Patchwork Kingdoms Sign-Up Thread!

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Patchwork Kingdoms A Ginger Dixie Roleplay

Long ago, in a Pokemon world parallel in many ways to the one we know, the land of Obair Paiste was the first continent to become known as the cradle of a new civilization. In the wake of the sudden and catastrophic decline of humanity, tribes of Pokemon species rose from the ashes the humans left behind, forming small bands of tribes that roamed across a landscape that was slowly being reclaimed by nature. During these ancient years, the gods descended from the heavens above and took under their aegis six different Pokemon from six different tribes, guiding them into founding the six sovereign bodies that would eventually make up the new world: Exeter, Pepos, Tarta, Feithidi, Dragoon, and the Isle of Contena.

Two hundred years later, these kingdoms are still thriving, albeit within a tenuous cycle of checks and balances, managed mostly by the royalty and noble classes of each kingdom known as the Obairian Confederacy. Meeting on neutral ground once a year within the demilitarized Obairian city of Fulcrux, each of the kingdoms puts forth a majority vote to elect the leader of the Confederacy for that cycle. The lavish festival that surrounds the Central Palace during the weeks that the Confederacy Leadership and their affluent families are allowed to meet is known for its ability to completely and abruptly bring to a halt the normal functioning of the Patchwork Kingdoms, all for the sake of celebrating a new year.

Which is why no one noticed until a week or so after the festivities concluded that Beel, the Tartan king that had been elected to the seat of Confederacy Chair this year, had been assassinated in his quarters at the Central Palace.

The balance has been upset. From all sides come accusations, frantic grabs for power, and impassioned cries for justice in the vacuum that King Beel’s death leaves in his wake. For the first time in nearly two centuries, Obair is teetering on the brink of war. Depending on the interests of your house or kingdom, you may or may not wish for this to happen…

Patchwork Kingdoms is a medieval political thriller set in a PMD-like universe, so while there will be references to Rescue Teams or Mystery Dungeons, they are not central to the plot and extensive knowledge of the PMD universe is not required. When thinking of technological advances of this age, please take into account that while weapons will be allowed, gunpowder-based weapons are far beyond the technology of Obair. Think more bows and swords and knights in plate armor (that is, if your Pokemon isn’t already covered in armor).

• As always, no god-modding allowed. God-modding is classified as any action that takes any form of control away from other players, such as killing, maiming, or controlling (“bunnying”) characters that are not yours without permission. If your post is to involve another player’s character, make sure that you speak with the player out of character and make sure you have permission to interact with them on terms that you both agree with.
• THE RATING OF THIS RP IS PG-13. That means no sexual or implications of sexual encounters with any character whatsoever, period. Due to the high chance that at any given moment any player of this RP is underage, I am going to be very firm on this. If you break this rule I WILL remove you. If you are unsure if your post is going to break this rule or not, please submit it to me via PM for approval.
• I will not set a post requirement for this RP, but the general rule of thumb is if you think you will not be participating for a week or more, please let everyone know in the Discussion Thread so that your partners can plan accordingly.
• Do not post until I have seen, reviewed, and approved your sign-up sheet. This is to make sure everyone has read the rules and therefore there are no surprises among players.
• And of course, all main forum rules and RP forum rules apply.

These are the factions within the Patchwork Kingdoms universe:

Kingdom of Exeter - Steel-type kingdom, but can include other types typically viewed as "noble" like Fighting or Normal types. Patron deities are the Swords of Justice, Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, and Keldeo. Has a sub-region called Borealis (patron deity is Kyurem), which consists entirely of Ice-types, and is considered a commonwealth with an Exetan governor ruling it. Royalty is always of the Aegislash line, but not everyone of the Aegislash line is royalty and can also be used for noble characters. Government is set up similar to the Roman Empire including a senate, and the king and queen are called Emperor and Empress, respectively.

