Praise The Messiah, for he is our savior! Our king! The son of the Almighty himself!
This is what you read as you pass through the broken, impoverished streets of Dereliktus. Dereliktus is a village in the New Zealand based colony of Sanitas. The streets are littered with broken carriages and waste being dumped out of windows. The once cobbled streets have become crumbled stone and mud. The buildings are all rotting, save from the houses of Nobles and Lords, who all live in the walled sector of the village. The only thing in this village that isn’t a dull brown or grey is the armor of the knights that pass through the streets, who are donned in silver Greathelms with a gold cross, and long due coats over golden armor that bear the symbol of the Messiah, a spotless white dove.
As you can recall from what was taught to you as a child, The Kingdom of Sanitas arrived in New Zealand one hundred and fifties moons ago. They tore through the land, defeating the heathens that came before your generation and establishing The Savior’s rule in New Zealand. Hundreds upon hundreds of armored men arrived to spread the religion of The Messiah, who is the son of The Father and the righteous leader of the most powerful Kingdom in all the land.
Many Saniters settled in the country to oversee the colony, many being former Crusaders. As time went on, conditions of the colonies only become worse and worse, until now. Knights clad in golden armor depicting the dove, the symbol of Sanitas, patrol the streets of every village, enforcing curfew and law by punishment of death. The caste system that was established by the Crusaders has fallen to extreme ends. Those who are poor are treated like vermin, and the wealthy or noble folk face no consequences of their actions.
NO! Stop thinking like this! The Messiah saved your from heresy and rid the world of your evil ancestors! He can do no wrong! If you find yourself talking ill of the system again, your head will be in a basket before long.
All of this leads us to The Flightless Bird, a small Tavern in the ghetto of Dereliktum. It is run by a gruff old Scot named William, but everyone calls him Bill. Buckethead Bill, because he has not once removed the great helm upon by us head. You see, he was once a Crusader of the kingdom. After beheading a mother in front of her child after the crusades, Bill disappeared for 5 years. They say he went into exile, only to return one day to purchase out a two story building and transform it into his tavern. A shining light among the perpetual darkness of the caste system. All are equal in the Flightless Bird, and it serves as a refuge for those who are enemies of the system. If you manage to sneak past the Soldiers after curfew, you can spend the night at The Flightless Bird and forget about life for a while. The inside of the tavern is a warm, cozy wooden cabin. The furniture is all padded with velvet cushioning. The bar is made of a dark stained wood with a massive collections of just about every kind of alcohol imaginable displayed on shelves on the back wall. The bottom floor of the tavern includes a dining room, commonplace with a fireplace and three couches, a kitchen where only employees are allowed, and the bar with sixteen stools. The second layer is dedicated to guest rooms, which all have an individual fireplace and have toasted marshmallows served on a platter every morning.
*Welcome to my dark fantasy tavern! This has been a project floating in the back of my mind for a while so I hope everybody likes it.*
*To start off, as the opening describes, this world runs off of a caste system, meaning your societal class determines the kind of life you live. The classes will be depicted below.*
From Highest to lowest class, the caste system follows these classifications.
1. The Messiah. The supreme and absolute leader of the kingdom and all colonies. His word is law, and he is regarded as the son of god. He lives in central Scotland, where the royal capital is. Anyone who speaks ill of The Messian will immediately be executed with no exceptions. (At least, if it’s in front of authorities.)
2. Priests and The Pope. As the interpreters and enactors of The Messiah, priests are treated with utmost respect and dignity. They could change your life if you treat them right, or have you beheaded if you don’t.
3. Nobles. The nobles are the political leaders that operate underneath The Messiah, often controlling certain sectors and colonies under Our Savior’s command. They have most of the control over the law in their specific areas, which can range from neighborhoods or entire colonies in some cases.
4. Soldiers of the Sanitas Grand Army. These soldiers are not above the law, but they certainly are not subject to the limitations of commoners. Soldiers may take residency wherever they please, and have the authority or carry out the law to their leaders will. They also get free food and drink.
5. Lords. Lords have no more political power than a commoner, but they are wealthy, and therefore superior. They will be treated with less bias of the law than a commoner.
6. The Commoners. Ordinary folk who work ordinary jobs and live ordinary lives. The poorer you are, the more bias you face when it comes to the law. Soldiers hate dirty commoners. Caught wandering after curfew and they will surely be executed. Sometimes when they are merely minding their business they may be apprehended.
7. Untouchables. The lowest of the low. Homeless, jobless, dishonorable folk. It does not matter how you got here. If you are an untouchable, you are vermin.
8. The Forsaken. These people are special, as hardly any of them exist in New Zealand. The Forsaken came from the “New World”, unbeknownst to The Messiah. They are not recognized as children of The Father. By all means of the law and society, they do not exist. This comes with a cost and a reward. If they do not exist to the Messiah, they do not exist to the law. Due to this, they can get away with more than a commoner could, but have no perks of a higher class. They simply live. Due to an incredibly violent sea between the Americas and The Old World, they have not been colonized yet, but the Americans have scarcely been able to make it the Old World ever.
*Make sure to ask for affirmation on any class other than commoner and untouchable, just to be safe, as some of these require some lore implications. Thank you.*
*With the caste system out of the way, let me loosely explain the factions of this world.*
The largest faction is the Absolutists. They live by the Messiah. His word is law, and his word dictates how they live their own lives. They truly and whole heartedly believe The Messiah is the son of God, and are on most instances highly hostile to those who don’t.
