First things first, here are the rules for RPing in the Dream Arena, or the city of Musalia. I’ll post it in an FAQ format to make things easier. Remember, the rules of Revaliir in general all apply as well.
Can I go anywhere in Musalia?
Almost. You may only enter the Chambers of Mystery if you win a gauntlet, and you can only go to the Armoury or the Bard’s Halls if you’re RPing taking the respective gauntlet. Other than that, knock yourself out.
Can I just RP winning a gauntlet?
Sure. While I appreciate detail, you don’t have to RP every aspect of it, either. But I’d prefer you write about at least one leg of the gauntlet with some detail.
Can I steal from Musalia?
You cannot. You can only RP keeping items you’ve purchased or won, as stolen items will not leave the temple-realm with you.
Please note that the crafty and clever are rewarded, however, so feel free to use any loopholes in this rule!
The temple description mentioned prerequisites to take the gauntlets. Do I have to RP those?
God, no.
Can my character lie about the prerequisites?
The angels that collect the honours for the Bard’s pilgrimage will ask questions, and they’ll know if you lie. However, they cannot know if something is only technically true, so they can be deceived - and success in doing so is not against Musalian law.
Can several characters take the gauntlet together?
They can! Bands of bards are treated as single entities, as long as they’ve all taken the full pilgrimage. Groups of warriors may enter the gauntlet together as well, but only one may fight in any duel. In the monster battle, all may participate.
I just want to RP talking to Torn. Do I still have to take the gauntlet IC, and join the adventure?
Winning the gauntlet doesn’t mean you HAVE to join Torn on an adventure, you just need to convince him in one try if that’s your goal. What you do with the meeting is up to you. If you want to meet under other circumstances, PM me first, and we might just figure something out.
What exactly does “Prince of Epics” mean?
Torn is the god of heroism and song. Heroes can be warriors, mages, or even thieves, so long as they do great deeds that aren’t on the evil side of the moral spectrum. Singers, in this context, mean anyone who tell stories lyrically - poets, bards, skalds, etc.
What if I wanna be a priest of Torn?
Keep reading.
If you’re satisfied with just knowing the base rules, you may stop reading and go post now. What follows are notes on clergy, thread tags, and other stuff.
I kept reading, I still wanna be a priest. What now?
Goddamn, be patient! First, I need to tell you about the two kinds of clerics of the Prince of Epics.
Sorry.
Ah, don’t worry about it, I still love you.
The Chroniclers
Those who challenge the Bard’s Gauntlet may have joining the ranks of the chroniclers as a goal. The Chroniclers are bards blessed by the Prince of Epics, and charged with recording the great events of the world in song. Terrible tragedies, glorious battles, acts of heroism… you get the idea. The Chroniclers are, in almost every respect, just like regular bards. The exception is that they travel with some authority, and thus have access to certain temples regular bards don’t have access to, and are more likely to be invited to witness battle or record tales from private places around the world. A Chronicler has to fend for themselves, but to carry a Chronicler’s badge means your talent has been recognized by the god of song, and so you will always be known to be a bard of talent.
To win the privilege of carrying a Chronicler’s badge, you must enter the gauntlet and win the badge from the Seven Muses. You don’t have to win the sing-off to do so - both participants can be deemed worthy to carry the badge. Indeed, it is also possible for neither contestant to win the honour, which is usually the case. Once you do, however, no man may ever take it from you - if stolen, it will always return to you within the day, and the badges cannot be forged - any attempt to do so will result in frustrating failure.
The Merry Band of Misfits
Once a group of bandits from the Northlands, the Merry Band of Misfits were Torn’s travelling companions when the Prince of Epics was still a mortal man. Now, they are heroes, each an adventurer in his own right, charged with seeking out challenges throughout the world and fill Revaliir with epic stories. To be a Merry Misfit is to be ambitious, bold, and of course merry! Adventurers who manage to reach the Monster Fight stage of the Warrior’s Gauntlet will be given the opportunity to join the Merry Band of Misfits, and arm themselves with a weapon from the Misfits’ armoury. To do so is to be known as a warrior of skill and honesty.
The weapons have no particular abilities, and gameplay-wise function exactly as the weapon you use to sub it. However, when making a claim to be a Merry Misfit, a true Misfit’s weapon will begin to hum in approval. You need to claim a trophy from a great beast, a monster, or a skilled foe at least once a month, or this effect will stop working.
Being a Merry Misfit means that bards will be more eager to sing of your exploits, and many mercenary bands will give a Merry Misfit a great deal of respect. Many Merry Misfits have started bands of their own, as well, as men are often more eager to follow those who have proven themselves in the eyes of the god of heroism.
Cool! I’ll go make a post to join, now!
Whoa, hold your horses. Keep reading for a little while longer.
Tags and other stuff
[P]: Private - Put this tag in the thread name if the thread is meant only for invited parties.
[GO]: God Only - Put this tag in the thread name if the thread is private, meant only for the author and Torn.
[O] or [Open]: Either of these tags means that anyone can join at any time.
[R]: R-rated content - heavy cursing, gore, or mild sexual themes. Explicit sexual themes are still not permitted as per the rules of Revaliir.
[NG]: No God - Use this tag if Torn’s presence isn’t required. Mind you, this is Torn’s temple, so if he wants to meddle, he will.
[App]: Use this tag if you want your character to join the Chroniclers or the Merry Band of Misfits! Mind you, if you want to join, I have to make a post approving the joining before you actually do!
Torn's god rules:
i: Torn can make anyone feel an intense desire to overcome massive challenges, even where logic dictates it should be impossible. This also incurs a blessing to help them succeed.
ii: If Torn approves of - or praises - a piece of music, that song will evermore sound more appealing to mortal ears.
iii: Torn has the ability to summon any creature he has personally slain, to serve any purpose - or transform into one himself.
Voice Actor: Jon Cozart (Paint)
Theme Song: Masatoshi Ono - Departure!
I am KeeXeyn.
