Fantasy We are Musketeers (Fantasy interest check) (open)

[Lordxana0]

The land of Izunra is filled with mystery and magic. Monsters roam between kingdoms as if they were kings, magicians craft wonders from magic in the air, swordsmen of legend cleave mountains as easily as a knife might cut through warm butter. It is a land of storied history and wonders, from the Forgotten Age and its lost technology, to the current Age of Wonder. However this Wonder comes at a cost, the cost of those that are weak being crushed underfoot by those who are strong, the rich overtake the poor, and each day people cry out to the Saints and the Creator for justice only to see their cries disappear into the air without answer. The world is wonderful, but man is unjust and cruel despite their gifts.

But while man might be cruel, men can be merciful, kind, and just. Even if these things are in short supply there are those who have them, who see the world and wish it to be better, but know that wishing is not enough. So these men and women flock to the banner of the Saint of Sword, Count Loric of Ornament. The Count cast away his fortune and lavish lifestyle and took up sword and rifle in the name of the people, swearing an oath to defend those who were abused and who cried out. His legend grew and like minded people flocked to him. Under his training the first generation of Musketeers came to be, creating their own land outside of the control of any other kingdom. With freedom from any set law the Musketeers can deploy anywhere in the world from their hidden city in order to right the wrongs that are cast upon people.

A Musketeer will only hold themselves to three laws.

• I will forever strive to do that which is Just. Even what is Just is not lawful then the law is wrong and will be ignored. The right thing takes precedent over all other things, and I will not be held back from it. If I forget this I will lay aside my cloak and weapons and pledge myself before a lord, enforcing laws even if they don't hold my belief.
• I will endeavor to protect all human life, even the lives of my enemies. I shall only end a life if the following conditions are met. 1. The life which I am about to take can no longer be classified as human, but has descended into that of a demon. 2. By sparing the life of my foe many others will face execution in their place, in order to protect the world I will commit this sin. 3. The enemy whom I face shows such skill that I am forced to acknowledge that fighting at anything less then my best will result in my death and others. Only if one of these three is met will I end the life of another human. If I should forget this I will become a monster filled with blood lust, and will lay aside my cloak and weapons so I may become a beast.
• So long as my body retains strength I will never stop trying to aid others. Even if the entire world is on my shoulders and my back is bent like an old mans I will take the weight from others and carry it. My life is not my own, but simply a tool for which good can be done. If I should forget this and seek personally glory I will lay aside my cloak and weapons and enter the world of nobility, feeding my ego until I am crushed by its weight.

Those who hold these to be true shall be welcomed into the sacred order of the Musketeers and become servants of the people until the end of their days.

Classes

• Master of Arms- A Master of Arms is a Musketeer who strives to find power within the strength of their arms and their chosen weapon. Each has studied long hours and practiced each day in order to use their weapon to its fullest potential. In the hands of a Master of Arms a knife is as deadly as any sword. Beyond this they have honed their own bodies until they reach an understanding of self that allows them to move in a way that wastes no effort, their reflexes are the likes of which could run through a storm and not have a single drop of liquid upon them. They strive to end conflicts in a straight forward way, but despite their best intentions find issues of more subtle natures difficult to grasp.
• Rangers- Rangers are Musketeers who battle from range with a variety of hidden weapons and fast hit and run tactics in order to confuse their enemies. They utilize a wide variety of weapons, from the subtle throwing knife to the powerful Musket to end conflicts quickly. They train in the shadows to hide their natures until they can fully blend in to the background, becoming living shadows whose ever movement is wrapped in mystery. They are prepared for a variety of situations and prefer to be a step ahead of everyone. However due to their solitary nature they at times have trouble communicating their thoughts to others. Their hearts are in the right place, but their communication skills are awful.
• Seekers- Seekers are those who dare to uncover the secrets of the natural world by manipulating the natural mana in the air to form spells and perform wonders. At times what they do appears to be miraculous, as if they were reshaping the world itself to their needs. However this an illusion, the Seeker can only reach forward into the mana with intent, what they draw forth from it may not always be what they expect or plan. It is only with years of meditations and study that a Seeker can come to actually craft the wild mana of the world into a controllable form, and even that provides some difficulty. They are by far the most powerful of the Musketeers, but physically most are frail. The greatest drawback for a Seeker is their sight, which allows them to know others by looking at how the mana of the world reacts to them. Most go mad seeing only darkness in others and become Witch's who cause pain, but should a Seeker stay true they can inspire light into the world.

"Greetings to those who are known as Musketeers, I write this letter never knowing if it will reach you but praying to the Creator and each of the Saints praying that it does. I am the Crown Price of a large Kingdom by the name of Zorim, and I have seen such pain in my kingdom that it rends my heart. Without having made it known I have walked among our people and felt their despair, children dead on their mothers breast for lack of food, priests thrown from their places of worship so that they can be remade into the sanctuary of a witch. Nobles feed of honey and boar while the common people beg for rats. My peoples pain is my own, but I have no power, and even my father the King is made into a figurehead by the Nobles, holding our kingdom hostage with threats of pulling out their money and leaving us defenseless to the more aggressive Kingdoms. But I can no longer stand this, I can't live knowing that my people suffer. I do not ask for you to empower or serve me, I beg you to do what must be done for my people. I don't care if I am cast from my place on the throne and live the life of a commoner working on my hands and knees to scrub floors. Please I cast aside my pride and beg you in the name of the Saint's and the Creator, please save my people. I beg this of you.'

An old man lowered a crumpled letter onto a large wooden table in the center of a large hall, filled with figures wearing red robes with hoods that covered their faces. Also at the table was a pale blonde man with a saber at his side, and a young woman with raven hair and ebony skin who wore pistols on her sides. "This is the request that has come to us," the old man stated.

"I see," the pale man said, steeping his fingers together and looking forward. "If people are being abused then the only action we can take is to strive forward and save them." he smiled confidently and put a hand on his blade, as if he were going to charge forth himself.

The raven haired woman looked less sure. "And if this is a trap, we have never been friends to nobility before, having a Prince write us and begging for his people sounds suspicious to me." her words weren't meant to be unkind, but carried with them an air of realism to them.

"I must rebuke you at that," the old man put a hand over the letter. "This paper carries with it the soul of a gentle person, even with my weak eyes I can still feel the tears that splashed on it while he cursed his own weakness."

With a nod of her head the woman accepted those words. "Very well, but I would still recommend we send a group forward to observe teh situation before we gather all of our forces."

"I agree my dear." the old man replied with a nod.

The pale man frowned but accepted the words of his fellow Musketeers. "I see, then!" he stood up on his chair and looked to the various figured that surrounded the table. "I ask for volunteers for this mission, if you believe yourself ready state your intention so all may know who you are!"