forum Broken Betrothal (O/O Closed)

Started May 06, 2022 by @Bunty group

tune

Yurul, a planet with no shortage of magical beings and mystic arts, relies on an ancient hierarchy of lineages. Many families gain and fall out of power through planned marriages and business deals. Some families have done away with betrothals and worries about power, but the custom is a large part of all cultures in Yurul. The planet is divided into five regions: Pillax, Qéo, Varesia, Hykno, and Islilia.

Pillax is a desert wasteland, just sand for miles and miles. This region is inhabited by demons, cursed bloodlines, centaurs, dragons, Pillaxian ox, Esokan, and some specialized magic users. Most non-native creatures avoid the area, as it is easy to get lost in the endless dunes. Qéo is filled with dense rainforests and plants. Botanists flock to the region, and 36% of the planet's oxygen supply is produced from the forests there. Fae, fairies, elves, fauns, nymphs, sprites, ents, and other magical creatures inhabit the area. Varesia is the typical story book fantasy land with stone castles and quaint villages, but a handful of cities in the region are much more modernized with skyscrapers and huge electrical plants. Electrical sprites and other technical beings live in the large cities -along with some non-magic beings and magic users aspiring to start something for themselves- whereas most magic users, non-magic users, unicorns, healers, Elmards, witches and wizards, alchemists, house dwarves, and enchantresses live in the rest of the region. Hykno is filled with ice caverns and tunnels that burrow into the mountains. Along with some non-magic miners, golems, orcs, mountain dwarves, dragons, Cretians, some scientist's labs, and lesser ice beings reside in the region. Islilia is the oceans and scattered islands that cover the rest of the planet. Serpents, mermaids, sirens, kelpie, krakens, hippocampus, and pirates traverse these waters.

Kené Eoiali is the younger of two brothers from a substantial, feared family from the Pillax region. When a much more powerful family from a different region proposes a betrothal, the Eoiali family sends Kené and his older brother, Sars, to the other family to "feel out" the betrothal. The two brothers meet the potential bride, and Sars is automatically on the defensive. However, as they stay and get to know each other, the Sars and the potential bride grow to like each other much more than expected…

Hi there! I'm looking for a nice little fantasy/romance one-on-one roleplay with someone! If you're interested, just submit a writing sample (a sample from another roleplay would do just fine! Just submit what your typical post-length is like) and any questions you might have about the plot idea! And you are welcome to use any type of magical species that you'd like (though must be something human-like).

I like need to be in on this.
(I've never had to submit a writing sample before ahhhh now I'm nervous)

Frenchie continued to make her way up until she found something. A few levels from the roof, there seemed to be a camp. For multiple people. Which meant there were other people here. She wasn't sure to laugh or cry. Frenchie hadn't seen another living soul in months, she honestly wasn't sure if there were any even left. But this was proof. Proof she wasn't alone.

Hi there! Unfortunately, I'm looking for a roleplayer who writes a little bit more, I'm sorry.

Ah, alright then. Well, can't say I didn't try. Good luck!

(ooh this looks neat! here's my sample:)

Riven Briar was lounged sideways across his throne, a loose white shirt and a pair of dark pants on. The shirt gapped halfway down his torso, exposing smooth skin. The silver glitter of a fae drug glinted on his fingers and at the corners of his mouth, and a glass of wine was held lazily in his left hand. The gold of his circlet glinted from his dark curls, and the earrings in his ears sparked with each shift of his head. Dark kohl lined his eyelids, along with a spark of gold eye-shadow. The party tonight was similar to any other; not all of the royal family was there, but many of them were. Riven was, as usual, the center of attention of many of the younger party-goers, each of them casting covert glances at the young, handsome prince. Human slaves waited in the shadows for a master or mistress's summons.

Riven eventually moved from his throne, making his way through the crowd to where a group of his friends laughed and chatted. He was immediately let into their circle, grins and mischievous words greeting him as he gave them a lazy, feline smile, the slightly sharp canines of any Fae flashing as he bared his teeth.

"–Riven, you should have been there to see. It was quite amusing." one of the Fae finished a story, a sharp grin on his own face as he spoke of a human he had ensorcelled and tricked, sending many of their small group into laughter. Humans were no better than animals, and there were hardly any laws regulating their treatment. After all, those with the power can do whatever they like to those without it, and there was no question but that the Fae had power and the humans…well. The humans did not.