The more underground and uncommon faction is the Semists. They do not believe The Messiah is the son of God, but of course they respect him as a leader. Who would be foolish enough not to?? The Semists are proud, but not too loud of their beliefs. They believe the true savior is yet to come, but they have nothing against the Messiah. However, they will still be punished heavily for desecrating the public image of The Messiah with their beliefs, so they keep especially quiet about their religion.
Finally, the Heretics. These people fight for freedom against the tyranny. They are mostly known as rebels, but the Nobles have labeled them Heretics. They fight from the shadows, trying to make an effort against the absolute power of Sanitas.
*You of course do not have to abide by any of these specific beliefs. You are free to make up your own! These are merely the most important of the beliefs.*
*The mods of this Tavern and their characters are Me (Buckethead Bill, the gruff war veteran who wishes to atone for his sins by helping those in need and opening his heart a little bit.), Bananer (“Grey the Just”, a young general who does the dirtiest work of The Messiah. He has blonde hair, tanned skin with freckles, and sharp green eyes. He wears golden armor and travels around the country, carrying out missions that often involve assassinations of rivals or rebels.), Arch (TBD/Coming soon), and Baalze (The Devil Child, a demon or fey of some sort, an unholy entity of anarchy that dwells in the woods. Because he wraps himself up so much and wears a distorted leather mask resembling a harlequin or corpse with a long nose and a childlike, grinning face and a bushy tail protruding from the rags, people assume he's a monster masquerading as a fat little boy, and he doesn't correct them. He's a master of several crafts, ranging from tinkering to cooking to leatherworking, and often gives free gifts (mostly shoes) to peasants.). That is all.*
*The only rules of this thread are to be respectful of others and have fun. Oh, and keep your characters levels 1-5 right now. They’ll level up as time goes on. It’s a dark fantasy tavern, so there will obviously be dark concepts. Go nuts! Maybe add TWs if you decide to write about something particularly dark though.*
Finally, there is folk legend going around town of three ancestor spirits who were killed during the crusades who still roam the town. Liyu, Jiia, and Kavo. Hunger, fear, and pain. Hope, Persistence, and Peace. They were like us once. Suffering in this city. They suffered more than most. Liyu was eaten in a stew. Jiia was hunted in her final hours. Kavo was shot with 15 arrows and left to bleed. Their suffering immolated them into eternity, but they did not turn away from their people.
And with that, you are all free to begin your life as a subject of The Savior! May grace bless you, and have fun with my tavern.
My name’s Gradius, this is my second account :P I love Hollow Knight and I have been on ddb for a while. Come rp with me anytime! It is my purpose. My title that was given to me by Drummer is…SPIRIT OF THE WEST, GUARDIAN OF THE HOLLOWS.
No cost too great. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Born of God and Void.
An armored figure storms into the Tavern. A soldier. “Get me a table.” He orders.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
The great Silver Dragon Lord of the Sky, Second in Command of the Dragon Cult, Warlock of Cyno, and Cultist of Jeff. I have a lot of allegiances… I use He/They pronouns and you can usually find me on the Camp Half-Blood thread in Adohands Kitchen.
*Big detail I forgot to mention. The knights of Dereliktus have become so absorbed in their superiority complex that their defense is actually rather loose. It’s not very difficult to sneak by them, but it’s much easier to get yourself publicly executed if you’re caught. This means Dereliktus has a very high crime rate.*
My name’s Gradius, this is my second account :P I love Hollow Knight and I have been on ddb for a while. Come rp with me anytime! It is my purpose. My title that was given to me by Drummer is…SPIRIT OF THE WEST, GUARDIAN OF THE HOLLOWS.
No cost too great. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Born of God and Void.
An armored figure storms into the Tavern. A soldier. “Get me a table.” He orders.
Bill looks up from the glass he is cleaning. His Greathelm hides his expression, but he doesn’t look exactly relaxed. The sun shines on his surcoat, revealing the faded Dove crest on the right breast of his armor. He speaks in a deep voice with a heavy Scottish accent. “Mornin”, Grey. Ye can find a table fer yerself, mate.” He knows how dangerous this is to say to the General, but he decides to say it anyway. He’s a little grumpy.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
My name’s Gradius, this is my second account :P I love Hollow Knight and I have been on ddb for a while. Come rp with me anytime! It is my purpose. My title that was given to me by Drummer is…SPIRIT OF THE WEST, GUARDIAN OF THE HOLLOWS.
No cost too great. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Born of God and Void.
An armored figure storms into the Tavern. A soldier. “Get me a table.” He orders.
Bill looks up from the glass he is cleaning. His Greathelm hides his expression, but he doesn’t look exactly relaxed. The sun shines on his surcoat, revealing the faded Dove crest on the right breast of his armor. He speaks in a deep voice with a heavy Scottish accent. “Mornin”, Grey. Ye can find a table fer yerself, mate.” He knows how dangerous this is to say to the General, but he decides to say it anyway. He’s a little grumpy.
Grey seems too tired to say anything. It’s clear he hasn’t gotten much sleep lately. “Fine. But if this happens again… you know what’ll happen.”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
The great Silver Dragon Lord of the Sky, Second in Command of the Dragon Cult, Warlock of Cyno, and Cultist of Jeff. I have a lot of allegiances… I use He/They pronouns and you can usually find me on the Camp Half-Blood thread in Adohands Kitchen.
An armored figure storms into the Tavern. A soldier. “Get me a table.” He orders.
Bill looks up from the glass he is cleaning. His Greathelm hides his expression, but he doesn’t look exactly relaxed. The sun shines on his surcoat, revealing the faded Dove crest on the right breast of his armor. He speaks in a deep voice with a heavy Scottish accent. “Mornin”, Grey. Ye can find a table fer yerself, mate.” He knows how dangerous this is to say to the General, but he decides to say it anyway. He’s a little grumpy.
