The OP3RaT0R
Call me Op. Or Smooth.
In the year 4E 201, the Dragonborn appeared in Skyrim and marked a turning point in an age of calamity and war. The Civil War was at its peak, and dragons had emerged after centuries of their absence. It was the actions of the Dragonborn and a number of other heroic souls that brought Skyrim to what was hoped to be a long era of peace. The men and women of this day, including the Dragonborn, fought for the civilized institution of the Empire and against the World-Eater himself. The non-Nords and the Nords exited the crises in harmony, and with the agitating Stormcloaks out of the picture, Skyrim flourished for the next several years.
Membership to the Companions and the College of Winterhold grew; men were eager and able to grow and learn. Merchants became wealthier in peacetime than in war, free to ship goods without threat of soldiers taking whatever they "needed." The Dragonborn settled down in Whiterun, travelling between the city and the Throat of the World, where he honed his Voice and turned from the path of a warrior to that of a scholar, fighting only when needed.
In the year 4E 208, a large bandit clan swept through central and northern Skyrim, killing Jarls and citizens alike. Shortly after, the Dragonborn was killed by an assassin. He had become a prominent figure by the time of his death, and his loss thus threw an already-worried Skyrim into a panic. Before, people knew that if all else should fail, he would be there with them. All else had failed now, and he was gone.
Ambitious men took up the thrones of the dead Jarls and began to bear down upon their citizens, letting corruption drive their actions. Feeling threatened by their sizable neighbors, the still-living Jarls stiffened up their own rule over their holds. More taxes, less freedom to improve became the pattern; membership to guilds was not practical when so much time had to be devoted to paying for one's existence. The able and wealthy were not hit so hard by this, until the Jarls began to build small armies. The threat of one another's armies spurred the Jarls into skirmishes; not exactly large enough to be called wars, but they resulted in businesses and individuals' property being damaged or going missing after an enemy forced itself into a city and burned and stole what it could. By 4E 217, the Empire had little presence in Skyrim, and civilization was fleeting ahead of tribalism.
The people who remained in the cities adapted to the way of life their Jarls had created: stealing, killing, and menial labor were the only ways to make coin. Necessity eradicated morality. The honest and productive had fled for the lands outside of the cities by this point, carrying on as best as they could under government that would not allow them a livelihood and in a society that could not allow them a life. After the start of the year 4E 220, the province had stabilized into a land that was stagnant, but livable. For the next ten years, nothing happened. Bandit attacks and the occasional fight between holds' forces in the wilderness were the extent of the excitement which Skyrim's citizens experienced. The Jarls' taxes and whims ceased to be odd, but became mere annoyances.
But the tales of aged men and women who had lived, really lived, not just subsisted- these planted the seeds of change, and thirty years after that first great change came about, the future was uncertain. And the question was asked in the minds of those who remembered the Dragonborn, and those who would have appreciated his time: would the environment of an age almost forgotten return?
Rules:
1. No godding (characters must be within reason, i.e. no Daedra, no calling down meteor storms at will, etc.) Of course, the premise of this RP is that characters of great ability and knowledge fight to get rid of the brutal and repressive Jarls, stop the bandit raids, the like, so great skill is allowed, but everything must be fair and reasonable.
2. No Thu'um (the Dragonborn has been dead for years!)
3. Master-level skills & spells are fine, but remember rule 1.
4. Keep cursing and lewdness low in the RP, but the OOC thread is fair game.
5. Make each post at least 5 sentences (unless the action is moving really slow, which is unlikely), and try to post once a day.
6. If you know that you have an upcoming commitment, get bored, or are unable to continue this RP, let me know so that you can take the time off you need and the story can move on smoothly.
7. This RP will open when it has 4-6 members, but will remain open. If you want to join, post your character card in here. I'll most likely let you in.
8. Have fun and ask any questions you have!
Enjoy!
(Also, a suggestion: for added win, make your characters old people who have no problem whooping some young punks.
)
Membership to the Companions and the College of Winterhold grew; men were eager and able to grow and learn. Merchants became wealthier in peacetime than in war, free to ship goods without threat of soldiers taking whatever they "needed." The Dragonborn settled down in Whiterun, travelling between the city and the Throat of the World, where he honed his Voice and turned from the path of a warrior to that of a scholar, fighting only when needed.
In the year 4E 208, a large bandit clan swept through central and northern Skyrim, killing Jarls and citizens alike. Shortly after, the Dragonborn was killed by an assassin. He had become a prominent figure by the time of his death, and his loss thus threw an already-worried Skyrim into a panic. Before, people knew that if all else should fail, he would be there with them. All else had failed now, and he was gone.
Ambitious men took up the thrones of the dead Jarls and began to bear down upon their citizens, letting corruption drive their actions. Feeling threatened by their sizable neighbors, the still-living Jarls stiffened up their own rule over their holds. More taxes, less freedom to improve became the pattern; membership to guilds was not practical when so much time had to be devoted to paying for one's existence. The able and wealthy were not hit so hard by this, until the Jarls began to build small armies. The threat of one another's armies spurred the Jarls into skirmishes; not exactly large enough to be called wars, but they resulted in businesses and individuals' property being damaged or going missing after an enemy forced itself into a city and burned and stole what it could. By 4E 217, the Empire had little presence in Skyrim, and civilization was fleeting ahead of tribalism.
The people who remained in the cities adapted to the way of life their Jarls had created: stealing, killing, and menial labor were the only ways to make coin. Necessity eradicated morality. The honest and productive had fled for the lands outside of the cities by this point, carrying on as best as they could under government that would not allow them a livelihood and in a society that could not allow them a life. After the start of the year 4E 220, the province had stabilized into a land that was stagnant, but livable. For the next ten years, nothing happened. Bandit attacks and the occasional fight between holds' forces in the wilderness were the extent of the excitement which Skyrim's citizens experienced. The Jarls' taxes and whims ceased to be odd, but became mere annoyances.
But the tales of aged men and women who had lived, really lived, not just subsisted- these planted the seeds of change, and thirty years after that first great change came about, the future was uncertain. And the question was asked in the minds of those who remembered the Dragonborn, and those who would have appreciated his time: would the environment of an age almost forgotten return?
Rules:
1. No godding (characters must be within reason, i.e. no Daedra, no calling down meteor storms at will, etc.) Of course, the premise of this RP is that characters of great ability and knowledge fight to get rid of the brutal and repressive Jarls, stop the bandit raids, the like, so great skill is allowed, but everything must be fair and reasonable.
2. No Thu'um (the Dragonborn has been dead for years!)
3. Master-level skills & spells are fine, but remember rule 1.
4. Keep cursing and lewdness low in the RP, but the OOC thread is fair game.
5. Make each post at least 5 sentences (unless the action is moving really slow, which is unlikely), and try to post once a day.
6. If you know that you have an upcoming commitment, get bored, or are unable to continue this RP, let me know so that you can take the time off you need and the story can move on smoothly.
7. This RP will open when it has 4-6 members, but will remain open. If you want to join, post your character card in here. I'll most likely let you in.
8. Have fun and ask any questions you have!
Enjoy!
(Also, a suggestion: for added win, make your characters old people who have no problem whooping some young punks.
)