Kingdom of Yosei - Fairy-type kingdom. Patron deity is Xerneas. Has a sub-region called Ardwinn that used to be its own kingdom, but was recently acquired and the former king supplicated themselves to the Yoseiian throne... but not without controversy among the noble as well as the common folk. Ardwinns are exclusively of the Whimsicott line, but Lilligant and Granbull lines are also found within the Ardwinn region, and are basically a conglomerate of Irish (Whimsicott line) Scottish (Granbull line) and Welsh (Lilligant) inspiration. Yosei itself is ruled like a cross between Renaissance England and France, with a council of noble advisors set up to give the masses a voice, but the king and queen are not bound by law to take the council's advice if they disagree. Royalty of Yosei are always of the Aromatisse line, but not all Aromatisse are royalty and can be used as noble characters.

Kingdom of Tarta - Dual Psychic/Ghost type kingdom, but can also include some overlap with Yosei and Exeter on Fairy-types and Normal Types respectively, as well as including Poison and Dark types. Patron deities are Cresselia (Light Tartans) and Darkrai (Dark Tartans). Kingdom is unofficially split down the middle and there is much animosity between the so-called "Light" and "Dark" Tartans, each with their own claims to the throne as to who is the "true" leader of the kingdom. Light Tartans tend to ally with Fairy and Normal types, and Dark Tartans tend to ally with Poison and Dark types. "Light" Tartan royalty are always of the Clefable line, but as above, not all are royalty and can be used for noble characters. "Dark" Tartan royalty are always of the Gengar line, but not all Gengar line members are royal. Beel was a member of the Dark Tartan Royalty, as he was a Gengar. Government is similar to that of medieval Eastern European countries.

Kingdom of Feithidi - Bug-type kingdom. Patron deity is Genesect, though many no longer actively worship him. Unlike the other kingdoms mentioned above, this kingdom is a bit less rigid in class structure and any type of Bug (as long as it /is/ a Bug-type) can be royal. Tend to be the pacifists of the entire region, and are considered Cloud Cuckoolanders. They are also considered a harbor for political refugees, encourage free debate and are also home to a sect of Psychic-type intellectuals called the Luminatus, who worship the Lake Trio and run universities all over the region. Style of government is a constitutional, elected monarchy.

Kingdom of Pepos - Grass-type kingdom. Patron deity is both Hoopa (concentrated in the ruling class, as the ancient tribe of Pepos worshipped him) and Celebi. Was the first to establish organized rescue team guilds due to an abundance of Mystery Dungeons found in their forests. Are notorious rivals with the Kingdom of Exeter and are viewed as the "natural and earthy" to Exeter's "artificial and steely". Royalty are always of the Gourgeist line, but as above, not all of the line are royal. Government is an absolute, divine-right monarchy.

Kingdom of Dragoon - Dragon-type kingdom. Patron deity is Rayquaza. Also called the Dragoonian Sultanate, and the king is thus referred to as a sultan. The southernmost, most highly-stratified kingdom, with a clear divide between royalty, nobility, and common folk. This kingdom is also the only remaining kingdom to endorse a slave trade, and a vast majority of nobles, including royals, own several slaves. The majority of this kingdom is in the middle of a desert, though there is a large, lush oasis in the northwest corner where Goodra-line denizens typically hail from. Like Feithidi, royalty can be any Dragon, as long as they are a Dragon-type, with Ground and Rock types usually kept as slaves. Goverment is similar to Medieval-Renaissance era Arabia.

Isle of Contena - Nominally a home to Electric-type pokémon, but can be surprisingly diverse. Contena is known mostly for being a center of trade and innovations. There is no royalty in Contena, instead it is ruled by the Traders' Ministry, which any citizen can join... for a hefty, recurring fee. This makes wealth the only measure of power and also gives the most opportunity for commoners to grow to nobles, as any family that contributes to the Ministry is considered noble. Contena does not hold a standing army of its own, however it is known to be guarded with walls of gold, as Contenan nobles can make use of the finest mercenaries and in great numbers.

