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The Days of Chivalry

Shireling

A Servant of King and Country
I will to my lord be true and faithful,
and love all which he loves,
and shun all which he shuns...


knight-errant.jpg
The Eastern Crusades have long ceased and relative peace has fallen over the lands of Velania, a realm long riven with conflict and warfare. It has been thirty years since the last Paragonic knights left the Holy Land, dejected and defeated, with the sacred sands still clasped in the hands of the bloodied Sarazin. Since then, the kingdoms of Velania have been tilting at one another, daring each other to strike and end the long peace. In times of peace, the chivalric mettle of Velania's knights are put to the test - as leisure can bring out sin more readily than war. All across the continent, armies are being raised up and lords are being sworn to fealty anew. The dawn of a new age of conflict is just over the horizon. For many of the upstart captains and knights-errant that wander the realm in search of bandits, pirates, and less savory creatures to bring to heel the old tales of gallant knightly duty and courtly love have come to pass. But for Velania, the days of chivalry are not yet numbered.

Welcome!
It has been a very long time since I have started a new RP, but I do hope that this one does well as I will have the time to be able to baby it for the next few weeks. The general aim of Days of Chivalry is to be a heavily narrative storyline centering on the political machinations of lords and kings and the various knights and captains that fight for them. It will be Mount and Blade meets Song of Roland meets a soap opera or high-strung Netflix drama, essentially. The characters will be knights, lords, captains, merchants, court ladies, etc all crashing into each other as the various countries on the map fight for land and honor. There will be battles, tournaments, courtly love, political intrigue, and potentially a witchburning or two to get everyone properly into the medieval mood. Below is the map of the realm and the various nations, as well as a description of each and their military strengths. Each player can only have one "campaigning" character, that is a lord or captain of men that commands a levy, but can have as many knights, ladies, and other assorted lesser characters as they feel they can handle or make interesting. Any other information you can get from me by posting questions in the comments.

Velania Continent Map.jpg

VELANIA - YEAR 1270

THE KINGDOM OF IRONHOLD
-Archer Civilization-
The Kingdom of Ironhold is a proud, industrious nation of yeoman farmers and foresters. The capital Ironforge is home to the ruling Steelbrooke family that is well-regarded in their lands and has ruled for generations. Ironhold is the defensive neighbor of the kingdom of Halestaff to the east with whom they share the island of Albion and are close friends with the Kingdom of Svaelund in the frozen northlands of Scarva. Their armies are generally composed of large regiments of well-trained Yeomen Longbowmen supported by solid heavy-infantry.

THE KINGDOM OF HALESTAFF
-Cavalry Civilization-
The Kingdom of Halestaff is the more belligerent neighbor of Ironhold. After an invasion by the Kingdom of Clerimont in 642, the Kingdom of Halestaff was established as a duchy of the Kingdom of Clerimont. In the several hundred years following the invasion, Halestaff has gained independence although they still have deep cultural and familial ties with Clerimont. The ruling House Halestaff has a long enmity with House Steelbrooke from years of intense fighting. Halestaffen armies generally consist of lots of heavy horsemen and heavily-armored footknights supported by crossbowmen.

THE KINGDOM OF ESPADA
-Infantry Civilization-
An ancient kingdom, the current principality of Espada was formed out of the ashes of an uprising against the Al'Sharam Sultunate which once ruled most of southern Velania. After driving the Sultanate's troops into the sea, the Espadans quickly built up a nation rich in artistic achievement, architectural advancement, and cultural fusionism. Espadans are masters of quick swordplay, and as such their swashbuckling rodeleros are some of the toughest hand-to-hand infantry in Velania. The Espadans are ruled by the House Veluca from their gleaming capital in Toleno. Historic allies of the Kingdom of Clerimont, the Espadans are deep-seated enemies of the Al'Sharam Sultunate, especially for funding and supporting the Rebel Caliph del Sol.

THE KINGDOM OF CLERIMONT
-Cavalry Civilization-
Tales of chivalry and knight errantry abound in no land as widely as in Clerimont, a nation obsessed with decorum and the codes of war. While the Clerimontain are widely regarded as unfailingly honorable and noble, they are also brash and quick-tempered. Coming to the aid of their allies in Halestaff in the Albionic Wars of 1140, their knights were disastrously defeated at the Battle of Acrine Hills which left their homeland open to invasion. Ironhold's forces invaded Clerimont the following year, sacking the capital and razing several major settlements. While Clerimont has rebuilt, enmity between the two kingdoms has not faded. Clerimont is ruled by the noble House Mountaigne and is famed for its heavily-armored and well-trained chivalric knights, the best heavy cavalry in Velania.

OLDENREICH
-Infantry Civilization-
Founded by the mythic leader of men Theodur in times immemorial, the Oldenreich is Velania's oldest kingdom. Occupying the center of the map, the nation is at once the focal point of continental trade and a potential punching bag for all the surrounding kingdoms. Because of the wars that have ravaged their lands for centuries, Oldenreichers are tough, dependable, brave, and stalwart. Emperor Olef Vardenkof is the supreme ruler of the Oldenreich and at his command the Imperial Army's legions of elite halberds, greatswordsmen, pikes, and crossbows stand stalwart against all of Velania.

