"You seem hesitant, High Templar." Isillien allowed the slightest hint of disappointment to creep into his tone, as a parent might speak to their misbehaving child. "If you have concerns, I do hope that you will voice them now, while we are all here to listen."
Scibryn looked across the faces of those gathered: Mograine, Whitemane, Herod, Loksey, and several of the most devoted among the Crusade's ranks. Were Uther to question Isillien at such a gathering, the Lightbringer himself would be hanged.
"Concerns. No, Grand Inquisitor, I acutely understand your reasons for seeking the reclamation of Hearthglen. It is your confidence in the abilities of the new recruits-"
"Splendid, aren't they?" Isillien smiled. "The way they fought so valiantly under the banner of the Crusade. They will make excellent additions to the citizenry of New Lordaeron."
"Yes," Scibryn said, doing everything in his power to keep from sounding as frustrated as he truly was. "It was an impressive tournament." All who were gathered, with the exception of Mograine, nodded at the sentiment.
"Good, then we are in agreement." The Grand Inquisitor rose from his seat, which happened to be the cue for the others in the room to do the same. "I do understand their lack of experience and the trouble this brings you, Lightwielder, and that is why they will not be tasked with the reclamation until after further training."
Scibryn relaxed to an extent, though worry was still apparent on his young features. "Thank you, Grand Inquisitor," was the only appropriate response.
"Thank you, High Templar," Isillien responded, not missing a step. "The Light go with you, one and all."
"And also with you," chanted the gathered voices of the Crusade.
The Grand Inquisitor placed a hand on the Houndmaster's shoulder as he departed, and the two spoke as though they were childhood friends. Apparently, Isillien wanted very much to see the birth of a new pup, which Loksey had promised him before his excursion to the Monastery. The conversation was so pleasant as to grind on one's nerves.
"You look concerned." Mograine did not speak often, but when he did, the man chose his words with express purpose. He narrowed his eyes at Scibryn from the doorway.
"A momentary difficulty," he replied, fixing a pleasant smile upon his face.
"Very momentary, I would hope."
The Scarlet Commander made eye-contact with Whitemane, who hurried to catch up and accompany him out the door. Before leaving, she offered a cold glare at Scibryn. It was astounding to him that the Light still responded to a woman who seemed so dead inside.
Scibryn closed his eyes, shook the thoughts from his head, and gestured for two of the elite Crusaders to follow him.
"To Venomweb," he said, his voice oddly calm. "To New Lordaeron."
As you may have guessed, this thread is a continuation of a storyline which ended around the time of the restart. The purpose is to allow the players of Conquest of the Horde to play as the stalwart, zealous, and tragic members of the Scarlet Crusade, and view Azeroth through their unique perspective.
This time, instead of focusing on the Scarlet Monastery as a roleplaying locale, the storyline will take those participating on a desperate journey through Tirisfal, the Plaguelands, and eventually Northrend. Combat will be almost constant, with brief rests to allow for conversational RP.
Character Creation
So, you're already set to make a Scarlet? Here are some things you need to know:
- Human is the only accepted race for this storyline. While there is lore behind High Elves and Dwarves being members of the Crusade, they won't be part of this event-chain. Any class is allowed, with the exception of Death Knight. Note that shadow priests and warlocks, if discovered ICly, will die horribly.
- If you were previously involved with the first Scarlet Crusade storyline, you can play as your original character, with all the knowledge they would have from their interactions before the server restart.
-Character profiles are completely optional, as there should be almost no reason to OOCly advance beyond level 1.
-It should go without saying, but any character you've RPed as already cannot be a member of the Scarlet Crusade.
-All characters created for the Scarlet Crusade should be created with the previous knowledge that they may be killed permanently at any time. They may or may not have an opportunity to become normal roleplaying characters after the event-chain.
-When RPing your Scarlet outside of events, please remain within a close distance of the area at which the most recent event ended, i.e. where the group has made camp. If players cannot observe this rule, they will find themselves ganked by hostile NPCs if they step too far. And that will be after the first instance of it happening.
