Heracanth is a nation of conquest. Nestled between mountains and sea, its advantageous location makes it difficult to attack and even harder to invade. Bountiful farmland and plentiful mining has made it a prosperous country, and a significant portion of that wealth has been funneled into the military. The citizens of Heracanth have not known significant hardship in quite some time, aside from the ravages of a terrible wasting disease a decade ago.
Heracanth is not an idle country. The rulers have always kept an eye on the horizon, sending out small and swift fleets of ships from the capital city of Eretra to scout lands both known and unknown for anything that might prove useful. The current ruler is Imperator Trexen, a man of violent appetites. In a less civilized locale, he would be referred to as a warmonger. Because his efforts and aspirations have led to lives of luxury for most of the entire population of Heracanth, he is instead labelled a hero and a visionary.
Eleven months ago, a scouting fleet discovered a landmass far to the southeast. Scouting parties sent ashore encountered fertile forests and rolling grasslands rich with wildlife, as well as a few small farming villages. The local populace welcomed them, fed them, and housed them. They called their land Obarem. When asked if they were interested in trade, the villagers responded positively, which led the scouts to the discovery of the strange and beautiful gemstones mined from deep within Obarem.
Heracanthians were no stranger to such opulence, but the likes of these stones they’d never seen before. The stones were mostly small and always warm to touch. Turning them one way or another revealed flickers of light trapped within, always moving, never the same. The effect was stunning. The natives called the stones “incendium.” The scouts bartered their own goods for several of the stones and returned to their fleets. It took four months to return to Heracanth bearing words and proof of what they’d found. It took Imperator Trexen only three weeks to make the decision to dispatch the bulk of his army to Obarem.
“Invasion” was a word he deemed too callous to use. Instead he referred to his intentions for Obarem as “welcome annexation” with the implication being that the population of Obarem would appreciate their arrival. Most of Heracanth knew the truth of the matter. Most did not care.
Seven months ago, the Imperator dispatched the flagship of his fleet, the Conquerant. Barely two years old, the Conquerant was the pinnacle of Heracanth’s naval warfare, a stately man o’war that the Imperator himself had commissioned. She had never seen combat and it was deemed there was no better opportunity than now, as by all reports the military might of Obarem was paltry in comparison. The send-off for the Conquerant and the rest of the Heracanthian fleet was a day of revelry and festivity. The Imperator made an appearance at the docks, outfitted in his glinting golden ceremonial armor, and gave a rousing speech as his warships sailed southeast behind him.
Months passed. Messages sent from the fleet were verbose at first. That changed after the invasion began. They became more intermittent, more terse. It was clear things were not going well, that unexpected complications had arisen. Just what those complications were, however, remained unclear.
Finally, a month ago, one final message was received. It read only: Obarem is unconquerable.
No ships have returned save the small sloop carrying that final message. It floated into the shipyard, unmanned. Those who boarded it discovered five bodies all bereft of any signs of disease or wounds. They had lived just long enough, it seemed, for the sloop to return home.
The Imperator is determined to discover what happened to his navy. The presumed loss of the Conquerant vexes him greatly. He has assembled another small feet that will travel to Obarem, comprised of only two ships: the Elfin Grace, a sloop, and the Loyal Medean, a schooner. The crews have strict orders: survey Obarem’s shorelines from afar, avoid confrontation, discover the fate of the Heracanthian navy.
However, there is another mission at hand. The Imperator has assembled a group of skilled and knowledgeable individuals that he has charged with two tasks: the first, to locate the Conquerant or what is left of her and the second, to ferret out the source of the Heracanthian navy’s defeat and learn whatever they can about the country and its people in the process. Neither task will be easy and indeed may prove deadly, which is something each of these individuals is acutely aware of.
You are a member of this group, selected personally by Imperator Trexen himself by merit of your deeds, education, or renown. You are prepared for adventure and even death, all in the name of Heracanth’s enduring glory.
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Please Note: This setting is somewhat similar to that of the Golden Age of Piracy (17th and 18th centuries). Therefore, ships have cannons and people can use guns (flintlock and volley pistols, musket rifles and blunderbuss) along with melee weapons (cutlass, saber, dirk, dagger). When writing up your character, please tell me what weapon you would prefer (if you want one) with a limit of one ranged, one melee so that I can provide you with the appropriate asset cards.
This is also a fantasy game, so there is magic. I’ve purposefully left that wide open so that you can get creative. Mages, clerics, priests, I welcome them all. However, please keep it within reason – no omnipotent archmages, please. Characters with magic should include their preferred weapon (staff, wand, spellbook, religious medallion, whatever) if they want one so I can make up an asset card.
If you’d rather make a character that’s less inclined for combat, that’s perfectly fine. Let me know what kind of items they’d be carrying around with them for the purpose of their mission and I’ll be sure to dispense them once we start.
I’ve made up a few cards but feel free to write up your own!
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We have already started, but we lost a player. I am looking for 1-2 more to join us. Because we’re already underway, it would be beneficial for applicants to catch up on the story. Being as we’re only a month in, there isn’t too much to read. I’d also recommend checking what characters currently exist!
Hosted and narrated by:
Pam K. (Pamphetamine)
Completed 07/25/22.
Scenes played: 8
License: Community License
