Kingdom of Kartosia

Thirty-five hundred years have passed since the great King Kartosh defeated the wicked Agamemnon, Leviathan of Distortion, by slaying him with the Blade of Sealing, the mightiest weapon to ever have been. The demons have been driven back, and civilization has come to rise mightily. The lands are blessed and bountiful, with the harvests ripe and the skies once again, a shining blue. An era of stability has come to fruition, with the kingdom of Kartosia rising to unite the tribes and cities under one banner. The land is ruled by a powerful council of the Twelve Houses: Braute, Rose, Young, Damantus, Sevilon, Rumor, Highbrook, Paltrow, Borgant, Tuoka, Jesh, and Sapphire.

The line of the kings, the house of Versus, directly oversees this council, directly descended from King Kartosh himself. The house of Versus rules the kingdom of Kartosia to maintain order, prosperity, and peace. But infighting within the royalty of the kingdom is common, to the point of deposition and violence. At one point, there were fifteen houses: for the families and lords of the houses of Zayne, Reighlarc, and Canova fell. These petty civil wars have driven the lower districts of Kartosia to a ruin which was unforeseen: the balance of wealth between the upper echelons of Kartosia keeps the council and their correspondents fed and with luxuries that those in the poorer districts cannot even begin to dream of. The festivals of the harvest which once brought harmony to the people of Kartosia are now a sign of this oligarchy’s influence over Kartosia. The people cry out to be heard, but the cries fall on the willful ignorance of the council, and the deaf ears of the house of Versus.

Thus, the sparks of revolution began to ignite: the people began to rise up against the Kartosian council, only to be quickly stifled by elite military forces in the employ of some of the most prominent of the council. Some within the council, such as the house of Sapphire and Paltrow, stand in protest - but are powerless against the majority of the council, whose forces have been trained generation after generation to serve the line of Kartosh: and yet, the young king of Kartosia, Aeleco, is nowhere to be found, having never made a public appearance since his birth eleven years ago. But matters were to become far worse than the trivial rebellions, resistance groups, or the economic matters of the council’s table.

The seal which King Kartosh’s blade placed on Agamemnon's Legions has begun to crumble, with demonic rituals slowly consuming the force that holds back the apocalypse. Reports of men assuming forms of demonic and preternatural abominations have become widespread, manifesting into even what the nightmare’s eyes cannot begin to conjure. Yet the council maintains and reinforces their politics: those who are neither born of royal blood nor in the employ of the council are not allowed beyond the walls which lead to the central district of Kartosia. In fact, the policy has strengthened: if one is of an ignoble beastfolk race, there is no room for their kind within Kartosia’s high districts, and they are to be executed immediately, as their blood has the “spirit of demons” flowing through it.

The houses of Sapphire and Paltrow have defected from the council in this trying time, with Sapphire gathering their ancient artifacts and weapons as well as the Paltrows offering their engineers and architects to construct shelter for the poor and the Beastfolk alike. The council has strongly disapproved of this action, and banished the Sapphires and Paltrows from entering the walls of the upper district: but it is believed that the council has more sinister plays at hand, and some rumors indicate that the council is responsible for the disintegration of the seal which keeps Agamemnon’s power sealed away into the darkness. Will the seal break, as the world is consumed by darkness? Or will a piercing light prevail, shattering the grip of the demons and tyrants that rule Kartosia?

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Welcome to the world of Kartosia, a world based on a homebrew version of Dungeons and Dragons, fifth edition, made simple. In this world, it is harsh, grueling, and unkind - yet all sorts of magical wonders litter this world. There is a diverse group of creatures that dwell within Kartosia, and a great array of characters for you to meet. This world will be opening for two groups of four. There will be some dice rolls to determine your character’s abilities in combat and stats. You are born from a nonmagical background to a race of your choice - your group will be working from the bottom as nobodies, and gaining strength and abilities as you grow. The expectation for roleplay within this universe will be paragraph to multi-paragraph, and long-term. If you do not believe that you can adjust to such a commitment or standard, I advise you do not register for the campaign.

Classes:
Abomination
Through repeated experimentation, these creatures hide a dark and shadowy self behind their normal-seeming guise. However, these creatures are easily frenzied into a monstrous, terrifying form that claws and bites its way through anything unfortunate enough to get near its vicinity.

Acrobat
Leaps, bounds, flips, jumps, and bounces are no problem for the acrobat. They can pull off seemingly impossible stunts, and it comes just about as natural as regular movement. Give one a blade, and their gymnastic talent can leave an opponent filleted before they're aware of what happened.

