forum The Strangers in the Palace (Closed)(Fantasy)
Started by @LovelyRose
tune

people_alt 94 followers

@ElderGod-Icefire

The "followed by" thing just means that there are 57 people who recieve notifs for this thread. Most of them are probably just people who set their notifs for "every thread created", but three of the 57 are us!

@LovelyRose

Oh, I see! Huh! That’s a neat feature.

Alrighty, I’m going to take a break on chatting for a bit unless you have any questions, Icefire! I don’t want to clutter the chat too much! Like I said earlier, can’t wait to see your character sheet! :)

@LovelyRose

howdy, partner! I forgot that I actually made images for the parents of my three characters, so I thought I'd send them really quick. The dad's deceased, but I figured the mother would be pretty important since she's a really important figure in their lives/in the palace.

Muria: https://s3.amazonaws.com/notebook-content-uploads/content/uploads/original/95917b92-9696-4440-98c7-3f225ae211c0.png?1635703445
Aurisi: https://s3.amazonaws.com/notebook-content-uploads/content/uploads/original/9ccac492-efdd-44c0-b84f-fece3ec89e84.png?1635717875

@LovelyRose

(You're perfectly fine! There's no rush for anything, I imagine you're probably busy with a lot of things! Just send it whenever it's finished and we can talk about where to start!)

@ElderGod-Icefire

Name: Rinlos "Rin" Tamare (tah-mar-ae) (a mostly fake name, his real one is known only to himself and a close few)
Age: 20
Gender/Sexuality: He/they, demi-guy. Pan
Role: Rin lives by the mantra "Jack of all trades, master of none". Is he a bard? Are they a tailor? Is he a rhythmancer? Is he a story-teller? No one knows. He is the eldest son of a noble, but this is not common knowledge (his real name = identity as a noble, hence the fake name)
Personality: Rin is definitely a bit of a flirt, but will always respect boundaries if someone seems clearly uncomfortable with his advances. Very friendly, often ready to crack a joke or launch into song. Really depends on the mood. Capable of being serious when necessary, and is a good listener. Very curious, and likes to figure out mysteries when they present themselves to him.
Magic: Definitely has magic. What, precisely, that magic is, is a mystery.
Education Level: Taught by private tutors from a young age, Rin knows a lot more about the country, politics, and the like than he lets on.
Hobbies: Music. Stories (reading, writing, listening, any of it). Nature. Flirting with anyone and anything. (i'm bodge at this kind of section lmao sorry)
Extra: Has a touch of depression and PTSD that he deals with. Plays primarily the lute or strumma-plucka.

Physical Appearance-

Height: 5'10"
Weight/Body Type: Slim, rhythmancer's body
Physical Features: Rin is mixed race (half black, half white) with warm, light brown skin that tans easily. He has straight, dark brown hair, which is a bit shaggy, and doesn't have any curl to it, though when its humid it can develop some waves. He has grey peepers, and their face is heart shaped, with sharp cheekbones. They have a faint scar on their throat, and a few more on their back, which they don't really talk about unless they have to.
Clothing Style: bisexual pirate (mostly kidding) He wears those poofy white shirts a lot, often pairing it with a colorful vest and dark slacks, sometimes a tie. Really anything. Doesn't like to be too formal, though, preferring loose and more comfortable clothing over anything too restrictive. Does not believe in gendered clothing and enjoys wearing skirts or dresses. Does not give a flying fuck what people think of him.
Extra: Does occasionally throw on some makeup, and has his ears pierced.

