New: A Clash of Serpents (free, open-ended, www, human, fantasy, rpg)

From: donotreply@pbm.com (PBM List Autoposter)

Date: Sat, 28 May 2005 07:13:00 +0000

Name:		A Clash of Serpents
Costs:		Free
Email:		chorusofstars zat aol.com
Frequency:		Minimum 2/week
Type:		Renaissance-style fantasy
Last-Update:		2005May20
Keywords: free, open-ended, www, human, fantasy, rpg

Description:

There's nobody alive today who remembers freedom.

Freedom is a legacy we pass on to our children through the whispered
memories of a different world, memories we inherited from our own parents.
Freedom is a dream we look to the stars to imagine, but the stars are
obscured by the wings of our masters, and by the sky-wheels that hold
aloft the broken bodies of those who spoke too loudly of freedom. They say
their victims are 'given to the sky', a sacrifice made to purge the soul
so that it will be an obedient servant to the dragons in its next
incarnation. I'm not sure what broke my heart more: The nights when my
daughters used to cry because the screams kept them awake, or the day they
stopped.

Freedom is a legend: The legend of Aquitania, the empire that worshipped
the waves.

Before the dragons came and purged our kingdoms with fire, we were all
worshippers of Ada, from here to the rich sultanates of Raktatora and the
alpine forests and frozen wasteland of Jenoktora. Those of us who lived in
the shadow of the Spire were the first to fall from glory, turning from
our guiding faith to the worldly matters of politics and material wealth,
but in the end, each nation abandoned the worship of the elusive and
intangible Sea Queen. All but for one land, a legendary -- nay, mythical?
-- empire of white ships and emerald towers that pierced the
thrice-bedamned sky, isolated from the rest of humanity by the greatest of
oceans.

When the Spire awoke and the dragons answered its call, men died by the
thousands and swore allegiance by the millions. Denash and Inorash were
the last to throw down their weapons and kneel, when their neighbouring
kingdom of Etarik was obliterated, city by city, in waves of fire. Ada did
not come to help us, then or now. Our goddess abandoned us as we had
abandoned her.

But beyond that great ocean, Aquitania remained loyal. As the dragons
amassed and soared across the skies to claim that final bastion of human
independence as their own, the world shook, the seas thrashed, and Ada's
serpents rose from their depths to tear out the hearts of the invaders and
guide the white ships back home. Men and women from every corner of
Aquitania -- the decadent Beluen, industrious Deronor, arcane Sulmire and
wild and untamed Itiquari -- took to the decks of their ships and the
backs of the serpents, and fought fire with fire, driving the dragons back
to their scorched lands and broken citizens. Back to us.

Or so the legend goes. Few nowadays even believe the tale of Aquitania is
more than a bedtime story, a hollow comfort for children coming of age in
a shattered world, but as my final days draw to a close, I have to believe
that in my next life, I will taste freedom and the sea breeze, and my
children's children will control their own destinies.

-- Excerpt from the journal of Robert Belok, great-grandson of the former
Duke of Tiernafal, three days before he was given to the sky.

In a world where the human race lives in slavery, you play the last free
men and women in the world. Aquitania is an empire seemingly in its golden
age; while the world around it crumbles, its sprawling lands boast liberty
and education, hermetic magic and powerful spirit-talkers, industry and
revolution, untamed and savagely beautiful wilderness, white towers and
green crystal spires, and ships that sail the ocean under the escort of
gargantuan sea serpents. But can such a diverse collection of nations,
brought together under the banner of mutual protection, really forge a
lasting alliance amidst the clash of ideologies? Have you sold your souls
to the devil in accepting the patronage of the sea serpents? And if
Aquitania breaks apart, who will keep the dragons at bay?

The world of Spire is a rich Renaissance-style setting developed by a GM
with ten years of experience running online fantasy games. This game is in
its early stages and will take place on a PHP bulletin board, as part of a
welcoming and expanding online gaming community that's been together for
more than a decade. We have an expectation of high-quality writing and
commitment to the game. Now's a good time to get in on the ground floor;
we have room for Princes and Dukes, sailors and serpent-riders, mages,
shamans, inventors, Beluen university students and intellectuals, priests
of Ada, courtiers, criminals and peddlers of various vices, city guild
leaders and their flunkies, explorers, and just about anything else you
can think of.

Please e-mail a sample of your writing to receive further information on
joining.

[ This is a new entry for the PBM List. You can find the list
itself, and instructions for adding games or comments, at
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/pbm_list/ -- greg ]