Grey seems too tired to say anything. It’s clear he hasn’t gotten much sleep lately. “Fine. But if this happens again… you know what’ll happen.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He nods and cracks his neck. “How many bottles are ye having today?” Grey hears a very faint click from beneath Bill’s foot.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
My name’s Gradius, this is my second account :P I love Hollow Knight and I have been on ddb for a while. Come rp with me anytime! It is my purpose. My title that was given to me by Drummer is…SPIRIT OF THE WEST, GUARDIAN OF THE HOLLOWS.
No cost too great. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Born of God and Void.
An armored figure storms into the Tavern. A soldier. “Get me a table.” He orders.
Bill looks up from the glass he is cleaning. His Greathelm hides his expression, but he doesn’t look exactly relaxed. The sun shines on his surcoat, revealing the faded Dove crest on the right breast of his armor. He speaks in a deep voice with a heavy Scottish accent. “Mornin”, Grey. Ye can find a table fer yerself, mate.” He knows how dangerous this is to say to the General, but he decides to say it anyway. He’s a little grumpy.
Grey seems too tired to say anything. It’s clear he hasn’t gotten much sleep lately. “Fine. But if this happens again… you know what’ll happen.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He nods and cracks his neck. “How many bottles are ye having today?” Grey hears a very faint click from beneath Bill’s foot.
“Just one. I’m tired, Bill.”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
The great Silver Dragon Lord of the Sky, Second in Command of the Dragon Cult, Warlock of Cyno, and Cultist of Jeff. I have a lot of allegiances… I use He/They pronouns and you can usually find me on the Camp Half-Blood thread in Adohands Kitchen.
An armored figure storms into the Tavern. A soldier. “Get me a table.” He orders.
Bill looks up from the glass he is cleaning. His Greathelm hides his expression, but he doesn’t look exactly relaxed. The sun shines on his surcoat, revealing the faded Dove crest on the right breast of his armor. He speaks in a deep voice with a heavy Scottish accent. “Mornin”, Grey. Ye can find a table fer yerself, mate.” He knows how dangerous this is to say to the General, but he decides to say it anyway. He’s a little grumpy.
Grey seems too tired to say anything. It’s clear he hasn’t gotten much sleep lately. “Fine. But if this happens again… you know what’ll happen.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He nods and cracks his neck. “How many bottles are ye having today?” Grey hears a very faint click from beneath Bill’s foot.
“Just one. I’m tired, Bill.”
“Ain’t we all.” He grabs a bottle of ale, sealed by parchment. Bill strides over to Grey and clinks the bottle onto the stained wood table. “Especially those Nobles, eh? All that sitting around in their mansions must make their legs real tired, huh?” He chuckles. His laugh is muffled like the rest of his speech, and sounds more like a dog snoring than a laugh.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
My name’s Gradius, this is my second account :P I love Hollow Knight and I have been on ddb for a while. Come rp with me anytime! It is my purpose. My title that was given to me by Drummer is…SPIRIT OF THE WEST, GUARDIAN OF THE HOLLOWS.
No cost too great. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Born of God and Void.
An armored figure storms into the Tavern. A soldier. “Get me a table.” He orders.
Bill looks up from the glass he is cleaning. His Greathelm hides his expression, but he doesn’t look exactly relaxed. The sun shines on his surcoat, revealing the faded Dove crest on the right breast of his armor. He speaks in a deep voice with a heavy Scottish accent. “Mornin”, Grey. Ye can find a table fer yerself, mate.” He knows how dangerous this is to say to the General, but he decides to say it anyway. He’s a little grumpy.
Grey seems too tired to say anything. It’s clear he hasn’t gotten much sleep lately. “Fine. But if this happens again… you know what’ll happen.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He nods and cracks his neck. “How many bottles are ye having today?” Grey hears a very faint click from beneath Bill’s foot.
“Just one. I’m tired, Bill.”
“Ain’t we all.” He grabs a bottle of ale, sealed by parchment. Bill strides over to Grey and clinks the bottle onto the stained wood table. “Especially those Nobles, eh? All that sitting around in their mansions must make their legs real tired, huh?” He chuckles. His laugh is muffled like the rest of his speech, and sounds more like a dog snoring than a laugh.
“You know very well that I have a job.”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
The great Silver Dragon Lord of the Sky, Second in Command of the Dragon Cult, Warlock of Cyno, and Cultist of Jeff. I have a lot of allegiances… I use He/They pronouns and you can usually find me on the Camp Half-Blood thread in Adohands Kitchen.
An armored figure storms into the Tavern. A soldier. “Get me a table.” He orders.
Bill looks up from the glass he is cleaning. His Greathelm hides his expression, but he doesn’t look exactly relaxed. The sun shines on his surcoat, revealing the faded Dove crest on the right breast of his armor. He speaks in a deep voice with a heavy Scottish accent. “Mornin”, Grey. Ye can find a table fer yerself, mate.” He knows how dangerous this is to say to the General, but he decides to say it anyway. He’s a little grumpy.
Grey seems too tired to say anything. It’s clear he hasn’t gotten much sleep lately. “Fine. But if this happens again… you know what’ll happen.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He nods and cracks his neck. “How many bottles are ye having today?” Grey hears a very faint click from beneath Bill’s foot.
“Just one. I’m tired, Bill.”
“Ain’t we all.” He grabs a bottle of ale, sealed by parchment. Bill strides over to Grey and clinks the bottle onto the stained wood table. “Especially those Nobles, eh? All that sitting around in their mansions must make their legs real tired, huh?” He chuckles. His laugh is muffled like the rest of his speech, and sounds more like a dog snoring than a laugh.