(i try to match my partner's reply length, btw, so if your replies are shorter mine probably will be too)

Here it is! You are welcome to make templates for others in your characters family (though not necessary!). I'll be making a template for both my boy Sars and Kené. Also feel free to add any categories if you'd like.
Name:
Age: (20-25)
Species: (Feel free to make up whatever you want here!)
Home Region:

-Physical Features- (If you want to change this to paragraph form, that's fine too!)
Eye Color:
Hair Color:
Hair Style:
Skin Tone:
Body Type:
Height:
Identifying Marks:
Anything Else I'm Forgetting:

Typical Clothing Style:
Magical Abilities: (If applicable)
Other:

Name: Sarsönil (Sars) Eoiali
Age: 23
Species: Esokan. Most people do not know about Esokan, only that they are a feared species on Yurul known for their brutality. They appear just as any other human, save for slightly pointed ears and sometimes unnaturally dark colored eyes.
Home Region: Pillax

-Physical Features-
Eye Color: Irises so dark brown they appear black unless under a bright ray of sun.
Hair Color: Copper
Hair Style: Long hair that falls to his waist, straight and smooth. It's often tied up in a ponytail or knotted close to his head.
Skin Tone: Bronze
Body Type: Lean, lanky limbs, broad shoulders, thin waist
Height: 5'8"
Identifying Marks: A red sun tatoo centered on his back, think like same style as the one in Tangled. He has many scars dotting his body, but most are faded and insignificant.
Anything Else I'm Forgetting: He has sharp, narrow eyes and well-defined face bones.

Typical Clothing Style: Typical dark tunics and simple pants, differing Pillaxian cloaks when he's travelling out in the deserts. He often wraps his forearms and wrists with leather. His clothes are typically moveable and cannot be restraining. He has three braided leather bracelets on his left ankle.
Magical Abilities: He can mute the sounds he makes while moving/breathing (so he could sneak up on someone silently) and has an affinity for water- he can move it with his mind, summon it from deep within the ground, and make it float through the air.
Other: He's quite protective of his brother and is quite good at combat. He smells like coriander.

Name: Kené Eoiali
Age: 21
Species: Esokan. Most people do not know about Esokan, only that they are a feared species on Yurul known for their brutality. They appear just as any other human, save for slightly pointed ears and sometimes unnaturally dark colored eyes.
Home Region: Pillax

-Physical Features-
Eye Color: Dark brown, they look black when in the shadows
Hair Color: Copper
Hair Style: Buzzcut
Skin Tone: Bronze
Body Type: Very thin and small, though he does have some muscles in his upper body.
Height: 5'5"
Identifying Marks: He has a large scar dragging from his left temple to the corner of his left lip, and another one of simple width and depth on his right forearm. He has a red tattoo of a burning bull's horns on his front left shoulder and some black writing inked on his left side, over his ribs, that reads "Forget oneself. Let blood be shed. Thou will be lost. Thy will be gone." His left upper arm is like a sleeve of black ink, depicting Pillaxian oxen being slain, fire rolling across dunes, and knives flying through the air.
Anything Else I'm Forgetting: He has sharp eyes and a defined jaw bone.

Typical Clothing Style: Lots of warm colored clothes and cloaks, three leather bracelets on his left ankle and one leather bracelet on his left wrist. He has a leather wrap covering his neck most of the time.
Magical Abilities: He can mute the sounds he makes while moving/breathing (so he could sneak up on someone silently) and has an affinity for fire- he can move it with his mind, spark it from nothing, touch it without feeling pain.
Other: He can't move his right pinkie finger. He smells like cumin. He likes to cook and is good with animals.

Name: Everia (Eve) Imber
Age: 22
Species: Half-Human, Half Azfellian (own species, similar to elves and Fae (probably from the same genetic family); very resilient and adaptive, but can also be very clannish and unwilling to work with non Azfellian (making her parents' marriage unique and rare among their kind)
Home Region: Islilia

Physical Features:
Eve has bright, sea blue eyes, ringed with thick, dark lashes. The left eye does have a scar over it, going from just above her eyebrow to her cheekbone, and her eye was healed through magic, though the scar was left in place by her own insistence. She has thick, warm brown hair cut into a pixie (not short, and not that weird sleek one people do either. like. shaggy and cute, but short). She is white, with skin that is slightly tanned, but is also scattered with freckles from the sun. Stands at 5'3", with a pear shaped, fit body. Has muscles from working on ships for most/all of her life. Has a tattoo of a shark fin on her right shoulder, and has a scars dotted around her body from various mishaps or fights that she has gotten into. Her ears are pierced, and she has two lobe piercings on each ear, along with cartilage piercings. Also has her nose pierced.

