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In the year 126 AC, in the reign of the Westerosi King Viserys I Targaryen, the Free Cities, once great colonies of the Valyrian Freehold, are now locked in a vicious conflict. This conflict isn’t fought on the battlefield, but in the shadows; unmarked Sellswords raid the trade caravans, working for the rivals of the caravan’s respective Free City; the aim is simple, to remove competition in the way of trade. To make matters worse, the Dothraki Khal, Bosaqo, seeks to make a name for his Khalasar; plundering goods valuable for a Khalasar, considered rogue even by the standards of the Horselords. For traders, it is a time of terror; for sellswords, it is a time of profit. Just as they are paid to raid, such individuals also earn coin for defending such caravans. For those that successfully trade at their destinations, the gold that comes from the merchants selling their wares, could potentially set up an individual for life.
In the Free City of Pentos, Voqarys Elyriyen of Lys, last of the Widowmakers Sellsword company, has accepted a contract from the Pentoshi merchant prince Salorio Makoris. Now, the Lysene, having placed posters looking for able swords for the coming job, sits silently at a table in the Arohys Qarn tavern. His purple eyes focussed on the doors, anticipating the arrival of volunteers to take the job, Voqarys hopes that whoever comes to take the job, can stick to it. Salorio is a very rich man, and is more than willing to part with his coin to those who work for him; he already has enough to spare. Sipping at his Ghiscari apricot wine, the Lysene continues his wait; whoever joins him in this venture will either grow rich…or die screaming with an arakh in their gut.
Alright peeps, we’ve got the gist of this particular story; the rest will be revealed as you participate. Before we move onto the character sheet, here are some rules and details pertaining to matters that will determine how we function in the RP.
Playable Ethnicities*
Essosi
• Pentoshi
• Braavosi
• Lysene
• Volantene
• Norvoshi
• Qohorik
• Myrish
• Lorathi
• Tyroshi
• Dothraki
• YiTish
• Lhazareen
• Jogos Nhai
Westerosi
• Dornishmen
• Crownlanders
• Crannogmen
• Northmen
• Reachmen
• Valemen
• Westermen
• Stormlander
• Riverlanders
*It should be noted that mixing tends to happen in the World of Ice and Fire; therefore, it is perfectly acceptable for a character to be of mixed heritage.
Rules
Profane Language: Yes, we all know that the language in A Song of Ice and Fire tends to be somewhat coarse, but we need to tone it down here I’m afraid. Casual swearing ain’t a problem, but extremely offensive terms are severely discouraged.Romances: If your characters are going to indulge in their carnal desires, be sure to fade to black before it gets down to the dirty.
On High-positioned/special characters and Valyrian steel weapons: For purposes of balanced RPing and maintaining the storyline of the Dance of the Dragons, a character cannot be of the Main Houses of Westeros or a Dothraki Khal/Bloodrider. However, you can play as a member of a smaller House, a Cadet branch and any Bastard sired by them. If you want to play as an Unsullied, you must state that your master freed you and why they did so. As for the matter of Valyrian steel weaponry, no character can start with these due to their rarity and the fact that such weapons are powerful. There will be an opportunity for one or two of to get their mitts on such a very pretty weapon.
On magic: Given the decline of magic in the World of Ice and Fire at this time, and given how little is known of it and how powerful it, no characters are able to use Magic. We’ll still come across such phenomena in the RP though.
Valyrian traits: The complete Valyrian look is generally reserved for pure Valyrian descendants who are of the Old Blood families of Volantis, the citizens of Lys and House Velaryon. Diluted characteristics are present throughout the Free Cities, House Celtigar and beings of mixed heritage. The general exception to this rule are the members of House Dayne, purple eyes and silver-blonde hair are common to their bloodline. It should be noted that descendants of Valyrian aristocracy tend to have eyes within shades of purple, while commoners tend to have blue eyes.
Character Template
Name: Voqarys ‘Vo’ Elyriyen
Age: 45
Birthplace: The Free City of Lys
Ethnicity: Lysene/Volantene
Social Status: Noble
Current Profession (prior to contract acceptance): SellswordKin:
• Maloqos Elyriyen of Lys and Varaenya Noraenys of Volantis: Father and Mother, deceased
• Alyria Elyriyen: Half-Sister, alive
• Naeharyon Elyriyen: Half-Brother, alive.