IMPORTANT: If you have read through this entire post and are ready to make your signup, please include “Thousand Arrows” in the “Additional Comments” section of your sign-up. This is a crucial part of getting your signup approved, as I want to make sure everyone has read and understands the setting of this RP.

Please fill out the form below and post it in this thread for consideration:

Name:

Species: (No legendaries. Alola Pokemon will be available to play when the games are released, but as of this writing, they are not allowed.)

Affiliated Kingdom:

Description: (At least one or two paragraphs. A picture may be substituted.)

Backstory: (At least three or four paragraphs, minimum.)

Other: (Anything that doesn't fit in the above categories.)

Additional Comments:

This is where completed signups will be sorted into, as well as providing a list of NP Cs.

Exeter

Yosei

Tarta

Feithidi

Pepos

Dragoon

Contena

edited 13th Sep '16 5:30:46 PM by GingerDixie

• Name: Fero Kyubi
• Species: Ninetales
• Affiliated Kingdom:Cortena
• Description: A Ninetales (I assume all Pokemon will be humanoid for this) who wears plain clothing which indicates his status as a noble, and one of the most influential people in Cortena. He is blunt and to to the point, but capable of hiding things he wishes to be kept hidden for the sake of the greater good. By which, advancing the standing of House Kyubi. He is the matriarch of the house, and keeps it's members firmly in line. He is ruthless to a fault when provoked, and those who cross his family in anyway can mysteriously disappear quite fast. He has a scar on one eye.
• Backstory: Fero was born the eldest son of the head nobleman of House Kyubi. Once one of the wealthiest of the houses, it fell into decline and bankruptcy. Tettering on the brink of financial collapse, Yoro Kyubi, Fero's father, began taking drastic measures to prevent the collapse. Yoro began secretly working in the slave trade. He began organising the kidnapping of young pokemon from across the kingdoms, and sold them on the black market to the Dragoon Sultanate, under the cover of legitimate business transactions. This took it's toil on Yoro Kyubu. Fero could only watch his father's mental decline, as he started to stop becoming the father he loved, and someone far more ruthless. Eventually, the slavers named a price for Fero. And his father agreed.
• For the next two years, Fero Kyubi was forced to be a slave for the sultanate, and hated every moment. He was treated with special care by the overseers, but still saw and endured suffering. His heart was hardened by what he witnessed, and he vowed to bring an end to slavery. His hate grew, and his determination to bring down the sultanate grew as well. He occasionally saw the sultan, and memorised his face. He singled that pokemon as the man behind all his suffering, redirecting all his hate towards him. Not at the overseers who occasionally beat him, or the slaves who beat him for his special care. The pokemon who could stop slavery, and did nothing.
• At the end of those two years, Fero Kyubi was spirited away by members of House Kyubi. His father had died, and House Kyubi was rising in stature once more. The cover up of their involvement with the slave trade was very thorough. Fero inherited the fortune, and began redirecting it to other ends, quite ruthlessly. Black market slavery became something of a pass time among the Kyubi. Fero put a stop to it. Anyone he found slave trading would disappear, only to have been found drowned the next day, at the beach. Fero decided not enough was being done to end the slave trade, and decided he would rule Cortena himself, and set up a duchy to do so. He has been working in secret to initiate the transition and bring down the Traders Ministry, even infiltrating it as a member. As the influence of House Kyubi grows once more, so does Fero's determination to bring down the slave trade and all it stands for, the Sultanate chief among them. Indeed, he had planned to take the matter up to King Beel, but his death has prevented it. And opened an opportunity which he can use to achieve his goal. For his wife and unborn child. For the slaves in the mines. And for Cortena, he will end slavery.
• Other: The sigil of House Kyubi is a long axe surrounded by tails.
• Additional Comments:Thousand Arrows

edited 14th Sep '16 4:52:18 PM by Vampireandthen

@Vampireandthen: ...Well...

