This is the Primer for Right to Ascension; it explains numerous things, including terminology that will see wide use, as well as an explanation of how roleplaying will be conducted from now on. These are not polite suggestions, and it is strongly encouraged that one abides by the Codes, for punishment will also be listed within. However, it is not the intent for this board to feel like it is rules mongered; most things will be over looked as long as you follow a sense of Reciprocity.

1.The Roles

The Role of the Regulator

Laws and Order have no place in a society if there are not those that enforce them; thus are required the Regulators. These specially selected individuals are charged with the tasks of both maintaining the order and fairness of the board, as well as assisting the Chief Regulator with advancing the Epic Plotlines, which are those that affect more than a few characters/a single nation. If ever you have a dispute, it is best to contact a Regulator, who will most likely bring it up with the Chief.

The Role of the Roleplayer

Though all are technically roleplayers here, this word is synonymous with a member who has not attained a position such as Regulator. The chief role of RPers is simple; have fun and enjoy yourself, without ruining the fun and enjoyment of others. This can involve you either joining an ongoing story, or taking on the role of a Story Master and posting an idea; when you get enough members, it’s time to start the show! However, make sure you don’t go outside of your bounds; you are only allowed to create Minor to Major Plotlines.

The Role of the Story Master

Potentially, anyone here can serve as a Story Master; all it requires is some imagination, interested roleplayers, and the dedication to see your story through. As storymaster, you control the major elements of your plotline, from the antagonist(s) to the reward and it’s affect on the area around it. It is, however, encouraged that you discuss the twists, rewards, and general effect of the adventure on the world/kingdom/city with a Regulator before beginning, and stay within the restrictions of your plotline/timeline type.

2. Plotlines


Minor Plotlines

These are stories that, as a whole, really do not affect the goings on of Avantus as a whole, rather the development of a small group of characters. These range from a group of adventurers clearing out a goblin cave to a quest for a minor magic artifact. This is usually the kind of plot for the establishment of a character, such as early or perhaps just short adventures. These are creatable by both Regulators and Roleplayers.

Major Plotlines

The next step up is that of Major plotlines, which tend to decide fates of large groups of people ranging from a city to even perhaps a whole Kingdom. These type of stories may involve a small war with rampaging nomads or orcs, or possibly even the slaying of an elder dragon. Such stories are filled with wonder and will be sung of in tales for times to come! These are creatable by both Regulators and Roleplayers.

Epic Plotlines

These are the stuffs of legend; truly earthshaking events shall transpire in these stories, which will dictate the future of Avantus and the Inheritor Kingdoms as a whole. These shall be things ranging from the finding of Forgotten Artifacts, great wars, and even invasions from different continents… or planes of existence. This is the domain of Regulators alone, and will usually be collaborated efforts.


3. Timelines


Ancient
Also known as the Forgotten Times, stories taking place during the Ancient Era are those during the Golden Age of the Forgotten Kingdoms, all the way through the Fall and the beginning of the strife that followed. These are the domain of the Regulators, and will usually answer many questions…

Past
The times of the past are the rise and rebuilding after the strife that followed the end of the Forgotten Kingdoms. This begins after the 100th year after The Fall, upon the first writings telling of the doom that devoured the continent. It is a time when revenants of past provinces and elder states begin to crumble, besieged by rogues and beasts at the pinnacle of the dark age, where none were safe and trust was worth more than gold. These times are those of Regulators and Roleplayers alike, leading all the way to the birth of the Inheritor Kingdoms and their first meeting in Leigis.

Present
There is no time like the Present, as it is said. The setting is during the Age of Inheritance, which began after the first meeting of the Inheritor Kingdoms in Leigis; this is the tale of what occurs twenty years after, as territories and borders have grown stronger, as well as trade and relations. The hub of all of this is the once Grand City of Leigis, now a neutral commonwealth. It is during the 20th year of Inheritance that things begin to grow ever more interesting. This era is that of high fantasy, of journeying along a world that has been, more or less, charted. These times are the domain of Regulators and Roleplayers alike.

Alternity
Usually a series of oneshots, Alternities are ruled by opposites and oddities. If ever you’d had the question ‘What if’ regarding a character, a kingdom, a previous plot’s outcome, or any combination of these things and more, look no further! Roleplayers and Regulators alike are welcome to speculate…


4. Characters

Seeker
The beginner of adventuring, a Seeker is exactly that; one who seeks the prowess or ability to become what they were born to be. Whether that be a great wizard, a Knight Errant, or possibly just the greatest banjo picker this world has never known. Perhaps your town was burned down by marauding orcs, and now you seek to grow strong enough to kill them all? Seekers are usually young and inexperienced, though their skills are still better than the average person or monster.

Hero/Villain
When a Seeker has moved on from slaughtering goblins and kobolds and begun tackling truly difficult quests, he is seen as a Hero. These are young men and women who’s ability has grown from mere promise to impressive; swordsmen who can fight ten men at once, mages who can cast great fireballs, and the kind of music that makes people kick up their feet! Whenever there is trouble, Heroes are called upon to save maidens in distress or help resist a siege.

Veteran
Though there are limericks sung of heroes and the occasional fireside tale, the epics and great songs are reserved for the Veterans of adventuring; those that have entered a dragon’s cave and left alive and richer for the experience. Their fame or infamy has made their names and deeds well known; stories of a swordsman single handedly fighting off a company of well trained soldiers, of mages who have brought down castle walls, and the kind of concerts that will never be forgotten.

Legend
Rare is the Veteran, the stuff of song and glory; yet rarer still is the Legend. Tales that sound so outlandish, impossible, and improbable often deal with the escapades of a Legend… and often are true, if not actually downplayed. Such men and women are spoken of in awed tones, their names used in praises and curses; they have been called Saints and Devils, and revered and reviled in ways reserved for the most holy and unholy. These are the tales of a swordsman overthrowing a castle singlehandedly, of a wizard bringing down a mountainside, of the music that beguiles all that can hear. Unlike the other degrees of heroes, Legends are reserved for Regulator NPCs, or bestowed upon a character by the Chief Regulator, though the precedence of such is reserved for only the most epic of times…


5. Kingdoms

Forgotten Kingdoms
These are the three Kingdoms that brought about The Fall, and are currently only known as those of the Warrior, the Wizard, and the Engineer. They exist only in the Ancient Era, and are run by the Regulators.

Strife Kingdoms
Usually the last vestiges of states and provinces of the Forgotten Kingdoms, which held out longest during The Fall; very few of them exist beyond the Past Era as more than ruins and painful memories.

Inheritor Kingdoms
These are the Kingdoms that would arise after The Fall, and usher in the Inheritor Age of the Present. Though many small communities arose two centuries after the end of the Forgotten Kingdoms, the Inheritors are those that still persist today, seeking their Right to Ascension.