“You know very well that I have a job.”
“Yeah alright, I’ll shut me mouth now.” He unties the parchment and presents the ale to Grey. “I need to finish cleaning these mugs anyway.” He strolls back to the bar.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
My name’s Gradius, this is my second account :P I love Hollow Knight and I have been on ddb for a while. Come rp with me anytime! It is my purpose. My title that was given to me by Drummer is…SPIRIT OF THE WEST, GUARDIAN OF THE HOLLOWS.
No cost too great. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Born of God and Void.
An armored figure storms into the Tavern. A soldier. “Get me a table.” He orders.
Bill looks up from the glass he is cleaning. His Greathelm hides his expression, but he doesn’t look exactly relaxed. The sun shines on his surcoat, revealing the faded Dove crest on the right breast of his armor. He speaks in a deep voice with a heavy Scottish accent. “Mornin”, Grey. Ye can find a table fer yerself, mate.” He knows how dangerous this is to say to the General, but he decides to say it anyway. He’s a little grumpy.
Grey seems too tired to say anything. It’s clear he hasn’t gotten much sleep lately. “Fine. But if this happens again… you know what’ll happen.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He nods and cracks his neck. “How many bottles are ye having today?” Grey hears a very faint click from beneath Bill’s foot.
“Just one. I’m tired, Bill.”
“Ain’t we all.” He grabs a bottle of ale, sealed by parchment. Bill strides over to Grey and clinks the bottle onto the stained wood table. “Especially those Nobles, eh? All that sitting around in their mansions must make their legs real tired, huh?” He chuckles. His laugh is muffled like the rest of his speech, and sounds more like a dog snoring than a laugh.
“You know very well that I have a job.”
“Yeah alright, I’ll shut me mouth now.” He unties the parchment and presents the ale to Grey. “I need to finish cleaning these mugs anyway.” He strolls back to the bar.
“Commoners.” He grumbles.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
The great Silver Dragon Lord of the Sky, Second in Command of the Dragon Cult, Warlock of Cyno, and Cultist of Jeff. I have a lot of allegiances… I use He/They pronouns and you can usually find me on the Camp Half-Blood thread in Adohands Kitchen.
An armored figure storms into the Tavern. A soldier. “Get me a table.” He orders.
Bill looks up from the glass he is cleaning. His Greathelm hides his expression, but he doesn’t look exactly relaxed. The sun shines on his surcoat, revealing the faded Dove crest on the right breast of his armor. He speaks in a deep voice with a heavy Scottish accent. “Mornin”, Grey. Ye can find a table fer yerself, mate.” He knows how dangerous this is to say to the General, but he decides to say it anyway. He’s a little grumpy.
Grey seems too tired to say anything. It’s clear he hasn’t gotten much sleep lately. “Fine. But if this happens again… you know what’ll happen.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He nods and cracks his neck. “How many bottles are ye having today?” Grey hears a very faint click from beneath Bill’s foot.
“Just one. I’m tired, Bill.”
“Ain’t we all.” He grabs a bottle of ale, sealed by parchment. Bill strides over to Grey and clinks the bottle onto the stained wood table. “Especially those Nobles, eh? All that sitting around in their mansions must make their legs real tired, huh?” He chuckles. His laugh is muffled like the rest of his speech, and sounds more like a dog snoring than a laugh.
“You know very well that I have a job.”
“Yeah alright, I’ll shut me mouth now.” He unties the parchment and presents the ale to Grey. “I need to finish cleaning these mugs anyway.” He strolls back to the bar.
“Commoners.” He grumbles.
“Commoners are the source of me income, General. Technically, they’re yours too. You wouldn’t ‘ave a job if there weren’t any folk ter be pushing around.”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
My name’s Gradius, this is my second account :P I love Hollow Knight and I have been on ddb for a while. Come rp with me anytime! It is my purpose. My title that was given to me by Drummer is…SPIRIT OF THE WEST, GUARDIAN OF THE HOLLOWS.
No cost too great. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Born of God and Void.
An armored figure storms into the Tavern. A soldier. “Get me a table.” He orders.
Bill looks up from the glass he is cleaning. His Greathelm hides his expression, but he doesn’t look exactly relaxed. The sun shines on his surcoat, revealing the faded Dove crest on the right breast of his armor. He speaks in a deep voice with a heavy Scottish accent. “Mornin”, Grey. Ye can find a table fer yerself, mate.” He knows how dangerous this is to say to the General, but he decides to say it anyway. He’s a little grumpy.
Grey seems too tired to say anything. It’s clear he hasn’t gotten much sleep lately. “Fine. But if this happens again… you know what’ll happen.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He nods and cracks his neck. “How many bottles are ye having today?” Grey hears a very faint click from beneath Bill’s foot.
“Just one. I’m tired, Bill.”
“Ain’t we all.” He grabs a bottle of ale, sealed by parchment. Bill strides over to Grey and clinks the bottle onto the stained wood table. “Especially those Nobles, eh? All that sitting around in their mansions must make their legs real tired, huh?” He chuckles. His laugh is muffled like the rest of his speech, and sounds more like a dog snoring than a laugh.
“You know very well that I have a job.”
“Yeah alright, I’ll shut me mouth now.” He unties the parchment and presents the ale to Grey. “I need to finish cleaning these mugs anyway.” He strolls back to the bar.
“Commoners.” He grumbles.
“Commoners are the source of me income, General. Technically, they’re yours too. You wouldn’t ‘ave a job if there weren’t any folk ter be pushing around.”