Addict
Human ability alone can only go so far: that is why these drug-obsessed fighters are constantly using different chemical compounds to dope themselves up, ignoring feelings of pain or fear to swiftly crush their opponents with all forms of physical and mental enhancements.

Aeromancer
The slicing gale stops for no one, but the wind can be redirected and controlled by these adepts of the air itself. Conjuring tornadoes and currents that can cut through steel is child's play for an Aeromancer.

Alchemist
Masters of concoctions, these genius chemists use their knowledge of science for both support and offense. And other things.

Arcane Fencer
The swords wielded by these duelists are not made of metal, but from magic. The blades they carry can cut through magical wards and be imbued with many of the various magical elements.

Archer
Adept with the bow and arrow, these expert marksmen take pride in never missing their targets, be it man or beast.

Bard
Charmers of all wherever they go, these musical whizzes can instill morale in anyone who listens to their stories.

Beastmaster
Beast tamers are often better with animals than people, and can often be seen riding into battle with their companions or on their trusty, yet unconventional steeds.

Berserker
These monstrous battlers lay waste to everything in their wake by using their uncontrollable rage as their weapon.

Bishop
The original masters of white magic, their direct correspondence with Ael allows them to hear the messages of the Gods, and channel their will into healing their comrades and exterminating the undead.

Brawler
A brawler needs only their fists and whatever improvised weapons they can get their hands on to turn the tables in close quarters combat.

Brewmaster
They said they were mad: "You cannot turn beverage-crafting into a form of monster slaying!" They were right, the Brewmaster was definitely mad: but a madman is more than capable of brewing the ale that inspires power among his allies. Exploding magical kegs also help.

Butcher
When you get right down to it, almost every enemy is made of some type of meat. Butchers know how to cut through flesh cleanly, precisely, and very bloodily with their cleavers. Most are suited for treating the cuts of a beast with care: but others prefer a more "humanoid" type of prey...

Clairvoyant
These odd individuals take pride in their ability to not only communicate with the dead, but use them in combat and learn secrets from beyond the grave. Some are blessed with the unique ability to see deep into the future, or even read the minds of others.

Constructor
Builders of brick and mortar, the fortresses they erect serve as safe havens for their comrades and vantage points in combat situations.

Cryomancer
Often with cold personalities to match their abilities, these prodigies are able to manipulate the freezing power of permafrost to crystallize, freeze, and impale their opponents on magically imbued ice that seems to never melt.

Dancer
A rather exotic yet unusual profession, the art of dance can be used to not only entertain the masses, but channel unique and interesting forms of magic.

Dark Mage
These individuals lurk among the shadows and have full mastery of the darkness, sharpening their blades and strengthening their spells with the umbra.

Death Knight
Clad in the umbral steel of the blacksmiths of the demon world, these enormous, armored warmasters are seen riding into combat on the steeds of Hell that they've summoned from the depths themselves, wielding greatswords and dark magic alike to crush anyone who would dare challenge them.

Deliriumancer
Some mages have chosen to trade their sanity as a whole for power: but the power gained in return is largely chaotic and unpredictable, even to the caster. Their magic of manifesting illusion into reality has stunned, shocked, bewildered, and disgusted others -- all for the humor of the caster, who uses their mad fascination with the bizarre to keep themselves empowered.

Demolitionist
If it explodes, they're responsible. The demolitionist knows a variety of spells and chemical formulas that cause their surroundings to combust: preferably enemy skulls.

Demon Hunter
Individuals who have seen the gaze of darkness, and stared back unflinchingly. Many come from traumatic backgrounds, or are brought up into the trade by clans of slayers. The weapons, artifacts, and resources they carry are all dedicated to one purpose: sending infernal spawn back to the Hell from which they came.

Druid
Antisocial hermits who dwell deep within the forest, these shapeshifters are friends to animal and plant alike, and can even control them at will.

Drunkard
The secret's in the bottle. The Drunkard has slow, but unpredictable movements. They can either be easily taken out with a slip of the foot, or be entirely untouchable and outmaneuver every class with little care or focus, ignoring their surroundings entirely just to get the next drop of liquor.

Dual Wielder
These skilled warriors require no shield: simply a weapon in each hand to outmaneuver their enemy with double the strikes.

Empath
Magic that influences, and changes the emotions of others, from anger to happiness, from sadness to disgust, from fear to love. They are in tune with the emotional world around them, and are able to sense the feelings within the earth that most cannot. These sorcerers are often underestimated, but can be formidable foes on the battlefield.

