If you've never heard of Graceling, it's a book by Kristen Cashore in the Seven Kingdoms trilogy, with Fire as its prequel and Bitterblue the sequel. The general ideas I'm taking from this book/series are:
- Spoiler:
- There are seven kingdoms (hence the series name) and they're basically on a very large peninsula, except for one that's an island. Note this is almost back in time. No guns, cars, phones, any electronics at all. Weapons are bows, crossbows, swords, daggers, knives, all that old-style stuff. Here's the map instead of me having to explain:
- The Lands:
Also note, the capital of each kingdom is named after the ruler. So in Bitterblue, Leck City turns to Bitterblue City.
Another note: no one has every gone beyond the mountain range that divides the kingdoms from the other lands
- Okay. Now for the other part, the people:
Once you read this bit, you'll understand why the book is called Graceling. Some people, a fairly small amount, are born with a certain "Grace." An ability to do something. Some Graces sound like superhero powers. They could be.- Graces can be anything:
- exceptional aiming, swordfighting, unnatural strength, a keener sense (bird-sharp eyesight, catlike hearing), no fear, stealth expert
- Simple Graces:
- Woodworking, cooking, healing, holding your breath for a long time, never needing sleep, never tiring (sleep and tiring is different, yes, because tiring you could be doing anything)
- There are also very special Graces I want to explain:
- There's mind-reading, but it can be specific, such as only if the person is thinking about you can you hear their mind. Mind readers are the odd ones out and no one likes being around them, because who wants to have their thoughts exposed?
There's a charmspeak-like ability that convinces people of something whether or not it's true. This is an extremely rare and and dangerous Grace, for you can hide all manner of things with such an ability. It can be so powerful that even if you don't hear the words directly from the mouth of the Graced, you're still convinced.
Then there's the Grace of survival. This includes: always knowing which direction you're heading, requiring less rest and food, being able to make yourself sleep, a master at combat and aim, and exceptional hunter. Now, this is a bit over-the-top for a roleplay like this, as no one likes having less ability than others, but I still wanna add this because it's a key element in Graceling, because our main protagonist has this Grace.
AndanotherthingbeforeIfinish: Most Graced kids, once it's sure that the child is Graced, is sent to the ruler of the kingdom. The kids are kept if the Grace proves to be useful. If it isn't, the child is sent back to the embarrassed parents to be shunned by the neighbors.
- Middluns:
- The ruler is King Randa, a very tall man who is always serious and likes to show off his riches to visitors and travelers. And yes, he does have a son, named Raffin (they're clearly fans on names that start with R) who's basically the opposite of his father. Except they're both tall. And blonde. A lot of Middluns is basically plains, with some woods in the southwest. Still surrounded by plains. Random villages scattered throughout the lands.
- Lienid:
- The ruler of Lienid is known as King Ror. A kind man, with a kind wife and seven sons (yes, seven) though the only ones named are the two youngest, Skye and Po. Lienid is very mountainous. Even the palaces, which there's one for each prince as well as the king, sit on mountains overlook the sea. Lienids have a sort of "trademark" which is lots of golden jewelry: rings and earrings to be specific. Even the males. Lienid is the only one of the kingdoms that doesn't force Graced children to be sent to the ruler, and instead of being shunned, they're accepted.
- Plot:
- We have no current plot. We'll figure it out once we get enough characters
- Signup Sheet:
Char's Name:
Nickname: Optional. Erase/strike if it doesn't apply
Gender:
Age:
Grace:
Description: Picture or a description is fine. Don't forget the eyes!
Humor/Personality:
History: Make it long or short. I don't care. But if it's long, please make it a spoiler. Same goes for any long/large message and definitely images.
RP sample: If you write a convincing and detailed history, I'll excuse you from this. I will decide whether you should give me a sample, but if you just want to then go ahead.
Other:
Anything else to add?:
- To get things started, here's my char:
Char's Name: Rowan
Nickname: Ro
Gender: Female
Age: 15
Grace: Exceptional aim- Description:
Left eye is violet, right eye is turquoise. Obviously not in the picture because it's just Google and no special effects.
- History:
- Growing up in Lienid, Ro was always treated with kindness, even if her friends did act a bit weird around her. At home, her mother told stories about the other lands, and how different they were from Lienid. Once she turned fourteen, Ro's parent gave her the gift of freedom to explore the six landed kingdoms, like Ro always wanted to. Ro was shocked at the reactions of the people she met at the port of South Bay in Sunder. However, she got used to it quickly and learned to hide her eyes via her cloak hood. She's been making her way to Middluns, which is, due to being in the center, the best place to plan any exploration.
- RP Sample:
- Ro woke up when sunlight peeked through the leaves and shone through her window of the inn. The smells of breakfast were already wafting up through the floorboards. Her journey through Sunder had been successful. She had met people, came across creatures, critters, and colorful plants she had never seen before, making many side trips on her way to Middluns. Now she was at the inn that sat right at the southern border, and she could probably make it to Randa City in a few days if she didn't get distracted. Of course, that wasn't possible, because she was ALWAYS distracted. Ro sat up, stretching and yawning, then did a quick clothes swap and cleaned herself up a bit so that she looked presentable - she always woke up looking like she had been spit out of a pit - and then grabbed her few belongings, packed in a bag, slung her crossbow on her back, and headed downstairs.
Anything else to add?: I'm finishing eating my cookies