• Baelarys Noraenys of Volantis: Maternal Uncle, alive
• Varaenya Noraenys: Maternal Cousin, alive
• Soros Valdinerys: Bastard Son
Appearance: Born of a Lysene nobleman and an Old Blood Volantene Noblewoman, the blood of Old Valyria flows within Voqarys’ veins…and it certainly shows. The Sellsword displays many of the classic Valyrian traits such as purple eyes and long silvery blonde hair, worn in a multitude of curls and braids and a tall physique, standing at 6ft2 in height. In his youth, he was actually quite beautiful to the point of androgyny; however, life as a Sellsword and the exertions it entails has certainly taken its toll upon him. Stress and constant exposure to the sun of the Southern Free Cities, the Red Waste and the Dothraki Sea have browned his once pale skin and caused it to age noticeably. It doesn’t help that this now leathery visage is heavily scarred from a life of fighting, as well as considerably muscular. From his high cheeked, thin face hangs a braided beard that is of medium length.
Personality: In his youth, Voqarys was as flamboyant and arrogant as any young nobleman of Valyrian blood. Not only that, but like any Lyseni, the Sellsword was, and still is, a very amorous individual; being known to take both male and female lovers into his bed chambers. Besides from his relationship with his Half-Sister, Alyria, the relationship Voqarys had with his Half-Brothers was strained from get-go; to them, he symbolises the betrayal of their father against their dead mother, as well as one more person to split the inheritance with. Despite this, he was a happy child; very eager to taste all of the pleasures that life had to offer and possessed of much intelligence. Life had much to offer, and being of high birth, Voqarys believed that would never change.
In due time, at the age of 17, his parents would die of the bloody flux and the relationship between him and his brothers would turn to pure hatred. Maloqyn and Naeharyon’s murder of his then-lover Voryos did this so well. Then being forced to flee with his inheritance made Voqarys bitter, resentful and paranoid; joining the Widowmakers honed this further, knowing full well that their rivals would come for them should his brothers catch a whiff of his presence. Now 42, his once smooth demeanour has completely vanished; his mannerisms gruff and his humour dark and cruel. Ever since the death of his Paramour Solys, after having to put him down due to Greyscale, Voqarys has never been able to hold down a relationship; cycling through any man or woman for a single night’s pleasure. Furthermore, this loss would instil a great dread of the disease within Voqarys.
Background: The tale surrounding Voqarys Elyriyen’s birth had always been something found within the songs of the Free Cities. His father, Maloqos Elyriyen, was a very wealthy Lysene merchant of aristocratic stock; one of the few merchants to capitalise on trading with Volantis, he and his retinue travelled there. Not only did he find further opportunity in the oldest of the Free Cities, he also found love after his first wife had died; at five and thirty years of age, he laid eyes upon a beautiful woman of pure Valyrian blood like him, and she showed interest. 20 year old Varaenya Noraenys was the youngest daughter of Illyrio Noraenys, scion of a wealthy Old Blood Volantene family; he had seven daughters and only one son. Furthermore, he was of the Elephant party, Volantenes who believed that trade was the way forward for their city. Maloqos deviated from the original price for his goods; instead, he offered to slash the prices of his wares, in exchange for Varaenya’s hand in marriage. Illyrio, knowing that the Lyseni were of the purest Valyrian blood alongside the elite of Volantis’ families and interested in a considerably lower price, cared nothing for the history of the two cities and swiftly accepted the noble’s offer. Within three days, the two Valyrian descendants were married and 12 months later, she gave Maloqos and the three children from his previous marriage a new child; Voqarys Elyriyen was born in his father’s mansion in Lys, he was younger than his youngest Half-sibling by 10 years.
