They were once an animal or an object, but through magic have gained a humanoid form.
They come in many shapes and sizes, but all are known to think, speak, and move about on their own. More importantly, they draw magic out from their curse or blessing, which is what distinguishes them from a cursed or blessed human.
They also have no means of reproduction.
Humans
Humans form societies, build cities, and make discoveries about the land while simultaneously destroying it with their wars, conflicts, and greed. Magical abilities do not come naturally to humans; however, they are susceptible to the curses and blessings of faeries.
Witches are humans who have devoted their lives to studying magic. As a human, they do not have innate magical abilities, but instead manipulate it from the world around them.
It’s not uncommon for witches to be cast out of their respective societies on the account of dabbling with magic.
Magic
All magic is derivative of Ea. The faeries, the Servus, and the land, all have inherent magical ability. The Fabled are able to draw out magic from their curse or blessing.
This allows characters a fragment of usable magic. These are open to interpretation - what may seem like a blessing for one can be a curse on another.
All Fabled characters are blessed or cursed with life. Being cursed or blessed is optional for human characters.
Blessings
Blessings empower and inspire, and are gifted to characters to complete some divine duty imposed by either themselves or by the faeries. Blessings are also rewarded to those especially virtuous and have pleased the faeries in some way.
Faeries typically bless the children of royalty, giving them things like beauty and bravery.
Curses
Curses disrupt and torment, and are placed upon those who have offended the faeries. Existence is intended to be torturous with obsessive self-imposed goals that lead to insanity. That being said they can still lead very fulfilling lives.
Curses are usually performed against the will of the user, they are compelled by their curse toward action.
Honors
Honors are inanimate objects that have been charmed with either curses or blessings, but have no humanoid form or awareness of their sentience. A form could be given to them by a faerie or other creature with magical abilities, but while they are an inanimate object, they are known as Honors.
Only humans are allowed to wield honors.
Diplomatic mission
Invitees to the Court of Fables are on a diplomatic mission to decide how to progress during the cultural shift happening in the world. Magic and enchantment are falling out of favor, and in this time of duress, organization and understanding are of utmost importance to survival.
The creation of alliances and treaties are encouraged between fairy tales, but generally have little impact on the overarching plot. It is there to instigate in-character drama (fun).
Representative
As an invitee to the Court of Fables, you are likely a person of high position representing your respective fairy tale. Your character has come from a kingdom as an advocate to discuss matters with other representatives and make the needs of your own kingdom known.
Your primary job will be a representative, though you are free to hold other jobs and titles. While possible, it is not typical for representatives to involve themselves in high-stakes missions where there is potential injury. That being said, it is recommended that one or two representatives accompany a team during an outing.
Kings, Queens, and other general rulers are not representatives since they have their own kingdom to run.
Expectations
- Attend meetings
- Make negotiations
- Survey locations
- Draft treaties
- Make decisions.
Potential Titles
- Ambassador
- Advisor, Secretary (of state)
- Chief (of state)
- Prince, Princess
Expected duties can be done passively or implied in the background, you do not need to do regular roleplays for this.
Envoy
Alternatively, you may be playing a character that accompanies a representative to the Court of Fables. You are part of the Diplomatic Mission and provide additional aid to your representative. The primary goal for an Envoy is to protect their representative. The Court of Fables is a meeting between nations and kingdoms to address a world-issue, many kingdoms are exposing their vulnerabilities by participating in the hopes of finding a solution.
This role is the most flexible in terms of jobs, since it includes things like chef, doctor, thief, assassin, etc. Envoys carry out the tasks set by their representative, and are often at the front lines of a crisis.
You are free to play your own representative, or collaborate with another member to be an envoy their representative's diplomatic mission.
Expectations
- Going on expeditions
- Breaking up scuffles (or getting into them)
- Responding to disasters
Potential Titles
- Attendant
- Knight
- Assistant
- Chief of Mission
- Jester, Marshall, Chancellor
- Professor
- Retainer
Adventurer
Adventurers don’t fit in either category and work as independents. They do not align themselves with a single kingdom or representative and are often drifters in the land. A majority of them perish in their quests, penniless and nameless. Some wind up in kingdoms as envoys and even occasionally, a representative.
An adventurer that gets invited to the Court of Fables holds some notoriety, whether they are aware of it or not.
Because they do not belong to any kingdom, their needs and concerns are less prioritized.
Expectations
- Join the envoys in their tasks
- Contribute to meetings and decisions
Potential Titles
- Hero
- Refugee
- Mercenary
- Rogue