Engineer
Tinkerers and artificers who imbue magical and technological prowess into their work, creating contraptions with all sorts of different uses.

Entomancer
Some mages are more inclined to associate with their insectoid and arachnid kin, being able to communicate with the droves of small creatures that blend into the environment. Some even allow these beasts to call their bodies home as a form of pact, in order to use their powers for their own gain.

Falconer
The Falconer's flying, feathery friends are a force to fear, flaying through flesh with finesse. Although Falconers have one bird they're particularly bonded to, commanding large avian forces comes easily to these beast handlers.

Flagellant
To live is to know pain. By breaking their flesh, they strengthen their minds, and are often near impossible to bring down, as to them, torture is ecstasy.

Formless
Odd beasts that have grown so distant from their own physical form that it begins to change shape at will, depending on their needs. Fitting through tight spaces, changing into different races and faces in seconds, or swelling up to massive sizes are no problem for the formless.

Geomancer
The foundation for this art is as old as the Earth itself. Controlling stone, soil, and sand and bending it to their will is the path of the Geomancer, able to create armor from the ground tougher than steel. Their signature technique is crushing their enemies with large rocks.

Gladiator
Kings of the arena, they can take almost any weapon handed to them and charge headstrong into one on one duels better than any other type of fighter.

Gravedigger
One shovel means one grave at a time: but the Gravediggers know their shovels and their cemeteries better than anyone. When it comes to the living dead, there's no better person to put them back from where they came.

Gunslinger
Guns are a new innovation in this world, but those with the keenest of eyes and firmest of grips know better than anyone how to use these dangerous projectile weapons.

Healer
Whenever you're injured in combat, you best hope that there's a healer around that can patch you up nicely with their spells and medkits.

Highwayman
Charismatic larcenists, gifted cartographers, these mounted bandits employ the skills of their blades, silver tongue, and horseback prowess to separate funds from unsuspecting travelers, and heads of trespassers unwelcome on their roads.

Host
Some unfortunate souls are bound to strange creatures that take over both their mind and body, controlling their will as their own. Whether they be morbid spirits, insectoid parasitic monsters, or a kingdom of fungus, these parasites have enough power to completely overwhelm the vessel they inhabit. However, a good host knows how to coexist with their parasite, and use their leech-like abilities to be formidable foes to anyone who is foolish enough to cross their path.

Ichthyomancer
An exceedingly rare form of mage that forms pacts with the creatures of the ocean. From jellyfish, to coral, to sharks and whales, the Ichthyomancer brings the sea to the land by building aquatic environments to host their underwater companions and utilize them in battle.

Inkmaster
Artists with unique magical powers which allow them to combine ink with the blood in their bodies, and use that ink to bring whatever they draw to life. Monsters, weapons, or magic: the effects of how their ink manifests can be almost anything.

Jester
Cousins of the bard, jesters are wildly unpredictable and dangerously funny, laughing til the end. If chaos is amok, a jester is guaranteed to be in their natural element, thriving in the discord.

Juggernaut
Massive, hulking warriors whose gigantic, thick armor and incredibly heavy shields give them useful crowd control abilities and absorbing damage.

Knight
With impenetrable armor and even stronger willpower, these knights are sworn to oath to protect their masters with their sharp lances until their dying breath.

Lightning Lord
Masters of manipulating perhaps the most dangerous element of all, the lightning lords are deadly as they are precise in their strikes. Many men and beasts have fallen to the quick and unpredictable bolts of electrical power, unable to withstand the power that lies behind every shockwave.

Master Chef
Skilled with various tools of the kitchen and a near encyclopedic knowledge of cooking, their tools have become weapons of battle, while others use their skills to support their allies with their magnificent mastery over the art of flavor.

Mechapilot
Steel is not just used for the blade: this odd variant of the engineer is dedicated solely to the maintenance of a mechanical suit of armor, which is used as a personal vehicle shaped like massive suits of armor. Embedded within the odd workings of this suits contain various tools for survival, transportation, and war.

Monk
Quiet, studious individuals who preach peace and kindness - but their fists and feet of steel come in flurries as fast as tornadoes.

Muse
The fingers of these musicians are guided by the Gods themselves, with holy energy at their command via the catalyst of their harps and lyres. The mystical sounds they play are capable of both healing and harming, depending on the intent of the harpist.

Ninja
The masters of stealth and silence, armed with all sorts of poisons, knives, and light blades. If you see one coming, it is probably already too late.

Oneiromancer
It is unusual to consider "sleep" a tool, but the Oneiromancers have managed to make it just that. They can induce sleep in their target, and enter their dreams to help them reach spiritual enlightenment, to heal the mind of its wounds, or to damage the core of the brain by creating fiendish nightmares that eat away at the psyche in order to increase their strength.