If you have any further questions, please send me a PM on the forums.
Combat System
Combat will be done through a variant of the /roll 50 system developed by Grakor. Here are the details, copied from his storyline involving the Bronze Dragonflight:
Grakor Wrote:Attacker rolls above defender (30 vs. 25) - Strong Hit (2 damage)
Attacker rolls below defender (20 vs. 25) - Weak Hit (1 damage)
Attacker rolls double above defender (50 vs. 20) Critical Hit (3 damage)
Attacker rolls below half defender (10 vs. 25) Miss (no damage)
Player characters will have 10 HP to start.
Characters with healing abilities (paladins, priests) may restore a certain amount of HP per event. How much will depend on the location, and the part of the event-chain.
Alternatively, 5 points of healing may be used to bless a weapon or piece of ammunition. This will make that object deal additional damage. How much and for how long will also depend on the location and part of the quest-chain.
Characters with training entirely for combat situations (warriors, rogues) may automatically deal critical damage a certain number of times per event. This will be determined mostly by which part of the quest-chain the players are at.
Characters specializing in the arcane (mages, warlocks) may use an area-of-effect spell to damage multiple enemies a certain number of times per event. This will be determined mostly by which part of the quest-chain the players are at.
It's worth mentioning that you will be fighting a number of different enemies, with a wide assortment of powers and skills. The NPCs will, at times, be able to affect your character without rolling for it. Keep in mind that my goal in life is not to kill your Scarlets in creative, spectacular ways- Though I will be happy to do so, if you give me ample reason.
The Story So Far
Here is a document explaining the foundation of the Scarlet Crusade, from a man who seems to view the organization in a notably positive light:
Spoiler:
Forward from ‘Treatises on the Scarlet Crusade: The Past, Present, and Future of a New Order' Penned by the hand of Kalzar DeFontaine, Scribe and Follower of the Holy Light
The Scarlet Crusade was born in a time of war and disease. Some would say, during the endtimes; when the Light itself would wink from existence, and all the shadows of the world would converge upon the human race. But these were not the end of days. For those brave men and women who came together to fight the plague and reclaim Lordaeron under her blood-soaked banner, the Third War was merely a beginning.
The early events of the war will not be retold in this text, whose sole purpose is to explain how the Scarlet Crusade came to be. Many great heroes and warriors of the Light fought and died during these times, and their memories are still fresh in the minds of those who survived. To further chronicle their sacrifices would be redundant, and so, I will focus these writings upon the deeds of those who contributed to the Crusade as it stands today.
The first members of the Crusade, its two great fathers, were High General Abbendis and Grand Inquisitor Isillien. These two brave men battled to save Lordaeron even as it burned around them, and then continued to battle the undead as they traveled what would come to be known as The Plaguelands. As Holy Light and Lordaeron steel flashed, the plagued monstrosities fell to either side, and these first crusaders single-handedly wrested land back from the undead invaders.
Among their number were Abbendis' lovely daughter, Brigitte, the youthful Renault Mograine, Taelan Fordring, and Sir Saidan Dathrohan. These great men and women lead the priests and paladins of what was the Silver Hand to Hearthglen, and devised a plan to eradicate the considerable undead presence from Lordaeron's borders. Grand Inquisitor Isillien served as the figurehead of what would become the Scarlet Crusade, and through his stirring speeches and incredible displays of the Light, he recruited many worthy crusaders to the cause. Meanwhile, High General Abbendis would lead the order's army of paladins against the minions of the traitor-prince.
Sadly, tragedy struck the crusade early in its inception, as one of Grand Inquisitor Isillien's own trainees unwillingly assisted in an assassination attempt which could have included the leadership of the entire organization. While gathering food for the cause, the young page was murdered by minions of Arthas, and raised as an uncanny likeness of the crusader he once was. The trainee returned to Hearthglen unnoticed, and crept into the Grand Inquisitor's chambers under the cover of darkness. Fortunately, Isillien himself thwarted the attempt at his life, and brought his young apprentice to peace through the power of the Light and a well-placed dagger.
