forum The Strangers in the Palace (Closed)(Fantasy)

Started October 31, 2021 by @LovelyRose

tune

NOTE FOR READERS/VIEWERS/PASSERBY: This roleplay contains discussions of serious subjects and mature themes. If you are going to read it but would like a list of the themes, reach out to me through Private Messages (so as to not disrupt the roleplay) and I can share them. There will be some disclaimers throughout, but some might be missed, so please reach out if you need to. Thanks!

Hello! This roleplay is meant for writers looking to play a part in a royal story with complex characters. Romance isn't completely off the table, nor are drama and tragedy! Now, let's get into the synopsis!

The Palace de Vey is a large yet cozy palace surrounded by an enchanted forest. It's also the home of the mysterious de Vey family. The head of the family is the wealthy, secretive Muria de Vey, widow of the late Ausiri de Vey. Her three children, in order from oldest to youngest, are Arquis, Quirisa, and Marsiquia. Arquis is distant and detached from reality. Quirisa is stubborn, bitter, and constantly looking for a fight. Marsiquia is shy and soft-spoken. The three of them were once close, but they grew apart due to secrets and pressure.

I'll alternate between the three de Vey children, while you, roleplayer(s), have quite a few choices as to what role(s) you want your character(s) to fill. They might be a new hire assigned to the kitchen or a maid meant to clean the daughters' rooms. They could be a tailor visiting to fix a suit, an interior designer arriving to renovate a study, a merchant selling trinkets and baubles, or a healer bringing medicine to Muria. Once you decide your character and their place in the world, we can talk more about the magic system of the world and how it'll come into play.

There are some requirements for entering this roleplay. In order to join, you have to submit a short writing sample, just a paragraph or two. If you're accepted then there'll eventually be a character sheet to fill out. Don't stress! It's nothing complicated. Also, for future reference, this is going to be pretty mature. There will be some violence and otherwise mature themes, so be prepared for that!

That's all for now! Just pop on in and say hello if you're interested! :)

Hello, I'm interested! I'm traveling right now and can't post a sample, but I'd be willing to later

@Icefire That's perfectly fine! Just post it whenever you have the time. As for some small tips for the sample, it should be about one to two paragraphs long and have decent grammar–no text language, if you catch my drift! :)

Alright! Yeah I get that lmao, I use text stuff out of character/out of RP, but not within it

Totally agree! I mean, I’m not expecting everyone to submit a novel each time they type a post, but if it’s always short sentences with poor grammar then it’s hard to get a story going, you know?

Oh, and just in case anyone else reads all of this but isn’t sure whether to hop in—it’s not a one on one roleplay! I’m aiming to have at least one more person join :)

Heyo! Mightn't I joineth?

Hi! Yes, it’s open for one other person, though like with Icefire a writing sample/post example is required for potential entry! :)

Sample:

All of Nik's guards were, in some way, technically unfit for duty. Lieze, well, had undergone far too much trauma while a POW. Errol was missing a hand, and wasn't a good fighter in any case. He was a healer. Ryker wasn't Kevran and had never been in their army in the first place. Aron had served on the front lines for far too long, resulting in the battle shock he still dealt with. Nik didn't mind any of their issues; he'd picked them all himself. He wanted his guards to be men and women he could trust, and he trusted all four of them with his life.

He lunged, swiping at Aron. The wooden bars bashed against each other as the two fought. Aron, since he was bigger, had a bigger stick, to correspond with the size of sword he typically used, whereas Nik's was a bit smaller. Both were fitted to their body size, though the weight balance was obviously different than their swords would have been. Nik was all too aware of the Tesh prince and shifters on their side of the ring, but did his best to ignore them. It was a little bit harder for Aron, for whom the sounds of the Tesh fighting brought back far too many traumatic memories. Nik knew that, and as a result was going just a little bit easy on Aron, to give his guard some time to adjust to the sounds. If Aron needed a moment, they had signals that they used. Thus far, he had not, and so the two continued to clash and draw back, clash and draw back, circling each other and waiting for an opening.