As is expected of a person born of the aristocracy of Lys and Volantis, Voqarys was raised within the confines of his father’s household; flushed with wealth, much of the boy’s desires were easily sated. Beautiful toys, and as he grew older, beautiful people, were all his to buy. However, his entry into the family wasn’t exactly well received. Alyria, the second child, welcomed the arrival of her brother; the two of them shared a loving relationship. However, his Half-Brothers, Maloqyn and Naeharyon felt both cheated and betrayed; cheated in that their inheritance would be further split with another, betrayed in that their father remarried so soon after their own mother’s death. Yet while he was alive, they could do nothing to their brother; such was their hatred, they referred to their stepmother as a “Volantene Whore” when her back was turned. As the boy grew into an adolescent, he would begin to experiment with a multitude of lovers whilst his siblings went on to be married to either Lysene or Volantene nobles. Voqarys would find that he himself preferred an even balance of loving both men and women; something that made him very popular in the brothels of Lys. In time, he would find himself involved in romantic relationship with a commoner named Voryos. However these happy days would soon end when Maloqos and Varaenya contracted the bloody flux and succumbed to it. With them, the protection that Voqarys had from his Half-Brothers died also. No sooner had his parents’ bodies been put to the torch, Maloqyn and Naeharyon put their plan into action and moved to murder their younger brother. That night, they stole into Voqarys’ chambers and put a dagger into the neck of the sleeping young man. Yet when they rolled his body over, the being they slew had blue eyes, not the purple of highborn Lysene. This man was a commoner, and it was their brother’s lover who they killed. To make matters worse, their intended target walked in on them, and saw that they slew Voryos; spurred by adrenaline, Voqarys fled his family’s mansion and stole into the poorer sections of Lys. He knew that he couldn’t board a ship to Volantis; his brothers knew that he had family there and that would be the first place he would turn to. Instead, taking all of the gold he had inherited from his parents, the exiled nobleman took a ship to Pentos and then proceeded to wander. In all this mess, in that moment Voqarys began to break down and weep in the forest of Qohor; he never had the chance to properly mourn his parents, and now his lover was gone too. In due time, he would find himself in Qohor itself and from there, would purchase his weapons and armour with the gold he had left from his voyage. From a blacksmith, he would acquire his bronze lamellar, gauntlets and boots; from the market, he would acquire his steel arakh. A relic from the attempted Dothraki invasion of Qohor in the past, the weapon was still in perfect condition…and Voqarys, having been trained as a swordsman since a young age, took to the weapon like a natural. In due time, he would come across the Widowmakers; a Sellsword company who were looking for new recruits. Given that no one else had shown interest, the Sellswords took the Lysene-Volantene into their fold.
Years went by, the Widowmakers carried out their bloody work from as far as the Dothraki Sea in the East to even Westeros across the Narrow Sea; they defended traders, took on rival companies and handed in bounties on those who’ve been marked. In due time, Voqarys would engage in carnal relationships with many men and women, siring a single bastard in the town of Selhorys; but he would truly find that his heart belonged to a fellow Widowmaker, Sorys of Braavos. A beautiful man with dusky skin and golden eyes, Sorys loved Voqarys, and he in turn loved Sorys. No longer did they just fight for money, they fought for each other; with their accumulated wealth, they would lavish much upon each other. For the first time in years, the highborn felt happy; this life could do no wrong for him. That would change the moment they entered the Sorrows along the river Rhoyne. 17 years after abandoning his home in Lys, Voqarys and the Widowmakers would come into contact with the Stone Men; damned souls who were doomed by Greyscale. Their boat was swiftly swamped by the diseased beings and were swept into the Rhoyne. The Lysene-Volantene would wake up on the shores of the river, a few hours after the incident; his Braavosi paramour alongside him, yet no other Widowmaker was within sight. At first, Voqarys was overjoyed; he and Sorys had survived. Yet that wasn’t to last; as he moved in to kiss his beloved on the neck, that was when he saw it. The dried cracked skin that flaked away from the neck; he knew that Sorys now felt the kiss of greyscale, yet he truly didn’t want to. The Braavosi knew this, and then begged Voqarys to end his life before he became an agonised husk…before he became one of the Stone Men. Knowing full well his beloved was doomed, the highborn reluctantly complied; stabbing his arakh into the heart that he knew belonged to him by all rights. After he burned Sorys’ body, he would wander Essos in a daze for the next 15 years, taking the odd job that was offered to him; each night, he would be tormented by a twisted parody of his lost love, completely wrapped in the diseased confines of greyscale. Eventually, fate would call Voqarys to Pentos; and a job that would make him confront the ghosts of the past.
Equipment
• Steel Dothraki arakh
• Bronze lamellar, gauntlets and boots
• Various knives
• Bastard sword, lucked from a slain Westerosi knight in Tyrosh
• Round, wooden shield with inlaid steel
• A golden dragon medallion, a gift he gave to Sorys.
Languages Spoken
• High Valyrian
• Bastard Valyrian (Lyseni, Volantene, Pentoshi, Ghiscari and Qohorik dialects)
• Common Tongue
• Small bits of Dothraki