“Ugh. Forget it.”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
The great Silver Dragon Lord of the Sky, Second in Command of the Dragon Cult, Warlock of Cyno, and Cultist of Jeff. I have a lot of allegiances… I use He/They pronouns and you can usually find me on the Camp Half-Blood thread in Adohands Kitchen.
An armored figure storms into the Tavern. A soldier. “Get me a table.” He orders.
Bill looks up from the glass he is cleaning. His Greathelm hides his expression, but he doesn’t look exactly relaxed. The sun shines on his surcoat, revealing the faded Dove crest on the right breast of his armor. He speaks in a deep voice with a heavy Scottish accent. “Mornin”, Grey. Ye can find a table fer yerself, mate.” He knows how dangerous this is to say to the General, but he decides to say it anyway. He’s a little grumpy.
Grey seems too tired to say anything. It’s clear he hasn’t gotten much sleep lately. “Fine. But if this happens again… you know what’ll happen.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He nods and cracks his neck. “How many bottles are ye having today?” Grey hears a very faint click from beneath Bill’s foot.
“Just one. I’m tired, Bill.”
“Ain’t we all.” He grabs a bottle of ale, sealed by parchment. Bill strides over to Grey and clinks the bottle onto the stained wood table. “Especially those Nobles, eh? All that sitting around in their mansions must make their legs real tired, huh?” He chuckles. His laugh is muffled like the rest of his speech, and sounds more like a dog snoring than a laugh.
“You know very well that I have a job.”
“Yeah alright, I’ll shut me mouth now.” He unties the parchment and presents the ale to Grey. “I need to finish cleaning these mugs anyway.” He strolls back to the bar.
“Commoners.” He grumbles.
“Commoners are the source of me income, General. Technically, they’re yours too. You wouldn’t ‘ave a job if there weren’t any folk ter be pushing around.”
“Ugh. Forget it.”
“So, what’s the latest news amidst the Grand Army?”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
My name’s Gradius, this is my second account :P I love Hollow Knight and I have been on ddb for a while. Come rp with me anytime! It is my purpose. My title that was given to me by Drummer is…SPIRIT OF THE WEST, GUARDIAN OF THE HOLLOWS.
No cost too great. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Born of God and Void.
An armored figure storms into the Tavern. A soldier. “Get me a table.” He orders.
Bill looks up from the glass he is cleaning. His Greathelm hides his expression, but he doesn’t look exactly relaxed. The sun shines on his surcoat, revealing the faded Dove crest on the right breast of his armor. He speaks in a deep voice with a heavy Scottish accent. “Mornin”, Grey. Ye can find a table fer yerself, mate.” He knows how dangerous this is to say to the General, but he decides to say it anyway. He’s a little grumpy.
Grey seems too tired to say anything. It’s clear he hasn’t gotten much sleep lately. “Fine. But if this happens again… you know what’ll happen.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He nods and cracks his neck. “How many bottles are ye having today?” Grey hears a very faint click from beneath Bill’s foot.
“Just one. I’m tired, Bill.”
“Ain’t we all.” He grabs a bottle of ale, sealed by parchment. Bill strides over to Grey and clinks the bottle onto the stained wood table. “Especially those Nobles, eh? All that sitting around in their mansions must make their legs real tired, huh?” He chuckles. His laugh is muffled like the rest of his speech, and sounds more like a dog snoring than a laugh.
“You know very well that I have a job.”
“Yeah alright, I’ll shut me mouth now.” He unties the parchment and presents the ale to Grey. “I need to finish cleaning these mugs anyway.” He strolls back to the bar.
“Commoners.” He grumbles.
“Commoners are the source of me income, General. Technically, they’re yours too. You wouldn’t ‘ave a job if there weren’t any folk ter be pushing around.”
“Ugh. Forget it.”
“So, what’s the latest news amidst the Grand Army?”
“There hasn’t been much news. A few dirty rebels to the north. Took back some land. But the army is heading that way.”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
The great Silver Dragon Lord of the Sky, Second in Command of the Dragon Cult, Warlock of Cyno, and Cultist of Jeff. I have a lot of allegiances… I use He/They pronouns and you can usually find me on the Camp Half-Blood thread in Adohands Kitchen.
“Pretty typical. I dunno what those rebels think they’re doin…” He shakes his head.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
My name’s Gradius, this is my second account :P I love Hollow Knight and I have been on ddb for a while. Come rp with me anytime! It is my purpose. My title that was given to me by Drummer is…SPIRIT OF THE WEST, GUARDIAN OF THE HOLLOWS.
No cost too great. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Born of God and Void.
“Pretty typical. I dunno what those rebels think they’re doin…” He shakes his head.
“Insane, if you ask me. The Messiah is god! They’re against god!”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
The great Silver Dragon Lord of the Sky, Second in Command of the Dragon Cult, Warlock of Cyno, and Cultist of Jeff. I have a lot of allegiances… I use He/They pronouns and you can usually find me on the Camp Half-Blood thread in Adohands Kitchen.
“Pretty typical. I dunno what those rebels think they’re doin…” He shakes his head.
“Insane, if you ask me. The Messiah is god! They’re against god!”
“Yeah…I keep myself out of such affairs. The extremes are what get ye killed.”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
My name’s Gradius, this is my second account :P I love Hollow Knight and I have been on ddb for a while. Come rp with me anytime! It is my purpose. My title that was given to me by Drummer is…SPIRIT OF THE WEST, GUARDIAN OF THE HOLLOWS.
No cost too great. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Born of God and Void.
“Pretty typical. I dunno what those rebels think they’re doin…” He shakes his head.