Physically, they were almost perfectly matched. Aron was a little taller, and broader in the shoulders, but they were well-matched despite that physical difference.

Hi! Yes, it’s open for one other person, though like with Icefire a writing sample/post example is required for potential entry! :)

Cool, I’ll get one up by tonight.

@Icefire Perfect, thank you! That looks great! You’re definitely in! :)

So, a brief introduction to this world’s magic system (the world is Tinsil, the country is Anvillea, though neither is super important at the moment)—the magic is based on fear. It begins and grows during puberty and arises from the person’s worst fear at the time of development. This might be something silly—someone with intense arachnophobia might be able to speak to spiders, while someone with a fear of heights could have the ability to float—or more serious.

It’s important to say that the magic always goes against one’s desires. If someone was scared of, say, the dark, they’re never going to be able to create light. They’ll might be able to blow out all the lights in the room instead. If someone was terribly afraid of sickness, they might be able to infect others with fevers. It’s always the opposite of what one would want to happen. This is why a lot of people have superstitions or hatred for their magic. Since some people start puberty late, their worst fears are more developed and are often the same fears that plague them through the rest of their lives.

CHARACTER SHEET

Basics-

Name:
Age:
Gender/Sexuality: (Pronouns and identity)
Role: (Reason why they’re at the palace; basically, their career)
Personality:
Magic:
Education Level:
Hobbies:
Extra: (Could be medical/mental health conditions, likes/dislikes, etc.)

Physical Appearance-

Height:
Weight/Body Type: (Doesn’t need to be super specific or exact)
Physical Features: (Image or description; should include things like eye color, hair color/style, skin tone, face shape and features, etc.)
Clothing Style:
Extra: (Anything from makeup to piercings or tattoos)

Family/History-

Background: (Very brief history that explains character’s lifestyle, including economic status and important events)
Family: (Any living members? Are they bringing anyone with them to the Palace? Are they sending money back?)
Relationship(s): (Close friends or romantic relationships)
Extra:

I’ll probably be posting at least one of my three character sheets by tonight, but you can take as long as you need! :)

@Icefire Perfect, thank you! That looks great! You’re definitely in! :)

great, thanks! Question: is there anything you want me to avoid? any triggers or anything?

@Icefire Not personally, no! I’m fine with anything. I want to ask you (and anyone else participating) if there is anything you’d like me to be careful with/avoid entirely! Triggers or content and all that. Also, a small warning from here on out that there isn’t going to be intense gore or the like but that there is some violence/injury/illness ahead.

Arquis Character Sheet
————————————

Basics-

Name: Arquis de Vey
Age: 21
Gender/Sexuality: He’s a cisgender man (he/him) that is bisexual, though he’s not out.
Role: Arquis is the oldest son of the wealthy royal Muria and the recently deceased Aurisi de Vey. He is expected to arrange and instruct new hires and create the day-to-day schedule. He is the one that everyone reports to when there’s an issue.
Personality: Arquis used to be a rather clever, bold child, but in his teenage years he became withdrawn and distant. He’s very polite, but nobody who has tried can actually get close to him. He likes his privacy and, though he’s responsible, can occasionally be somewhat clumsy.
Magic: His magic is a secret. It’s been a subject of gossip in outside circles for a long time.
Education Level: While growing up, he was instructed by some of the best private tutors in the country. They taught him the importance of literature and the land, the social connections between empires, the history of the world, how to properly act as a royal, and so on and so forth. Currently, he’s receiving lessons on art preservation as well as book binding.
Hobbies: He likes to walk through the forest surrounding the palace and the nearby town. He also enjoys painting nature, cooking—though he isn’t allowed to do it much, they have professional chefs—and playing his harp.
Extra: He has terrible asthma that worsens with exertion and cold weather. It’s also rumored that he has nightmares, but because he sleeps alone nobody has confirmed this theory.