First of all, no, these Pokemon are not humanoid. I stated in the interest check thread that this is a PMD alternate universe, which means that they are normal Pokemon, just living lives similar to humans like they do in the PMD series. I never even said anything about them being humanoid, which is why I find it strange you just...up and assumed that.

Second of all, I think you're being a bit unrealistic with his backstory. A slave born into a slave family would not be educated enough to know anything other than being a slave, and while it's understandable he would rebel if his mother was killed (again, not at all realistic given as one less slave is one less worker, so I really don't know why an overseer would just pointlessly beat one of his workers to death for the evulz), you do understand that with no base of support, he would be killed on the spot? Also, with no money and no owner, he wouldn't make it out of his lord's lands, much less master five weapons that can take many years each to learn (and many a quadruped can't even wield), and pitch an entire revolution against something as powerful as the Sultanate and live?

That's not all of the issues I had with this signup, but to keep it succinct, I think this needs work. He can be a Ninetales, he can be a noble, and he can be from Cortena, but everything else needs an overhaul.

I'm sorry, but your application is denied. You may reapply once you've revised it.

edited 14th Sep '16 4:27:23 PM by GingerDixie

Fair points. I will revise it.

You mentioned weapons and I thought that meant we could have humanoid pokemon to play as. So, I'll work on it as best I can.

You can have weapons. They just have to be appropriate/modified for the body type of your Pokemon. The only weapons I banned are gunpowder weapons, like cannons or really any type of gun, as this would be in an era where gunpowder hasn't seen wide use yet.

• Name: Li Lumin
• Species: Gardevoir
• Affiliated Kingdom: Yosei
• Description: A regularly-colored Gardevoir, who mostly wears plain (as in, not very fancy) clothing, often seen wearing a scarf in public. A subservient Pokemon who quietly follows orders from her superiors unless she objects to them on a moral or personal level. Even then, she'll try to stay low about defying her superiors. She is usually very honest, but knows when to keep her mouth shut for the sake of herself and those around her, especially when the nobles are involved. She is very intellectual, sometimes stopping what she's doing to contemplate what's around her.
• Backstory: Li Lumin comes from a well-educated family, earning her some respect among those who know the family name. She was the only girl in the family other than her mother, with three older brothers and two younger ones. Li had an interest in the nobles and their lives since her oldest brother, who was a court record-keeper, told her tales of the adviser council, an the treachery and conspiracies within.
  • One day, her family was delivered a message, to tell them that their second eldest son, a historian, had died due to injuries delivered by 'a vagrant'. Li knew that her brother was, compared to many of his peers, merciful to the poor, so she was somewhat suspicious of this statement. At this time in her life, Li was studying history as well. She decided to try to get some sort of role within the court, perhaps as a record keeper.
  • During her studies, she overheard her third-eldest brother talking to her father about talks of some sort of plot about the former Ardwinnian king. Soon after, both her brother and father were found dead, supposedly the result of wounds from muggers. Li was now very suspicious.
  • Currently, Li is a record-keeper for the advisers, writing down transcripts for some of their meetings, and storing them for later use. Part of her motivation to do this is to get close to the nobles, especially the ones close to her home, to find out if any of them were behind the deaths of her brothers and father.
• Other: Her family's insignia is a feather dripping with ink and a sword crossed.
• Additional Comments: Thousand Arrows