Typical Clothing Style: Honestly picture a pirate and like…the vast majority of the time, you'd be right. Tends to prefer those white/cream shirts, often with a corset for supporting her chest (though the corset isn't laced tight enough to impede breathing or movement), usually with tighter, form-fitting pants to support movement. Sometimes throws on a loose skirt, too, especially when she's going to be on-shore (pirates aren't known for keeping their hands to themselves, and some ports have a reputation for it). When at one of her family's holdings, she usually dresses the same, unless there is an important meeting, in which case she will either dress for intimidation or for style, depending on who the meeting is with. Often wears a simple leather circlet with a single jewel hanging down onto her forehead, which in most areas is enough to signify who she is. When at sea, wears a tricorn to keep the sun from her face, with a large purple feather stuck into it. Wears shiny black leather boots that go nearly to her knees. Often wears makeup as well, usually going for eyeliner sharp enough to kill, and dark-toned lipstick.
Magical Abilities: Faint glamour abilities from her father (he is Azfellian), a form of charmspeak, and metal manipulation (cannot create metal from nothing, but can add to existing metal or manipulate it (give her a nail and she can make a sword, but she can't make a sword from nothing).
Other: Always has little metal bits concealed on her person, and always has all her piercings in as well.

(hope she's alright?)

Sarsönil Eoiali already didn't like the feeling of this of this place. Pirate ports were notorious for their thieves and greedy bastards, and although Sars had their most important belonging wrapped tightly underneath his brown Pillaxian cloak -cloaks that made him, and his brother, stick out like a puddle in a desert- he didn't trust anyone they passed. 'Go with him, Sars, protect your brother. Make sure the arrangement is secure. You're going to help build a new face for all Esokan in Yurul's eyes.' His mother's words were sure and final, and although Kené didn't fight the arrangement, Sars wasn't sure if he agreed that a betrothal was good for his tribe. The Esokan didn't need a better reputation, they needed to get rid of their reputation. Their existence wasn't known that well anyways, it would be much better to disappear forever. It shouldn't matter that they were feared, the Esokan should be feared, and everyone else could leave them alone. Sars didn't want his family, his people, to be a symbol of fear for the Imber family to use whenever their power was threatened.

"Sars, do you suppose she'll have a pet fish? Can you even have a pet on a ship?" Kené mused, his eyes travelling over merchant's wares as they walked. Rare commodities or fakes, it didn't matter, most merchants tended only to their only greed. "What would our rooms be like? Cramped I'm sure, but I supposed it's something I could get used to. It wouldn't be that different than sharing a tent with you, though the waves must be frustrating."

Sars gave his brother a stern look to cut off his rambling. "They have homes on land too. If you are seriously going to marry this woman, would you honestly live on the oceans and seas forever?" Gosh, that sounded like a terrible life, and Kené must know that. His brother love shepherding the tribe's oxen too much to give that up in favor of sea sickness and rough waters.

"It's not like I have much of a choice. It's not like you could get betrothed instead- oh wait, you can," Kené told him with a dead stare, his sharp eyes narrowed at Sars. On the entire journey to this wretched port, his brother had been very insistent in pursuing why Sars wasn't the one up for political marriages and chiefdom. Afterall, Sars was the firstborn. It should only make sense, but Sars was content with the way things were. He, nor his parents, wasn't putting any weight on his future. They all knew what was going to happen, and why a betrothal nor inheriting his mother's title of chief wasn't a good idea for him. One day Kené would understand.

So Sars ignored the baiting as he spoke next, "Come on. Let's go find the Imber family, I'm sure they've already been alerted of our presence here." With that, Sars pulled his Pillaxian scarf over his mouth and nose, if only to conceal his identity and make Kené the focus of attention.

(it got, uh, a little long, my apologies lol)

"Apa, do I really have to marry an Esokan?" Eve asked, incredulous. Sure, she had known the talks were going on, but she had never believed that the Esokans would really take them up on the idea. The Imbers were powerful but they weren't kings. Not conventional ones, anyways. She had appealed to her Apa rather than her mother; apa was an Azfellian title for father, and she had called him that since she was little. As an Azfellian, she knew he didn't like outsiders and she knew he was more likely to oppose this marriage. "Apa, please."

"Eve, we've had this discussion." he replied tiredly. Like most of the Azfel, her father was tall, with pointed ears and sharp cheekbones. He had been clean-shaven for her entire life, and still was. His hair, the same warm brown as hers, was longer, falling just past his shoulders. "You need to go get ready for their arrival. You can't greet them dressed like…that." he gestured vaguely to her outfit, adjusting his tie.