“Insane, if you ask me. The Messiah is god! They’re against god!”
“Yeah…I keep myself out of such affairs. The extremes are what get ye killed.”
“Extremes of the rebels or the extremes of those such as myself?”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
The great Silver Dragon Lord of the Sky, Second in Command of the Dragon Cult, Warlock of Cyno, and Cultist of Jeff. I have a lot of allegiances… I use He/They pronouns and you can usually find me on the Camp Half-Blood thread in Adohands Kitchen.
Praise The Messiah, for he is our savior! Our king! The son of the Almighty himself!
This is what you read as you pass through the broken, impoverished streets of Dereliktus. Dereliktus is a village in the New Zealand based colony of Sanitas. The streets are littered with broken carriages and waste being dumped out of windows. The once cobbled streets have become crumbled stone and mud. The buildings are all rotting, save from the houses of Nobles and Lords, who all live in the walled sector of the village. The only thing in this village that isn’t a dull brown or grey is the armor of the knights that pass through the streets, who are donned in silver Greathelms with a gold cross, and long due coats over golden armor that bear the symbol of the Messiah, a spotless white dove.
As you can recall from what was taught to you as a child, The Kingdom of Sanitas arrived in New Zealand one hundred and fifties moons ago. They tore through the land, defeating the heathens that came before your generation and establishing The Savior’s rule in New Zealand. Hundreds upon hundreds of armored men arrived to spread the religion of The Messiah, who is the son of The Father and the righteous leader of the most powerful Kingdom in all the land.
Many Saniters settled in the country to oversee the colony, many being former Crusaders. As time went on, conditions of the colonies only become worse and worse, until now. Knights clad in golden armor depicting the dove, the symbol of Sanitas, patrol the streets of every village, enforcing curfew and law by punishment of death. The caste system that was established by the Crusaders has fallen to extreme ends. Those who are poor are treated like vermin, and the wealthy or noble folk face no consequences of their actions.
NO! Stop thinking like this! The Messiah saved your from heresy and rid the world of your evil ancestors! He can do no wrong! If you find yourself talking ill of the system again, your head will be in a basket before long.
All of this leads us to The Flightless Bird, a small Tavern in the ghetto of Dereliktum. It is run by a gruff old Scot named William, but everyone calls him Bill. Buckethead Bill, because he has not once removed the great helm upon by us head. You see, he was once a Crusader of the kingdom. After beheading a mother in front of her child after the crusades, Bill disappeared for 5 years. They say he went into exile, only to return one day to purchase out a two story building and transform it into his tavern. A shining light among the perpetual darkness of the caste system. All are equal in the Flightless Bird, and it serves as a refuge for those who are enemies of the system. If you manage to sneak past the Soldiers after curfew, you can spend the night at The Flightless Bird and forget about life for a while. The inside of the tavern is a warm, cozy wooden cabin. The furniture is all padded with velvet cushioning. The bar is made of a dark stained wood with a massive collections of just about every kind of alcohol imaginable displayed on shelves on the back wall. The bottom floor of the tavern includes a dining room, commonplace with a fireplace and three couches, a kitchen where only employees are allowed, and the bar with sixteen stools. The second layer is dedicated to guest rooms, which all have an individual fireplace and have toasted marshmallows served on a platter every morning.
*Welcome to my dark fantasy tavern! This has been a project floating in the back of my mind for a while so I hope everybody likes it.*
*To start off, as the opening describes, this world runs off of a caste system, meaning your societal class determines the kind of life you live. The classes will be depicted below.*
From Highest to lowest class, the caste system follows these classifications.
1. The Messiah. The supreme and absolute leader of the kingdom and all colonies. His word is law, and he is regarded as the son of god. He lives in central Scotland, where the royal capital is. Anyone who speaks ill of The Messian will immediately be executed with no exceptions. (At least, if it’s in front of authorities.)
2. Priests and The Pope. As the interpreters and enactors of The Messiah, priests are treated with utmost respect and dignity. They could change your life if you treat them right, or have you beheaded if you don’t.
3. Nobles. The nobles are the political leaders that operate underneath The Messiah, often controlling certain sectors and colonies under Our Savior’s command. They have most of the control over the law in their specific areas, which can range from neighborhoods or entire colonies in some cases.
4. Soldiers of the Sanitas Grand Army. These soldiers are not above the law, but they certainly are not subject to the limitations of commoners. Soldiers may take residency wherever they please, and have the authority or carry out the law to their leaders will. They also get free food and drink.
5. Lords. Lords have no more political power than a commoner, but they are wealthy, and therefore superior. They will be treated with less bias of the law than a commoner.
6. The Commoners. Ordinary folk who work ordinary jobs and live ordinary lives. The poorer you are, the more bias you face when it comes to the law. Soldiers hate dirty commoners. Caught wandering after curfew and they will surely be executed. Sometimes when they are merely minding their business they may be apprehended.
7. Untouchables. The lowest of the low. Homeless, jobless, dishonorable folk. It does not matter how you got here. If you are an untouchable, you are vermin.
8. The Forsaken. These people are special, as hardly any of them exist in New Zealand. The Forsaken came from the “New World”, unbeknownst to The Messiah. They are not recognized as children of The Father. By all means of the law and society, they do not exist. This comes with a cost and a reward. If they do not exist to the Messiah, they do not exist to the law. Due to this, they can get away with more than a commoner could, but have no perks of a higher class. They simply live. Due to an incredibly violent sea between the Americas and The Old World, they have not been colonized yet, but the Americans have scarcely been able to make it the Old World ever.