—

Physical Appearance-

Height: He is around six foot one.
Weight/Body Type: He is on the slender side, weighing around 145-150 lbs.
Physical Features: https://s3.amazonaws.com/notebook-content-uploads/content/uploads/original/4eb8af6c-21fb-46f7-9094-e90be1c612fc.png?1635695886
Clothing Style: His closet is a mix of formal suits and semi-formal outfits to wear to outdoor gatherings. He has few comfortable clothes, nothing too soft; everything is clean and pressed. He has a handful of super elegant patterned suits and jackets that he’ll wear for balls, festivals, or ceremonies, including one with jewels stitched in to make a black to silver gradient.
Extra: He always wears gloves. Always. Even when it’s warm outside or when he’s heading to bed. The only time he takes them off is to play his harp. The gloves aren’t always the same, as he coordinates them with his outfit for the day, but they’re usually pretty simple looking.

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Family/History-

Background: Arquis was born two years before Quirisa. They were close when they were really young, and they became almost inseparable when Marsiquia was born four years down the road. They used to play pranks on one another and cause minor trouble for the assistants of the palace, who were all quite fond of them. One day, Arquis’s father, Aurisi, decided that he and his son should go on a business trip to a small neighboring country. They formed a really strong bond over the course of the week, but his friendship with Quirisa suffered. She became increasingly jealous when it became clear that her brother was their father’s favorite. He went on two more trips with Aurisi before he turned seventeen, which was around the time that Muria’s sister, his aunt Sirisa, came to stay. Quirisa, who at his point had become nearly enemies with Arquis, developed an attachment to Sirisa. It was a shock to everyone when Sirisa murdered Aurisi in the middle of the night and ran away, never to be seen again. Arquis took the place of his father, though Muria became the real head of the household.
Family: Quirisa and Marsiquia are his two younger sisters. Muria is his mother, Aurisi is his deceased father, and Sirisa is his missing, murderous aunt. He never met his grandparents on either side.
Relationship(s): Arquis used to have a lot of friends from his visits around the land with his father, but after his father’s death he went so deep into mourning that these relations became strained. He stopped writing them letters and asking them to stay over. He even broke off his temporary relationship with his girlfriend at the time.
Extra: Arquis regularly wanders around the town outside of the forest. Many people have tried to talk to him, some even asking if he’ll go on dates, but he politely dismisses them all. There are a lot of rumors surrounding this behavior. Some say that he has someone in town that he goes to see. Others say that he’s looking for his aunt. The most ludicrous yet surprisingly popular theory, however, is that he’s looking to follow in his aunt’s footsteps—that he’s looking for a victim.

Quirisa Character Sheet
————————————

Basics-

Name: Quirisa de Vey
Age: 19
Gender/Sexuality: She is a cisgender woman (she/her), and she identifies as queer in some way. She’s in the closet but has been with women and men in secret in the past.
Role: Quirisa is the elder de Vey daughter, though she’s two years younger than Arquis. Her responsibilities at the Palace de Vey include hosting gatherings and parties, maintaining social relations with the royals in neighboring countries, and taking care of her younger sister. She often slacks off on the first two jobs, leaving them to Arquis.
Personality: Quirisa has been angry almost her entire life. On a normal day, her anger is a low simmer, popping out in sarcastic remarks and shallow insults. When she’s really in a bad mood, however, she’ll lash out, directly attacking people’s insecurities. She isn’t exactly a bully—she doesn’t punch down, only up—but a lot of people avoid her nevertheless.
Magic: She can turn invisible whenever she so pleases. This power doesn’t allow her to walk through walls, but she does use it whenever she sneaks out or gets in trouble.
Education Level: Quirisa was taught by some of the wisest private tutors in the land. She learned about philosophy, world history, architecture and design, and finance. In an effort to make her more approachable for potential suitors, her mother signed her up for private lessons on dancing and wedding culture, but she hardly ever attends.
Hobbies: She loves to go running and climbing, but her favorite hobby of all is participating in illegal fights. She hasn’t one every one she’s entered, but she’s won enough to give her—or rather the character she acts as, as going as herself would eventually get her in family trouble—a reputation.
Extra: Quirisa has had untreated depression for several years.