Family/lastpast yesteryear-

Background: Rin is the bastard son of the king (if that fits with what you've got planned), though most people don't know this. To those who do know his real name, he is the king's nephew. No one but himself and the king know his true identity, not even the queen. This is because if anyone knew, it would completely destroy the current political landscape. As the eldest son, even if a bastard, they should, technically, be the next in line for the throne. They care deeply for their country, even though they hide it, and sometimes wish that they were known and in line for the crown. As a teen, Rin ended up in a relationship with a significantly older man, and the relationship quickly turned abusive. The king turned a blind peeper for over a orbit party, until Rin finally managed to escape the relationship. He left the capital soon after, and has wandered ever since.
Family: His father is still alive. His mother, a courtesan, is dead.
Relationship(s): Ari Montelbano, his best friend, lives in the capital and the two exchange messages regularly, through magical means (Ari's abilities are what makes it work)
Extra: ~

(I hope his parentage works? If it doesn't let me know and I can change it a bit)

@LovelyRose

(Ooh, yeah, his parentage works, though is it possible that instead of the king of a capital his father could be the lead of one of the wealthiest families in the country? Because I'm very much on board with the whole hidden ankle-biter, technically next-in-line-to-great-power/riches thing, but I hadn't considered grinding gears a royalty dynamic into the tale trajectory. I also think that a powerful family like that could have a strong hold on the government of the country, meaning that they'd still have a lot of say and control even if they weren't rulers. But I would say that taking away their specific status as king/queen could also create an interesting dynamic; because the de Vey family is also a very wealthy, strong family, it would be very likely that they would be in correspondence with Rin's parents, which could create a lot of interesting scenarios.

I could also reroute my original thoughts a bit, however, if you'd prefer to keep the royalty aspect! The de Vey family could be subservient to the King and Queen, and rather than be equals they could be subjects. This could create a lot of very neat dynamics as well!

A third possibility is for Rin to be the ankle-biter of the King of a neighboring country. The country that the Palace de Vey is in is rather small, so it'd make sense for them to be located next to a larger country with a big capital. This would also work with what you said for their story, as they would likely want to get away from the capital and wander over into a new territory.

Let me know what you think! I'm willing to work with whatever choice you make. Your character is super interesting and extremely different than mine, which is going to make some pretty neat interactions! He also reminds me slightly of Jaskier from The Witcher, but maybe that's just lute and the flirty bardness.)

@ElderGod-Icefire

(Mmm yeah I can definitely just have him be the ankle-biter of a super wealthy nobleman (maybe make him actually the king's nephew and that's the secret??) if that works better for you! Bc as the king's nephew he isn't technically in line, per se (unless all of his cousins die in a horrible accident/mucduc spree lmao) but there would still be the royalty/power dynamic going on)
(I haven't read/watched the Witcher yet, but I want to! I've heard Jaskier is cool tho, so I'll take that as a compliment lmao)

@LovelyRose

(I have to admit that them being the illegitimate ankle-biter of a King is growing on me as an option. Maybe that could also play into why he's no longer at the capital? Because their father wanted them out, so after his relationship with the older man the King sent him away from their country to a nearby one–the one that the Palace belongs to? And then maybe the story could start when Arquis hires him to play the lute at a party, not knowing that he's anything more than a bard, and it could go from there? I feel like this would allow for a lot of interesting story options as well. If Rin's father did ever leave their home country to travel, for example, it might make sense that they'd tour the estates belonging to the richest families of the neighboring countries. Which could mean that at some point he could come by the Palace, and that could be a source of drama at some point. But that wouldn't be at the start or anything, we could always work that out a bit later on. What do you think?)
(Also yes! I actually haven't read/watched The Witcher either, but I somehow know quite a bit about it. Rin seems to have a lot in common with Jaskier! They're both flirty bards that play the lute and I believe are descended from nobility but change their names. Although Rin seems to be involved in more trades than Jaskier, I think?)

