Sword and Sorcery (Interest Check)

[Atethecat]

One thing I've noticed is that aren't a ton of RPs covering the genre of S&S. I believe the only major roleplay here that really embodied that sword and sorcery, bygone setting was Ages Undreamed Of.

Would anyone potentially be interested in a roleplay centered in the Hyborian Age or a Hyborian-like setting? If the latter has a more positive consensus, I wouldn't mean focusing on a specific cultural region (.i.e. Pre-Islamic Middle East, Northern Europe, East Asia, Mesoamerica, Plains Tribes).

[Lady Celeste]

I might be interested. My current knowledge of the Hyborian Age is passable at best, but that’s nothing a little research on my part can’t fix.

Or if we do end up with a Hyborian-ish setting like you mentioned, I have a few old S&S-ish plot ideas that I could dig up should you wish to start brainstorming.

[Crazywolf]

Maybe. Like Lady C my knowledge on the setting isn't great but if I decided to play I could probably refresh myself.

[Atethecat]

I admittedly don't have much in the way of an extensive knowledge of the Hyborian Age/Conan Mythos, but I do know a bit due to reading the Dark Horse comics and learning a bit about Conan Exiles (haven't bought the game yet).

[Lady Celeste]

Fair enough. In that case I’ll see if I can start digging up those old ideas I mentioned, and then we can start brainstorming from there. Unfortunately my computer recently had to be sent away for repairs, so I may be a bit slow, but I’ll get to it.

[Atethecat]

That sounds good, I brainstormed a bit about a Hyborian concept, but I don't know if I'm entirely feeling it. It would probably be easier and a lot more interesting to worldbuilding from the ground up!

[Lady Celeste]

Sounds like a plan! Here are a few basic plot ideas that I’ve done in the past.
(Settings and time periods have been intentionally omitted since these plot bunnies can be applied to virtually any Sword & Sorcery kind of setting.)

1. The story of the world’s first ever superheroes and supervillains, including (but not limited to) the origins of their superpowers and the world’s first hero/villain conflict.
2. There exist two dominant kingdoms in the known world (more kingdoms are optional), both already on reasonably good terms with each other, but when the princess of one kingdom and the prince of the other fall in love, their families see the potential to forge a long-lasting alliance and happily agree to arrange a marriage between the two lovebirds. But on the scheduled wedding day, just when it seems like nothing could possibly go wrong, the bride and groom are both kidnapped by a mysterious cult with its own agenda, so a team of heroes/adventurers/etc. is formed to rescue the pair and defeat the cult.
3. The use of magic and the like is legally restricted to those of royal or noble blood, while common-born sorcerers are written off as “tainted blood” and face execution if discovered. A rebellion among the common folk (especially the aforementioned “tainted blood”) starts forming in response to the persecution, eventually culminating in a violent uprising against the royalty and nobility that has since plunged the kingdom into a lawless chaos. In addition, the only known heir to the throne has been missing ever since the uprising, and his/her ultimate fate and whereabouts will inevitably be a crucial deciding factor in the conflict between the remnants of the royalty and nobility, to whom the heir symbolizes the “purity” of the all-mage royal bloodline, and the rebellion, who for this same reason might either kill the heir to end the royal bloodline or (if the rating is mature enough) possibly try to use him/her to create an heir (thus legitimizing the rebellion’s new government to an extent and/or striking a blow to the royalty by permanently “defiling” the royal bloodline).

[Atethecat]

There exist two dominant kingdoms in the known world (more kingdoms are optional), both already on reasonably good terms with each other, but when the princess of one kingdom and the prince of the other fall in love, their families see the potential to forge a long-lasting alliance and happily agree to arrange a marriage between the two lovebirds. But on the scheduled wedding day, just when it seems like nothing could possibly go wrong, the bride and groom are both kidnapped by a mysterious cult with its own agenda, so a team of heroes/adventurers/etc. is formed to rescue the pair and defeat the cult.

This could be interesting. I could see a sort of Pre-Islamic Middle Eastern (Quasi-Mesopotamian or Canaanite/Israelite) and/or even a greater Mediterranean (Ancient Greek, Ancient Egyptian)-influenced setting.




At least for one kingdom, if they're continental empires, there's definitely room for cultural diversity.

[Lady Celeste]

I hadn’t thought of it that way, but that is definitely true! I’ll have to do a bit more research, but I can see a lot of potential for world building here.

[SikstaSlathalin]

*Siksta kicks the door of thread in sporting a pletheroa of High Fantasy fun items* I hear someone wants a S&S RP.

If I may, if those involved don't know the Conan world well I'd recommend just going with a blank slate high fantasy RP.