—

Height: She is about five foot and seven inches tall.
Weight/Body Type: Her body is lean and muscular due to all of the fighting.
Physical Features: https://s3.amazonaws.com/notebook-content-uploads/content/uploads/original/fc5998dd-4be7-4252-b12b-5fb2390d19ba.png?1635696012
Clothing Style: Quirisa wears whatever she wants to wear. Some days, that’s trousers and simple shirts. Other days, it’s long dresses with leg slits and mesh sleeves. She’ll often wear skirts, sweaters, scarves, and soft dresses in the colder months, and when she’s going out to fights she’ll always wear all black with one blue item. She also dons a feathered full face mask when she goes out to fight. When she goes to bed, she’ll usually wear robes or long nightgowns.
Extra: She has both of her ears pierced, though she’ll take her earrings off when she goes out.

—

Family/History-

Background: Quirisa was born two years after Arquis and about four years before Marsiquia. She spent her childhood with Arquis up until he became extremely close with their father, Aurisi. At that point, she became very jealous and decided to make friends with the girls in the nearby town. None of the girls wanted to associate with her, however, because she was super blunt, so she found a different distraction: fighting. She created the character of the Blue Beast and began to fight as them. She snuck away on weekends at first, then started to go two to three times a week. Years later, her aunt Sirisa, who’d come for a stay, found out about her fighting. When Quirisa soon discovered a big secret about Sirisa, the older woman blackmailed her into silence. Not too long after that, Sirisa murdered her brother-in-law—also Quirisa’s father—and made a run for it. Quirisa, angry at her mother for letting Sirisa visit, began to leave the palace more often.
Family: Arquis is Quirisa’s older brother, while Marsiquia is her younger sister. Her mother is Muria, her aunt is Sirisa, and her deceased father is Aurisi.
Relationship(s): Quirisa has had one boyfriend and two girlfriends in the past. The relationships with girlfriends were both mistakes. They went poorly and ended badly. She doesn’t see either of them anymore, and on the off chance that they are forced to visit the palace for a ball, she’ll go out of her way to avoid them.
Extra: Quirisa and Marsiquia are actually rather close, despite their differing personalities. They make space in their weekend schedules so that they can hang out and catch up.

Marsiquia Character Sheet
————————————

Basics-

Name: Marsiquia de Vey
Age: 15
Gender/Sexuality: She’s a cisgender, heterosexual girl (she/her).
Role: Marsiquia is the youngest of the de Vey children. Her main responsibilities at the estate are to take lessons, clean, and help with smaller chores like gardening and decorating.
Personality: She’s a bubbly, very smart young girl that genuinely enjoys the company of other people. She’s also shy and soft-spoken, but that hasn’t stopped her from making plenty of friends. A lot of people like her optimism and ability to see the best in people.
Magic: She developed her magic a bit earlier than some girls, growing into it at age eleven. Her ability is a secret.
Education Level: Out of all of the de Vey children, Marsiquia is probably the brightest. She has a natural proficiency in mathematics. Her mother, recognizing this skill, makes her take classes in mostly mathematics and science.
Hobbies: She’s a girl of many hobbies. She likes to dress up with her friends, shop at the nearby village and market, play cards, sing, and solve equations. Dancing is a passion of hers, though she’s pretty awful at it.
Extra: Marsiquia has not been diagnosed with any specific condition, but she is known to have panic attacks.