edited 17th Sep '16 6:28:53 AM by BlizzardeyeWonder

• Name: Sertor Faenius Falx
• Species: Absol
• Affiliated Kingdom: Exeter
• Description: A reasonably normal Absol, although he has a long scar running down his left side, slightly covered by his long fur, and keeps his claws and head-sickle meticulously sharp. He seems pleasant and keeps up with etiquette but truly isn't fond of most people and will take practically any means to achieve what he wants. He values knowledge and secrets and will trade in them to gain his power and elevate himself as high as he can go. Although he will help others who may be useful allies, he doesn't actually care about anyone but himself.
• Backstory:
  • He was born Mircea Umbra, a minor noble in Tarta but he was not fond of House Umbra; although they had some power, they had no ambition and were notorious for senseless violence. He was hardly a pacifist but preferred smart solutions and getting others to fight for you and more importantly he wanted to rise in status.
  • He plotted to undermine his family, and eventually got his chance; a member of Exeter's senate had insulted them and they tried to have him killed. Secretly, he informed Exeter of the plans and they easily intercepted the assassin. In the aftermath House Umbra was disgraced but he had gained valuable political favours.
  • Now separated from his disgraced house, he found his way to Exeter and continued to feed them information. A few bannermen and servants of his house followed him and he employed them as a network of spies, rewarding them for loyalty but making the consequences of betrayal very clear. Notably he changed his name, picking one more suited to his new home.
  • In due time, he gained more power and his web of influence grew larger, until he uncovered whispers of a plot to overthrow the emperor. In truth, it was not a great plan and likely wouldn't have worked but he exposed it and convinced those in charge that it was a bigger threat than it really had been, creating the narrative of himself saving the emperor. Although not all were convinced it worked and he was granted a new noble title, now creating House Faenius in Exeter.
  • From there, he has remained a useful ally of the emperor and the senate, becoming known in the highest circles as a spymaster but an enigma to those less in-the-know. His dealings are shrouded in secrecy so those in power know they can come to him if they need something done that their public reputations would not allow. However, his loyalty to Exeter is sheer convenience and some suspect he would easily betray them if someone else made a better offer.
• Other: House Umbra's insignia was a circle of knives, dripping blood into the center. House Faenius' insignia is instead a sickle and an eye.
• Additional Comments: Thousand Arrows

edited 15th Sep '16 12:04:08 PM by FerrousMaelstom

(So I'm kind of going to throw everything out there and anything that can't be allowed to stick, lemme know.)

"I'm a soldier, not a politician..."

• Name: Petrina "Vanguard" Levitt
• Species: Glaceon
• Affiliated Kingdom: Borealis(/Exeter)
• Description: Petrina holds a lofty position amongst the second-class citizens that Borealans are - in theory, she is commander for the entire Borealan military, although most Exetan nobles can over-rule her authority. Additionaly, although she is no member of any noble house and her name is not respected, she is given a senate seat - a token posting to placate her countrymen but nonetheless as the highest-ranking full-blooded Borealan alive... it places her with a position of responsibility to her people.

Petrina doesn't bear many physical differences from any other Glaceon, although she is at all times wearing her battle armor - a specially designed set of ice-white Borealan armor, the kind that would be worn by royalty in the days when Borealis was independent and a visible sign of her fierce patriotism. It features snowflake-shaped pauldrons for all four legs, with light greaves, body plating and a helmet which proudly bears the symbol of Borealis.

Petrina is a soldier first and a politician second - which makes her an interesting proposition around debates. She has a habit of speaking bluntly where decorum may otherwise be required and is very slow to trust anybody - especially Exetans. However, her value as a military asset is undeniable. She is cunning, dangerous and completely vicious.

• Backstory: Petrina was never born with a chance in the world as far as she was told. Born into Borealis' peasantry, she toiled when she was young, scrapped with a lot of the other kids and altogether had the hard childhood one might expect of a Borealan peasant, where nothing was plenty to a citizen who was second-class even amongst peasants.

As soon as she was able, the young Eevee enlisted into the Borealan military - or what little of it that the country was allowed by its masters. Overall, she was a bit-part player, but she had somewhat of an interesting knack for defusing the small pockets of resistance that piped up from time-to-time and she could do so without bloodshed, unlike the Exetan forces that would be met with hostility. Slowly and surely, she ascended through the ranks - her promotion to Commander of the army after the last Commander disappeared in suspicious circumstances also came days after her encounter with an Icy Rock.