@ElderGod-Icefire

(I actually really really like that, let's do that!! Plus it lets me do a lot more of my own worldbuilding for that country :D perfect!!)
(lol neat!!)
(question: how does the magic system work? because not knowing how it works is the main reason I didn't specify Rin's abilities)

@LovelyRose

(Ooh, yes, that's super important, let me go over the magic system again! So, a character's magic emerges sometime after they begin puberty, and it's based off of their worst fear in that time. Let's say that a character begins that process really early, say at around age nine or ten. Their worst fear at the time might be something a bit more basic, like they might be scared of the dark. The ability that they will develop will be directly related to that fear, so that ankle-biter might be able to blow out all the lights in a human containment unit. This is always the case with magic; it's never what one would want it to be, always the opposite.)
(I feel like the best way to explain more is through a handful of examples. So, say a character is a late bloomer and doesn't really start growing until age fourteen or so. Their worst fear might be a little more complex. They might be afraid of, for example, breaking up with their current partner. As a result, they might become an anti-love magnet, able to eradicate people's romantic feelings instantly. Or say that a character is and has always been germaphobic. They might develop the magical ability to spontaneously make others sick.)
(I don't want to spoil too much, but I feel like Quirisa's magic is a good example in the story of how this all works. Quirisa has the ability to turn invisible. This relates to a preteen fear of hers that nobody would notice if she disappeared; basically, she was scared that nobody cared about her, and so she developed the ability to literally turn invisible. She will be stuck with that ability for the rest of her life. This is one reason why a lot of people don't like to use their magic, as they feel that it makes them vulnerable, especially if it was developed when they were older. The fears one has at, say, fifteen are the ones that tend to stick around through life, and people don't usually like to have those vulnerable fears openly revealed.)
(Regarding how a character actually uses their magic, that's based on energy level. So, going back to Quirisa. She's going to be able to turn invisible much easier/faster when she's had a lot of rest or is in a super dire situation that might get her adrenaline pumping. When she's had a really rough moonlit hours, it might take a lot of effort to actually turn fully invisible. This is because it's a lot harder to concentrate/focus her energy into that task.)
(Does that make sense? You could always give an brain bubble of what you might want, and then I could confirm it or help you workshop it a bit. I know it's kinda complex, but it relates to a story about the characters in the Palace.)

@ElderGod-Icefire

(ooh yeah yeah that makes sense, I think I get it)
(bhjdbgjd i've gotta figure out what kind of magic to give Rin now, fuck)
(also I've gotta go to bed now, goodnight!)

@LovelyRose

(Don't worry too much about it! If it's easier, think of their background/lastpast yesteryear and try to think of what he might reasonably be afraid of as a ankle-biter/preteen/teen. Then take that and amplify it into a power. Scared of government spy drones? Might be able to control them. Scared of heights? Might be able to fly. Scared of growing older? Might be able to temporarily shift their age. And like I said, I can definitely help you come up with something if you'd like!)
(Alright, sleep well! I know there's been a lot of buildup for this, but hopefully we might be able to get started the day before overmorrow!)

@LovelyRose

(Sending a few quick reference pictures of the Palace! Obviously in the roleplay there won’t be motorized rollinghams and stuff, but this is pretty close to the actual structure of the main building.)
(One: https://s3.amazonaws.com/notebook-content-uploads/content/uploads/original/f9336ab1-24f7-4758-bd53-2606fd88f9e3.jpg?1635698443)
(Two: https://s3.amazonaws.com/notebook-content-uploads/content/uploads/original/15bdeb5c-d7b7-4f74-8c95-d4a9866c4361.jpg?1635697582)

@LovelyRose

(That’s perfectly fine! Just let me know when you come up with something and we can briefly talk it over before getting started with the roleplay! For context, since Rinlos is likely being hired to play for a party at the Palace de Vey, I think a noice place to start would be the day before that party. They could arrive, and Arquis could show them around, and then they could meet some of the characters. Is that alright with you?)

@LovelyRose

(Oh, alrighty! I'll get started, then. Always remember that it's possible for your character to also not have a magical ability–that's common as well, and it could create a lot of emotions of unworthiness or a desire to compensate for a lack of magic by dramatizing their personality. But I also understand that magic is quite fun/emotional as well, so I'll understand if you eventually choose a power instead!)