—

Physical Appearance-

Height: She’s around five foot three.
Weight/Body Type: She is short and a little plump.
Physical Features: https://s3.amazonaws.com/notebook-content-uploads/content/uploads/original/75d2da0c-eca1-4c59-86d8-14b374aaa6bf.png?1635696784
Clothing Style: Her favorite outfit type is loose dresses made of silk. The skirts of the dresses are front pleated, and she has matching ribbons to wear with them around her neck or in her braid. When she’s not in dresses, she likes to wear long-sleeved jumpsuits with hand-painted sashes. She wears fluffy robes and house shoes on days off and at sleepovers with her older sister.
Extra: She often wears lip gloss and puts her hair in fancy braids. Sometimes, she’ll braid it with flowers.

—

Family/History-

Background: Marsiquia was born about six years after Arquis. She had a rather happy childhood in which she became close to her older sister, though she didn’t spend as much time with her brother until after her father’s death. She was ten, about to turn eleven, when her aunt killed her father. As much as the event shook her, she wasn’t as close to him as Arquis, so she had less grief about the whole ordeal. As she got older, she became something of a social butterfly, receiving invitations into a lot of different friend groups for her gentle, nervous charm and sweet demeanor.
Family: Quirisa is her older sister and the family member she’s closest with, while Arquis is her older brother. Muria is her mother, and Sirisa is her missing aunt. Her deceased father is Aurisi.
Relationship(s): She has a lot of close friends that will sometimes visit the palace. Her current boyfriend is Carsui, a kind royal from a castle not too far from the Palace de Vey.
Extra: Marsiquia knows something she shouldn’t.

Also, just to let you know—your character can’t date Marsiquia, even if they’re around her age. She’s young, so while I don’t mind role playing as her, acting as her dating someone else would make me very uncomfortable. Your character can and will definitely still interact with her, but the only characters open for romance are Quirisa and Arquis.

I love all three of them!! Question: could I make two characters, maybe? Siblings/best friends? I haven't quite decided yet sorry

Huh, well, I don’t have a problem with that, but I feel like I should let you in on my planned format for the roleplay before you decide that. I think it’ll progress in days—don’t worry, I’ll decide when it changes to the next day! you don’t have to worry about timing or anything—and be kind of like, for lack of a better reference, a dating simulator (minus the dating in a lot of ways, you’re obviously not going to date all of them lol). Some days you’ll have the option to choose one of my three characters for your character(s) to hang out with (this makes it easier for me, so I don’t have to focus on combining the narratives of several complex characters in one cohesive scene). Other days you can choose to see them all, and I’ll pick one and make the other two act more like side characters. There also might be days in the story where I want to play as one character specifically, but I’ll let you know if that’s going to happen.

Let me know if that all makes sense! If you still want to have two characters, which is very possible, then you’d do something similar. You’d have to put one off to the side so you could choose a main character to follow for the day.

Ohh okay okay I get it, so one might actually work better in that case, then lol

I don’t want to discourage you if you do choose to do two, but one might make it less complex for you.

Also, while I’m here, @SPAMTON-G-SPAMTON

I don’t want to disappoint you, but is it possible that I close this as an individual roleplay with Icefire? I noticed that you haven’t been as involved, and while that’s perfectly alright—I’m sure you’re busy!—I feel more and more as if I should guide this more towards a one on one type deal. Assuming that that’s alright with you as well, Icefire!

I get it!

It's your RP, whatever you'd prefer is fine with me

I don’t want to discourage you if you do choose to do two, but one might make it less complex for you.

Also, while I’m here, @SPAMTON-G-SPAMTON

I don’t want to disappoint you, but is it possible that I close this as an individual roleplay with Icefire? I noticed that you haven’t been as involved, and while that’s perfectly alright—I’m sure you’re busy!—I feel more and more as if I should guide this more towards a one on one type deal. Assuming that that’s alright with you as well, Icefire!

Oh, I just was busy today helping a friend of mine move. Feel free to kick me off of this, Ice is a great writer and I'm sure you'll have much more fun with them!