• Other:
• Additional Comments: One Thousand Pointy Pieces of Ammunition.

So, do I get to put up the second (Contenan) character I mentioned to you before or should I hold off for now?

@Vampireandthen, Blizzardeye Wonder, Ferrous Maelstrom, and Plumbum, you are all approved! I will be posting the opener for the RP and the discussion thread over this weekend, and I look forward to seeing all of your characters in action!

Also yes, Plumbum. You can post your second character if you'd like. As I mentioned in the interest check thread, as long as you can manage multiple characters I have no issues with you applying for multiple characters.

edited 16th Sep '16 7:54:30 PM by GingerDixie

So, the cast is set.

A would-be Duke of Cortena.

A scholar.

A spy master.

And a soldier of Borelias.

I'm playing a couple characters too. I'll put up their profiles later, around the same time I make the opening post.

I'm gonna sign up too! I just happen to be occupied for the rest of the day. =P Should be up tomorrow though.

Just a question, do we have any way to actually track the non-political balance of power between nations? Seems important to know whether we're in power or not after all since I feel we need to be actually maneouvering around each other in this kind of setting.

[slight evil look dulled by the fact Petrina is a general of a satrap nation with little might of its own]

I smell a rebellion!

As for me... Li is in a position where she can find out a lot about the council's proposals... Nah, it ain't in character for her to spread gossip about the nobles.

Edit: Unless... she misheard/misinterpreted something and set off the alarm...

edited 18th Sep '16 8:51:55 AM by BlizzardeyeWonder

Fero is the head of House Kyubi, one of the most influential houses in Cortena. His goal of ending slavery and establishing a Duchy of Cortena is going to be a challenge.

And I love a challenge.

N.BB my other character is a Contenan, just an exceptionally young one thrust into a position at head of her house she's not ready for. Her goal is just to f'ckin sirvive. xP

Oh, that poor girl is going to be eaten alive. House Kyubi FTW!!!!

@Plumbum: The non-political balance of power? Please elaborate. I mean, we will be manouevering around each other, of course, but based on your sign-ups it's assumed you start out with at least moderate influence in your chosen kingdom. My posts will also include NPC opportunities for you to further your goals/gain/lose favor with your people and the like. So, my posts are going to go something like this:

• Recap of where everyone is (to help assist newbies joining in the middle of the action, in case people join after the RP is started)

• NPC/Other PC character interactions directed at specific P Cs

• My actual RP post.

If this isn't actually what you were asking I do apologize.

I do believe he refers to the economic and military might of the kingdoms. I want to know for sure.

Yeah that's exactly what I mean. Like, I'm mostly asking because I'm not exactly starting off on a level pegging here. xP

also

"Ante omnia , negotium"
House Téanis motto

• Name: Eleanor Lydia Anne Téanis
• Species: Emolga
• Description: She's pretty small. Even for her species.◊
• Background: House Téanis is one of the longest-standing noble merchant families on Contena - many generations ago, Téanis was one of the names that was flung around at the formation of Contena, a land where nation made no matter - where all that was important was business. Téanis as a family in particular have earnt respect for the rare trait of being fairly above-board. In a land where corruption is totally rampant there has almost never actually been a proper scandal involving House Téanis.

Eleanor was treated to a particularly lavish noble's youth as one may expect for a family of Téanis' standing. All she ever had to worry about was not getting her tutors or her friends angry at her. Well, except for now where after a slight case of political assassination in which the culprit is unknown as of yet, Eleanor finds herself to be suddenly promoted to the head of the household at the tender age of seventeen, before she's even had any real time to mourn her parents' passing... sure her father was grooming her for this day and she was known to be a strong child, but nobody else in the Ministry has given her any longer than 30 days before she runs Téanis and herself into the ground... truthfully, she's not even sure she'd give herself that long...

edited 18th Sep '16 4:56:53 PM by Plumbum