While dramatic and disheartening, this event brought two new facts to the eyes of the Scarlet Crusade and her leadership:
First, that the forces of the undead could raise a human to look as they did in life. Thus, any person could be among the undead, regardless of their appearance or behavior.
Secondly, by way of this first fact, the Scarlet Crusade was facing a far greater threat than they had ever believed.
With this knowledge in hand, it was decided that the members of the Crusade must engage in an all-inclusive purge of the Plaguelands. High General Abbendis would decide to lead the Scarlet forces against the undead within Stratholme, and strive to restore the jewel on the crown of Lordaeron to its former glory. The Grand Inquisitor took charge of the Crusade's activities to the West, seeking to regain the farmlands and other strategic points therein.
Over time, Saidan Dathrohan would take the title of Grand Crusader, and with his considerable experience and wisdom, came to be the truest voice of authority while personally claiming leadership over the fight into Stratholme. Abbendis continues to command the paladins of the Crusade, while the Grand Inquisitor monitors the ascertaining of information and the training of all priests. Several strongholds have been reclaimed from the scourge, including the Scarlet Monastery to the East of Lordaeron's capital; as more survivors of the plague are found, they are welcomed into the Crusade with open arms, and given training to help fight against the monsters who destroyed their lives.
Now, the Scarlet Crusade is on the path to retake Lordaeron for those who rightfully belong there. A path which will be sopping with the blood of both the undead and those who would create them. And when they have regained that which was taken from them, the men and women of Lordaeron will enter a new age, bathed in the Holy Light and free of fear.
Within this chronicle you will find, in detail, an accounting of the triumphs of the Scarlet Crusade, and reasonable predictions as to the future of the organization as the governing force of New Lordaeron. Said descriptions are purely theoretical, of course, and are in no way derived from any official mandate from the Crusade's leadership.
Your character was among a small group of survivors until recently, traveling through the Plaguelands in search of respite. At the moment before their death seemed imminent, they were rescued by members of the Scarlet Crusade. What follows is an In-Character account of the desperate situation, as posted in the thread for the original event-chain:
Spoiler:
Three days.
You haven't eaten in three days. Rotten apples and moldy bread are your most recent memories of food, and what little you found in that abandoned home was hardly enough to split between the members of your haggard group- The 'meal' left you feeling more sick than anything.
Some of the others have started whispering about the dead. Unburying the ones who weren't already torn apart by walking skeletons or eaten by ghouls, and making use of what the maggots haven't touched.
Of course, that is out of the question. You haven't considered resorting to such a desperate tactic.
Or have you? Isn't that what you're doing now, as the churning stomachs and hollow sobbing of your comrades become a deafening symphony in your mind?
One of the older survivors, a gray-bearded man from Stratholme, holds up his hand, palm out. His brown eyes shift to one of the boarded-up windows, and he reaches for the scythe he had claimed from a ruined farmhouse a week ago. The harvesting implement had been used with varying degrees of success to fend off the undead, but now, the blade is worn. It looks as though the handle could snap at any moment. With it would go any hope of survival, for you or the group.
No digging up graves to find something edible; no dying in your sleep, hungry and cold. Impossibly strong hands, cold as Alterac snow, would wrap around your neck, bash against your skull, and rip into your ribcage-
You hear what the graying man did. A scratch on the window, lacking the controlled pattern of a living creature. The crying ceases, and any with the strength to stand do so. You lock eyes with your companions, each of you knowing.
Your group is too weak. Too tired. They won't make it to the next empty building, if there is another one in this Light-forgotten place.
The scratching is louder now. The bearded man hands you the scythe, which feels alien in your grasp. Too heavy for its size. You notice blood caked on the tip of the thing.
It could be your blood, in a moment.
The scratching escalates into banging. Glass shatters, and the boards covering the ruined window are sent to the floor. Sickly, orange daylight streams into the building, blinding you to the rotting faces glaring from outside. The sound of fighting rings clear, and you charge the window. Even on the precipice of death, you will fight. You will protect what remains of the human race with your last, shallow breath.