KINGDOM OF SOLABELLA
-Gunpowder Civilization-
Once an imperial protectorate of the Oldenreich, Solabella gained independence in a bloody rebellion in 1022. Known for their cunning in politics and the natural sciences, the Solabellans are Velania's masters of gunpowder technology. While House Ravena holds official executive power, many of the day-to-day governing decisions of the kingdom are handled by the Citizen Senate which functions as an assembly of lords drawn up from the common population. Solabella's armies are known for their mixed pike and handgunner formations and the devastating power of their volley guns.

AL'SHARAM SULTANATE
-Siege Civilization-
Technically invaders in Velania, the Al'Sharam are followers of the Desert Precepts, a religion that most of the Velanians deem to be a heretical offshoot of the Paragonic Communion, the dominant religion of the continent. The Al'Sharam are often known to be shrewd and practical when compared to the other nations and rely more heavily on spies and subterfuge. Their once mighty empire was beaten back by a series of crusades begun in 1044 and ending in 1240 that severely weakened their grip on the continent. Under Sultan Hakim Rouan'si, the Sultanate is marshalling its strength and may be preparing to invade Velania once more. The Sultanate's armies are generally weaker than what Velanian factions can muster, save their camel-riding mamelukes which are excellent against heavy cavalry and their gunpowder artillery which is unparalleled.

TSARDOM OF KOROV
-Skirmisher Civilization-
With lands conisting of vast tracks of steppes and frozen taiga, Korov is at once the largest and most mysterious civilization of Velania. Invading armies in Korov have a track record of freezing to death, and that is when they are not being constantly harassed by Korovian cossacks. Korov's armies excell in fast-moving and hard-hitting cavalry manuevers and hit-and-run tactics. Horse archers and lancers make up the core of their fleet armies, which are supplemented by large forces of light and heavy infantry. In the strange north, Tsar Borovin rules with an iron fist and the slavish Korovians bend to his will. Particular enmity exists between Korov and the Al'sharam Sultanate.

THE KINGDOM OF SVAELUND
-Infantry Civilization-
Fiery men and women from the frozen northlands of Scarva, Svaelunders are masters of the axe and shield. While Espadans may match them in finesse in melee, the Svaelunders excel in brute-force applications of close-combat. Breaking and holding shield walls are the specialty of the Svaelunders. Aside from their skill in combat, they are also traders and navigators who have travelled across the Old World and have traded with distant lands in the far east. In current times, the Althing, the governing council of the Svaelund tribes, has appointed the militaristic Eric Stoutshield as High King who has designs against their historical rivals in the east (Korov) and the west (Halestaff).

THE REBEL CALIPH DEL SOL
-Archer Civilization-
Breaking off from Espada in 1256, Caliph del Sol is made up of former Al'sharam discontented with life under Espadan rule. They have thrown off the shackles of Toleno, led by the charismatic Caliph Ali Aburki. The Solez are famous for their Solez Archers, impressive marksmen who honed their craft hunting sand lizards on the desert dunes of southern Espada. Currently, the Espadans and Caliph del Sol have concluded peace talks, but war seems to loom on the horizon as King Rodrigo Veluca seems ready to reabsorb the upstart colony.

THE FREE CITY OF NUEHEIM
-Infantry Civilization-
Breaking off from the Oldenreich in 1089, Nueheim has been for two centuries a hub of trading and finance in central Velania. The Nueheimic have a reputation as being discerning businessmen and entrepeneurs, and this extends into their military affairs. Nueheimic pikemen and pistoliers are well-trained, well-equipped mercenaries that fight for the highest bidders. Some of the best mercenary captains hail from Nueheim, and Mayor Voltstadt does not discourage the practice.
 
Spanish Tercios incoming.... I mean Solabellian Tercios. But yea, I'm eyeing being a minor noble/marquis of Solabella.
 
I guess I'll be a merchant of the free city of Nueheim.
Spanish Tercios incoming.... I mean Solabellian Tercios. But yea, I'm eyeing being a minor noble/marquis of Solabella.
Awesome. I will have CS forms to fill out today. Tell all your friends. Also, I hope you won't be too upset if gunpowder is just a tad nerfed, Jiwon. Obviously still pretty powerful, but this is a low fantasy setting so heavily armored knights are a little (just a tad) more resilient to gunfire cause plot reasons.
 
Ahh that's fine. I'm picturing more early types of firearms/gunpowder warfare where Knights started to wear crazy thick armor to protect themselves from the primitive firearms. Course, that doesn't mean that the horses aren't free game :P
 
Ahh that's fine. I'm picturing more early types of firearms/gunpowder warfare where Knights started to wear crazy thick armor to protect themselves from the primitive firearms. Course, that doesn't mean that the horses aren't free game :P
Yup. Basically. So each faction has different conventions for how the landed nobility and the royalty operate. For the Solabellans, the "lords" of the realm are Citizen Senators who are basically rich, landed gentlemen. It's an elected title, but only other landed men get to vote so you'll want to be in their good graces and they serve for ten year terms. Its rare for Citizen Senators to be deposed in an election, and their sons often go on to be successful Senators, so it is a de facto hereditary aristocracy, but on paper they have elected aristocrats.
 