Eve was wearing what she normally wore; a white shirt, a black corset, and tighter-fitting slacks to give her as much range of movement as possible. "Why can't I greet them like this?" she challenged, arching her eyebrows at her father.

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You know quite well why. Now go, before I have to get your mother involved in this discussion." the look he gave her was both irritated and gentle, and she huffed before flouncing off.

This one of their land holdings was her favorite, if she was honest; it was not the largest, but it was the oldest, and it was beautiful. Or at least, in her opinion. Perhaps to the Esokans it would not be nearly as lovely. Her father had named it Esol'a Vera, which, in her opinion, didn't have a good translation into Common. Common translated it as "The Beginning of the Sea", but the true meaning of Esol'a Vera was far more complicated than that. The place was somewhere between a castle and a palace; less fortified than most castles, but more fortified than a palace. It was smaller than a palace would be, too, at a normal size for a castle. It sat close to the sea, with one side edging into a cliff. Some of the tower windows looked straight out to sea, and if you jumped out them, you would fall hundreds of feet down the cliffs, before landing in the ocean. Of course, you would probably be killed either on impact with the water, or by being dashed against the sharp rocks below, but the view was lovely. It was rumored to have once been a smuggler's den, and to have grown and changed hands from there until it came to the Imbers. The exterior was mostly built of a dark stone, with moss growing in some patches, and the stone bricks roughened and jagged from exposure to the salt and the wind. The interior was beautiful, too, with mainly stone floors, with few wooden ones save for in some of the upper levels. Wood rotted quickly, you see, when constantly exposed to the damp salt air, or when wet shoes were constantly trodding on them. So carpeting was used in places where water likely couldn't come, in order to keep bare feet off the stone. Tapestries hung from the walls, along with swords and a few guns. A whole mix of items, really. Some things inside were ancient; others were brand new technology, imported at a premium from Varesia.

She loved this holding; it was the one she had spent much of her childhood in and near, so it was the one she knew best. Part of her hoped that the Esokans so detested it that they simply left again. She didn't want to get married, and maybe that made her a petulant child, but she didn't care. Once she had made it to her quarters, she bathed and freshened up, doing her makeup to a higher degree than she normally did. It looked lovely, of course; it always did. Her eyeliner was sharp and crisp, the eyeshadow brilliant and helped her eyes pop. She stuck to her normal matte, darker lipstick, knowing it would piss her mother off and not really caring. That done, her maid assisted her with putting on a dress. It was a gorgeous sea foam green, and had a lovely off the shoulder style, leaving that tattoo visible; another thing her mother wouldn't like, but another thing her mother wouldn't comment on in front of company. The length went to her ankles, and she put on a pair of boots that somehow perfectly coordinated with the dress, without being dainty. A silver necklace with an anchor on it finished the look, along with a simple tiara perched in her hair, a single glittering jewel in the center.

She allowed herself a moment to breathe, and then exited her room. She would meet her parents– and the Esokans, if they had arrived –in a room she and her parents laughingly called the Throne Room. There was no real throne room in this castle/palace, but this was a larger room that may once have been a large formal dining room, and they used it to serve the purpose of a throne room.

(No apologies are ever necessary for a long response! You're writing style is absolutely gorgeous, I love your descriptions!)

After asking for some directions from a not-as-shady looking person, at Kené's insistence, Sars found himself looking up at dark stoned building. Gorgeous in its own right, with towers reaching up as if to pluck the sun right out of the sky. "Smell the air, Sars," Kené interrupted his admiration of the castle, "Salt. Almost like home." It was true, salt tickled his tongue as they approached the entryway to the Imber family's home.

"Sand is not salt, brother," Sars said quietly, his eyes examining the ancient walls. This place wasn't anything like home, and Sars hoped that Kené would never call it home. The servants, the castles, the bride, the materials that his brother would get attached to… it would anchor him down to this place. His mother said that the Esokan were moving on from the old ways, dispersing amongst humans and elves, letting go of their heritage and hoping for the best. That was not the way the Esokan should be going. Their history was not a bright one, but that did not mean they had to be rid of their identity.

Kené put a hand on his shoulder. "Sarsönil, we should introduce ourselves," The younger male said gently, letting his hand drop back down to his side. Kené was good at that, good at knowing when Sars was spiraling. Kené removed his Pillaxian cloak from over his head as he waved at one of the servants of the estate, "Greetings! I am the second born of the Eoiali family, along with my brother. We travelled far to get here, and we humbly seek entry to meet the Imber family." Sars let out a snort at his brother's formal speech, to which he received an elbow in the ribs, and to his credit, Kené kept a straight face.