The scythe digs into undead flesh, and the creature pulls away, taking the head of the weapon with it. This is the end. This is when you will die.
"Survivors, High Templar! Survivors!"
A man's voice. A living man, whose tone is unfamiliar. Before you can begin to understand what is happening, a horn is blown, and the sounds of fighting intensify. You see men and women in blood-red tabards fighting the scourge. Fighting the scourge in order to protect you.
After what seems like seconds, the battle is over. The undead are burned in a large pile, and your desperate group is led outside. You are each given clean water, and a fresh apple, as red as the heraldry of your saviors.
A young man with blonde hair seems to be the leader of this band. He speaks of a Crusade, and a cathedral to the West. "The Light has blessed us both this day," he states reverently, "In leading us to these lost children of Lordaeron."
This is the end. This is the day you cease to be a survivor.
This is the day you become a warrior of the Scarlet Crusade.
Please use this as a template for your character's recent history. Each of the Scarlet recruits would know each other, as they went through this traumatic event together, and were together during the required period of quarantine at the Scarlet Monastery.
Following quarantine, the recruits were introduced to the leadership of the Crusade in Tirisfal, and were given the opportunity to attend sermons, train, and do research within the library. A tournament was held, which several of the new crusaders participated in. Grand Inquisitor Isillien, who arrived for a surprise visit to the Monastery, personally oversaw the tourney, and declared the initiates ready for combat with the minions of the Scourge. The Crusade would begin a push into Tirisfal, with the new recruits leading the charge.
High Templar Scibryn Flinn is a high-ranking member of the Crusade, and was responsible for saving the group of survivors from certain death. Since then, he has taken particular interest in their advancement as members of the crusade, and has thus been given the responsibility of leading them in the assault on Tirisfal. He is a kind, sympathetic man, and extremely talented with the Light, but his dedication to the Scarlet cause is unwavering.
Events
Scarlet events will happen once a week, on Sundays at 12 PM server-time. Due to a difficult schedule at work, this is the most time I can consistently offer. Check the following post for updates on events, and any changes in scheduling that may occur.
As stated before, if you have any questions, feel free to send me a PM. Thank you!
Event 9:'Broken Prayers'
Sunday, December 5th, 12:00 PM (Server Time)
"Light, protect them. Light, watch over them. Light, bring fiery vengeance upon those who would tarnish the name of Lordaeron's fallen."
The High Templar awaits, in the somber heart of the Scarlet Cathedral.
"Light, protect them. Light, watch over them. Light, guard your followers against the blades of the heathens, and guide them to your grace, should they fall."
The Talisman of the Crusade rests at his feet, glowing a soft golden shade.
"Light, protect them. Light, watch over them. Light, guide my blade against the nonbelievers, and bring glory in the name of the Crusade."
I think for this time I will take another jab at trying this if that's rad with you.
Thane Gwydd: Mountain King Gwyddy Warlord Kron: Horde Warlord Battlecruiser Captain: Who called in the fleet? Sir Baldwin: Knight of Stormwind My Guide to Roleplaying Warfare!
aroes Wrote:The Scarlet Crusade, or for the purposes of this one allows raven priests right?
Nope. You're Scarlet Crusaders- We're assuming that Hearthglen and the Scarlet Monastery were cut off from the Scarlets who went on to become the Onslaught, so as of yet, they still have some standards when it comes to the Shadow (or demonic magic or whatever Raven Priests do).
That said, you can play any class, so long as your character is subtle about it. Casting some firey spells as a warlock won't be a problem, but summoning an imp will result in your lynching.
I think it should be clarified, as some people may have gotten the wrong idea, here: You're only going to be able to ICly play your Scarlet characters at events, which will be scheduled in this post. This could change later in the storyline, but for now, you will need to be phased and potentially summoned to the location of the event due to limitations with phasing and NPC factions.
If the scheduled time of the events doesn't jive with your schedule, I'm sorry. You may have to sit out on this RP. I wish that weren't the case, but with the uninstanced monastery missing in action, this event-chain will have to happen in a very controlled environment.
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