Yup. Basically. So each faction has different conventions for how the landed nobility and the royalty operate. For the Solabellans, the "lords" of the realm are Citizen Senators who are basically rich, landed gentlemen. It's an elected title, but only other landed men get to vote so you'll want to be in their good graces and they serve for ten year terms. Its rare for Citizen Senators to be deposed in an election, and their sons often go on to be successful Senators, so it is a de facto hereditary aristocracy, but on paper they have elected aristocrats.
I see we're both memes.
 
Is there a way to see what kingdoms people are already associated with?
Uhm, not particularly since no characters have actually been made yet, but I'll tell you who has proposed their choice of kingdom to me:
Crumb wants to be a Clairmontain minor lord/knight.
Heyitsjiwon has voiced interest in being a Solabellan lord.
GeneralDethGlitch has said he might join as a Svaelunder jarl or warlord.
Pat said something about being a merchant from Nueheim?
And I'm likely going to be a lord or prince of the Kingdom of Espada.
 
I would be interested in being the commander for a king or jarl or lord.
Yeah what he said. Also, you don't have to be employed by a player-controlled lord, but if you want to that would be great for character interactions.
 
This seems like a perfect way to start out on this site, honestly. Consider me very interested.
 
This seems like a perfect way to start out on this site, honestly. Consider me very interested.
You could be a mercenary captain employed by my merchant company if you want.
I would be interested in being the commander for a king or jarl or lord.
Interested.
Sounds interesting
El-Merik lookin' like a snack.
Ahh that's fine. I'm picturing more early types of firearms/gunpowder warfare where Knights started to wear crazy thick armor to protect themselves from the primitive firearms. Course, that doesn't mean that the horses aren't free game :P
Alright you guys, a CS is available down below if you would like to go ahead and fill it out. Also, welcome Erreul to the site. I hope this will go well and be a good experience for you. That's the hope anyways. Haha! You guys can PM me the CSes for approval if you finish them before I put up the CS thread. I will notify everyone again when that goes up.

DAYS OF CHIVALRY CHARACTER APPLICATION SHEET
NAME: Your character's name. Should be appropriate for their nationality, or something that would be found in a medieval European-inspired fantasy setting.
AGE: Almost all lord or soldier characters should be at least 20.
NATIONALITY: Where your character is from.
SEX: Male or female, in Velania women are excluded in most societies from direct combat roles, although there are famous examples of warrior women dotted throughout Velanian history. Long story short, female characters will have a bit rougher of a time as soldiers in most cases.
STATUS: Your character's social standing among their people. Are they a Lord, Knight, Captain, Guildsman, Freeman, Scholar, Peasant, or Cleric?
OCCUPATION: What is their trade or profession? For most people, this will be self-explanatory given the title. Lords and knights might have additional duties besides being military servants, for example, as Spymasters or Royal Castellans.
LOYALTY: Which faction do you pledge your allegiance to? Are you a sworn lord, a loyal subject, or a sellsword?
CLASS: If you are a warrior, what is your fighting style? Two-handed swords? Axe and shield? Archer? Etc.
BIOGRAPHY: Your character's backstory. Give at least two paragraphs of at least three sentences each.
PERSONALITY: Their temperment, how they react in battle, etc. Give a solid paragraph.
APPEARANCE: Include a faceclaim of some type (preferably a portrait or period artwork, but not mandatory) and a description or picture of what they might look like decked in armor or their typical regalia.
 
I guess I'll be a merchant of the free city of Nueheim.
This seems like a perfect way to start out on this site, honestly. Consider me very interested.
I would be interested in being the commander for a king or jarl or lord.
Interested.
Sounds interesting
El-Merik lookin' like a snack.
Spanish Tercios incoming.... I mean Solabellian Tercios. But yea, I'm eyeing being a minor noble/marquis of Solabella.
Alright. I think this is everyone. CS thread is up with an example for reference. I will likely have IC up tomorrow and hopefully we can get the first character posts up over the weekend.
Nation Building - Days of Chivalry Character Archive
 
Hmm.. count me interested.

I was interested in creating a pirate.. is that allowed? If not, I have some nice thieves and rogues up my sleeve (if those are allowed too).
 
Hmm.. count me interested.

I was interested in creating a pirate.. is that allowed? If not, I have some nice thieves and rogues up my sleeve (if those are allowed too).
Pirates are allowed, yes. Although if you wanted to be worked into more of the inter-character plots since most of the characters are terrestrial at this point a land-thief might be more appropriate. Although Pat is going to be a merchant so he will probably have some nice merchant ships to raid.
 

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