*Make sure to ask for affirmation on any class other than commoner and untouchable, just to be safe, as some of these require some lore implications. Thank you.*
*With the caste system out of the way, let me loosely explain the factions of this world.*
The largest faction is the Absolutists. They live by the Messiah. His word is law, and his word dictates how they live their own lives. They truly and whole heartedly believe The Messiah is the son of God, and are on most instances highly hostile to those who don’t.
The more underground and uncommon faction is the Semists. They do not believe The Messiah is the son of God, but of course they respect him as a leader. Who would be foolish enough not to?? The Semists are proud, but not too loud of their beliefs. They believe the true savior is yet to come, but they have nothing against the Messiah. However, they will still be punished heavily for desecrating the public image of The Messiah with their beliefs, so they keep especially quiet about their religion.
Finally, the Heretics. These people fight for freedom against the tyranny. They are mostly known as rebels, but the Nobles have labeled them Heretics. They fight from the shadows, trying to make an effort against the absolute power of Sanitas.
*You of course do not have to abide by any of these specific beliefs. You are free to make up your own! These are merely the most important of the beliefs.*
*The mods of this Tavern and their characters are Me (Buckethead Bill, the gruff war veteran who wishes to atone for his sins by helping those in need and opening his heart a little bit.), Bananer (“Grey the Just”, a young general who does the dirtiest work of The Messiah. He has blonde hair, tanned skin with freckles, and sharp green eyes. He wears golden armor and travels around the country, carrying out missions that often involve assassinations of rivals or rebels.), Arch (TBD/Coming soon), and Baalze (The Devil Child, a demon or fey of some sort, an unholy entity of anarchy that dwells in the woods. Because he wraps himself up so much and wears a distorted leather mask resembling a harlequin or corpse with a long nose and a childlike, grinning face and a bushy tail protruding from the rags, people assume he's a monster masquerading as a fat little boy, and he doesn't correct them. He's a master of several crafts, ranging from tinkering to cooking to leatherworking, and often gives free gifts (mostly shoes) to peasants.). That is all.*
*The only rules of this thread are to be respectful of others and have fun. Oh, and keep your characters levels 1-5 right now. They’ll level up as time goes on. It’s a dark fantasy tavern, so there will obviously be dark concepts. Go nuts! Maybe add TWs if you decide to write about something particularly dark though.*
Finally, there is folk legend going around town of three ancestor spirits who were killed during the crusades who still roam the town. Liyu, Jiia, and Kavo. Hunger, fear, and pain. Hope, Persistence, and Peace. They were like us once. Suffering in this city. They suffered more than most. Liyu was eaten in a stew. Jiia was hunted in her final hours. Kavo was shot with 15 arrows and left to bleed. Their suffering immolated them into eternity, but they did not turn away from their people.
And with that, you are all free to begin your life as a subject of The Savior! May grace bless you, and have fun with my tavern.
My name’s Gradius, this is my second account :P I love Hollow Knight and I have been on ddb for a while. Come rp with me anytime! It is my purpose. My title that was given to me by Drummer is…SPIRIT OF THE WEST, GUARDIAN OF THE HOLLOWS.
No cost too great. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Born of God and Void.
TRON LIVES
*its here!*
An armored figure storms into the Tavern. A soldier. “Get me a table.” He orders.
The great Silver Dragon Lord of the Sky, Second in Command of the Dragon Cult, Warlock of Cyno, and Cultist of Jeff. I have a lot of allegiances… I use He/They pronouns and you can usually find me on the Camp Half-Blood thread in Adohands Kitchen.
PRAISE JEFF!
(That was a link. Click. Now.)
*Big detail I forgot to mention. The knights of Dereliktus have become so absorbed in their superiority complex that their defense is actually rather loose. It’s not very difficult to sneak by them, but it’s much easier to get yourself publicly executed if you’re caught. This means Dereliktus has a very high crime rate.*
My name’s Gradius, this is my second account :P I love Hollow Knight and I have been on ddb for a while. Come rp with me anytime! It is my purpose. My title that was given to me by Drummer is…SPIRIT OF THE WEST, GUARDIAN OF THE HOLLOWS.
No cost too great. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Born of God and Void.
TRON LIVES
Bill looks up from the glass he is cleaning. His Greathelm hides his expression, but he doesn’t look exactly relaxed. The sun shines on his surcoat, revealing the faded Dove crest on the right breast of his armor. He speaks in a deep voice with a heavy Scottish accent. “Mornin”, Grey. Ye can find a table fer yerself, mate.” He knows how dangerous this is to say to the General, but he decides to say it anyway. He’s a little grumpy.
My name’s Gradius, this is my second account :P I love Hollow Knight and I have been on ddb for a while. Come rp with me anytime! It is my purpose. My title that was given to me by Drummer is…SPIRIT OF THE WEST, GUARDIAN OF THE HOLLOWS.
No cost too great. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Born of God and Void.
TRON LIVES
Grey seems too tired to say anything. It’s clear he hasn’t gotten much sleep lately. “Fine. But if this happens again… you know what’ll happen.”
The great Silver Dragon Lord of the Sky, Second in Command of the Dragon Cult, Warlock of Cyno, and Cultist of Jeff. I have a lot of allegiances… I use He/They pronouns and you can usually find me on the Camp Half-Blood thread in Adohands Kitchen.
PRAISE JEFF!
(That was a link. Click. Now.)
“Yeah, yeah.” He nods and cracks his neck. “How many bottles are ye having today?” Grey hears a very faint click from beneath Bill’s foot.
My name’s Gradius, this is my second account :P I love Hollow Knight and I have been on ddb for a while. Come rp with me anytime! It is my purpose. My title that was given to me by Drummer is…SPIRIT OF THE WEST, GUARDIAN OF THE HOLLOWS.