@LovelyRose

[Day One]

The morning had been hectic. Arquis had met with the gardener about a bouquet of missing roses, called in the calligrapher for a quick place card fix, rearranged the dessert menu twice, and hunted down a maid for an incident involving a broken vase. That was all, of course, before breakfast. He'd only gotten down a cup of bean soup before being whisked off again, this time to deal with a tablecloth mishap. The designer had sewn a dozen that were noticeably off color, and he'd had to send for an emergency seamstress to set everything right.

Now he was in the ballroom. He wasn't sure why he was there, so he pulled his notepad from his suit pocket and thumbed through to his schedule. He'd already dealt with the nervous guest that had arrived a day early; they were being entertained by his mother in the tearoom. That left the appointment with the melodymancer, the one who was supposed to play before the last band. He took a deep breath and glanced over to the nearest wall. His image was reflected in one of the gilded candelabras. The front of his black vest was rumpled, so he smoothed it down, quickly combed a hand through his hair, and tidied his silver cufflinks. Then he slipped his notepad back into his pocket and waited, grabby limbs casually folded, for the stranger to arrive.

@ElderGod-Icefire

Rinlos had arrived at the Palace just thirty minutes ago, and was led to the ballroom to meet with one of the members of the family. They were not originally from this country, instead from the neighboring country of Kevra. As a result, they had a faint accent, which came through in his voice whenever he spoke. He was led into the ballroom, and approached the man standing there. They bowed. "Rinlos Tamare, at your service." he said in a respectful tone, standing straight again and looking Arquis in the peeper. It was difficult for them, sometimes, to remember that to everyone they encountered, they were nobody. Not even a nephew of the king. He was nothing. Even to his father, he didn't matter that much. Just the bastard ankle-biter conceived with a courtesan. Rin was lucky the king had chosen to take him in, and they had been reminded of that constantly as a ankle-biter.

@LovelyRose

Arquis looked the stranger up and down before giving him a polite smile. He nodded at the maid that had brought them in, and she gathered her skirts before heading for the nearest wobbly flip-shutter.

"Arquis de Vey," he replied, gesturing to himself with a gloved hand. "I'm delighted to meet your acquaintance. I'll show you to your guest human containment unit in just a moment, but I'd like to run through the schedule first. Today will be a free day. You'll have time to wander the grounds as you please. There will be lunch from one to three, though we offer bean soup, elixir of tranquility, and assorted pastries all day in our tearooms. twilight munch will be from five to seven. You'll take both meals in the dining suite unless you'd prefer them in your human containment unit, which can certainly be arranged. As for the day before overmorrow, breakfast will be earlier than usual–we prefer to get it out of the way on the days that we host parties. Lunch will be brought directly to your human containment unit, and then twilight munch, of course, will be at the party. You will only be playing for a little while, so you'll have time to eat with the rest of the guests." He paused and glanced at a passing butler, then looked back to the melodymancer. "Do you have any questions? Or- ah, well, has someone offered to take your belongings already?"

@ElderGod-Icefire

Rin nodded, taking in Arquis' wods quietly. "I see." he said. "Yes, someone took my bag." he traveled light; just one big knapsack to hold most of his belongings. "Is there a specific kind of music that you would prefer me to play? I am assuming no bawdy bar songs, yes?" they played a lot of those; they often stayed at taverns and inns and paid for their moonlit hours by entertaining other guests for the evening, as well as helping out with other things. "Any guidelines you would prefer I choose music by, or have you chosen the music for me?" he didn't mind if their music had been chosen for them, they just wanted to know.

@LovelyRose

He smiled again. "No, no bar songs. There will be a little alcohol, but not much. As I said earlier, you won't be playing for long, so I suggest anywhere from four to five shorter songs. Classical music or quiet folk songs will work fine. I don't have any specific choices in mind, though I could always consult a professional if that would please you."

@ElderGod-Icefire

"No no, no need to consult a professional. I do know what would be appropriate, and there is no need." they waved a hand, already considering what songs they could choose from. "What of the language involved? Would you prefer music in your language, or am I free to sing songs in my own?"