Paladin
Holy knights, often seen on purebred steeds, whose unwavering faith gives them mastery over white magic. Their ruthless intolerance for the corrupt drives their heavy weaponry into the flesh those who are condemned by the oath by which they live by.

Pflanzenkrieger
Adopted from the order of The Olive Branch, an ancient sect of druids who consider themselves "one with nature", some members undergo a ritual to transform their bodies into hubs of vegetation, to produce all sorts of fruits, vegetables, roots, fungi and flowers from their body. They can come in the form of magical weapons and armor to protect oneself, as well as create consumables that boost and heal others.

Plague Doctor
Plague doctors are just as good at curing disease as they are inflicting it. Their cold, unrelenting control over life and death comes with an even more frigid gaze hidden beneath their masks.

Planeshifter
Those who understand that reality is more than what can be seen by the naked eye dedicate their study to the numerous worlds that are dimensionally layered on top of each other. They can go in and out of them freely at will, and call upon familiars and foreign powers from them to use at will.

Poet
Gifted orators and rhymers whose spoken words manifest in a free-form magic that can both heal and hurt. The only catalyst they need to use for their unique magical talent is to program it into being by verse.

Prisoner
Slow-moving, shacklebound ghouls who slowly move around. However, within the confines of their containment, they have learned to generate extraordinary physical strength and combat prowess as a result of operating within their limits.

Psychokinetic
Masters of the mind, they can move objects around just by willing it. They can use psychic form as energy, and can split the minds of their enemies just by eye contact. They can probe into the depths of the psyche, into the dark corners of the mind where many dare not go.

Puppet Master
Many begin as simple ventriloquists, but those who are truly skilled at the art can turn marionettes and puppets into weapons for battle, using these automatons as a proxy for whatever traps and abilities that their versatile bodies can hide.

Pyromancer
Those who cannot control the kindling of their inner flame burst at the seams with these seemingly uncontrollable, berserk embers at their command. With a single flick, a skilled pyromancer can consume entire villages with blazes and fireballs of unparalleled destructive prowess.

Rogue
These rogues can blend in anywhere, at any place, at any time. Masters of disguise, these cutpurses have no hesitation taking your money or your life before you can blink.

Samurai
Strict warriors bound by a code of honor who would take their own lives before even dreaming of breaking it. Their blades act as an extension of their body, striking faster than lightning.

Smithmagus
Blacksmiths who have tired of the iron within the earth, and have chosen to pursue a higher calling: to create legendary weapons imbued with magical energy. A master smithmagus needs only their hands and their material to forge weapons of the highest quality, ready to use in battle.

Sorcerer
Blessed with magic from birth, their bodies act as their catalyst, being able to draw upon their inner well of magic to blast enemies into oblivion.

Soulshaper
Those with impure souls can manifest their flaws into magic considered among the ancient forbidden arts. Some can create artificial souls to place in objects to bring them to life in corporeal forms: some consume other souls to increase their own power, and others can change the shape of the souls of others to transform them into demonic beasts. Whatever their power, they are generally ostracized by society by their unnatural talents.

Speedwielder
Some forms of magic can manifest into hastening the user into moving at speeds faster than the eye can see, turning them into pure speed demons who can launch flurries of blows into their strikes before their targets know what hit them.

Summoner
They've got friends on the other side and on the battlefield, with the ability to conjure ancient familiars and eidolons and rally them to their aid.

Warlock
In the pursuit of the power of darkness, some choose to opt for a pact with primordial beings hidden within the darkness. These warlocks gain immeasurable power over darkness and damnation as a vassal for the beings they are connected to: often at a great personal cost.

Warrior
A trusty soldier whose sword and shield are their lifelines. Their skills are applicable to any combat situation.

Witch Doctor
Druids with unorthodox methods who are shunned by their tribes find themselves tinkering with the most dangerous elements of nature in their solitude. Some of their insane concoctions are able to create great boons for their would-be allies: but others contain the essence of death itself, causing them to be feared greatly by any potential enemy.

Wizard
Intelligent scholars who spend their entire lives researching and practicing all sorts of magic. Their only limit is their imagination and their patience.

Zealot
Some bathe in the light of the Gods a little too much, and lose their sense of self entirely, and are completely consumed by their devotion. Their sanity may be forfeit, but their unpredictable divine abilities pass judgment on everyone they encounter.


(ALL RP CLOSED: RETURN JUNE 2021)