No cost too great. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Born of God and Void.
TRON LIVES
“Just one. I’m tired, Bill.”
The great Silver Dragon Lord of the Sky, Second in Command of the Dragon Cult, Warlock of Cyno, and Cultist of Jeff. I have a lot of allegiances… I use He/They pronouns and you can usually find me on the Camp Half-Blood thread in Adohands Kitchen.
PRAISE JEFF!
(That was a link. Click. Now.)
“Ain’t we all.” He grabs a bottle of ale, sealed by parchment. Bill strides over to Grey and clinks the bottle onto the stained wood table. “Especially those Nobles, eh? All that sitting around in their mansions must make their legs real tired, huh?” He chuckles. His laugh is muffled like the rest of his speech, and sounds more like a dog snoring than a laugh.
My name’s Gradius, this is my second account :P I love Hollow Knight and I have been on ddb for a while. Come rp with me anytime! It is my purpose. My title that was given to me by Drummer is…SPIRIT OF THE WEST, GUARDIAN OF THE HOLLOWS.
No cost too great. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Born of God and Void.
TRON LIVES
“You know very well that I have a job.”
The great Silver Dragon Lord of the Sky, Second in Command of the Dragon Cult, Warlock of Cyno, and Cultist of Jeff. I have a lot of allegiances… I use He/They pronouns and you can usually find me on the Camp Half-Blood thread in Adohands Kitchen.
PRAISE JEFF!
(That was a link. Click. Now.)
“Yeah alright, I’ll shut me mouth now.” He unties the parchment and presents the ale to Grey. “I need to finish cleaning these mugs anyway.” He strolls back to the bar.
My name’s Gradius, this is my second account :P I love Hollow Knight and I have been on ddb for a while. Come rp with me anytime! It is my purpose. My title that was given to me by Drummer is…SPIRIT OF THE WEST, GUARDIAN OF THE HOLLOWS.
No cost too great. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Born of God and Void.
TRON LIVES
“Commoners.” He grumbles.
The great Silver Dragon Lord of the Sky, Second in Command of the Dragon Cult, Warlock of Cyno, and Cultist of Jeff. I have a lot of allegiances… I use He/They pronouns and you can usually find me on the Camp Half-Blood thread in Adohands Kitchen.
PRAISE JEFF!
(That was a link. Click. Now.)
“Commoners are the source of me income, General. Technically, they’re yours too. You wouldn’t ‘ave a job if there weren’t any folk ter be pushing around.”
My name’s Gradius, this is my second account :P I love Hollow Knight and I have been on ddb for a while. Come rp with me anytime! It is my purpose. My title that was given to me by Drummer is…SPIRIT OF THE WEST, GUARDIAN OF THE HOLLOWS.
No cost too great. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Born of God and Void.
TRON LIVES
“Ugh. Forget it.”
The great Silver Dragon Lord of the Sky, Second in Command of the Dragon Cult, Warlock of Cyno, and Cultist of Jeff. I have a lot of allegiances… I use He/They pronouns and you can usually find me on the Camp Half-Blood thread in Adohands Kitchen.
PRAISE JEFF!
(That was a link. Click. Now.)
“So, what’s the latest news amidst the Grand Army?”
My name’s Gradius, this is my second account :P I love Hollow Knight and I have been on ddb for a while. Come rp with me anytime! It is my purpose. My title that was given to me by Drummer is…SPIRIT OF THE WEST, GUARDIAN OF THE HOLLOWS.
No cost too great. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Born of God and Void.
TRON LIVES
“There hasn’t been much news. A few dirty rebels to the north. Took back some land. But the army is heading that way.”
The great Silver Dragon Lord of the Sky, Second in Command of the Dragon Cult, Warlock of Cyno, and Cultist of Jeff. I have a lot of allegiances… I use He/They pronouns and you can usually find me on the Camp Half-Blood thread in Adohands Kitchen.
PRAISE JEFF!
(That was a link. Click. Now.)
“Pretty typical. I dunno what those rebels think they’re doin…” He shakes his head.
My name’s Gradius, this is my second account :P I love Hollow Knight and I have been on ddb for a while. Come rp with me anytime! It is my purpose. My title that was given to me by Drummer is…SPIRIT OF THE WEST, GUARDIAN OF THE HOLLOWS.
No cost too great. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Born of God and Void.
TRON LIVES
“Insane, if you ask me. The Messiah is god! They’re against god!”
The great Silver Dragon Lord of the Sky, Second in Command of the Dragon Cult, Warlock of Cyno, and Cultist of Jeff. I have a lot of allegiances… I use He/They pronouns and you can usually find me on the Camp Half-Blood thread in Adohands Kitchen.
PRAISE JEFF!
(That was a link. Click. Now.)
“Yeah…I keep myself out of such affairs. The extremes are what get ye killed.”
My name’s Gradius, this is my second account :P I love Hollow Knight and I have been on ddb for a while. Come rp with me anytime! It is my purpose. My title that was given to me by Drummer is…SPIRIT OF THE WEST, GUARDIAN OF THE HOLLOWS.
No cost too great. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Born of God and Void.
TRON LIVES
“Extremes of the rebels or the extremes of those such as myself?”
The great Silver Dragon Lord of the Sky, Second in Command of the Dragon Cult, Warlock of Cyno, and Cultist of Jeff. I have a lot of allegiances… I use He/They pronouns and you can usually find me on the Camp Half-Blood thread in Adohands Kitchen.
PRAISE JEFF!
(That was a link. Click. Now.)