It Began in a Tavern (OOC Thread) (Part 2)

[Louanne Learning]

New post made! And I had a good time writing it!

Post in thread 'It Began in a Tavern - Official Legacy Roleplay (Part 2)'

Feb 4, 2026

There was no sunrise; no way to tell if it was day or night. Katara awoke chilled, though well-rested, so surmised that she had been sleeping for hours. Ravenna remained in a deep slumber beside her.

More than anything, Katara wanted to bathe. But how could she navigate her way in the dark to the river she heard murmuring from a distance?

Ever the problem solver, her eyes shot up to the cloud of suspended, illuminated ghosts. She needed one of them to light her way. She walked over to where the congregation hung lowest in the sky, wound up, and threw a rock to strike one particular...

• Louanne Learning

• 

 

[ps102]

New post made! And I had a good time writing it!

Good post! I didn't quite expect one of the ghosts to go with Katara on their quest.

Ben seems like an important character. Can you do a character sheet?

 

[Louanne Learning]

Can you do a character sheet?

Yes, I'll get it done today.

Good post!

Thank you!

 

[Louanne Learning]

Please welcome Ben to our story

Post in thread 'It Began in a Tavern - Character Index'

Feb 5, 2026

Name: Ben

Sex: Male

Social Class: Ben is the ghost of a Poet-monk

Age in human years (must be 18): 25 at the time of his death, twenty years ago

A brief description of appearance: (no pictures, please.)

Ben is attractive and tall, with a wild mane of long, dark hair, and alert eyes that are always observing. He tends to wear a thoughtful expression, as well as the conventional brown robes of the monks of Kodama Abbey. His movements are fluid and graceful, befitting his ghost status.

Background:

Ben (at aged 19) entered Kodama Abbey at the same...

• Louanne Learning

 

[ps102]

Please welcome Ben to our story

Perfect! Can't wait to see what's ahead.

Speaking of character sheets, can you paste these? It has some updated info on Gamma and Delta. I can't remember who said it (it wasn't me) but it was mentioned at some point that Gamma struggled hard to make a living and was quite poor.

Name: Gamma

Sex: Female

Social Class: Mage

Age in human years (must be 18): 48

A brief description of appearance: Gamma usually hides her apperance using a yellow robe and the spell that hides half her face in darkness. With the hood pulled back, she is revealed to have a round face with blue eyes and auburn hair.

Magic Style: Gamma is the mage of autumn time. She specializes in air-style poison magic (various poisonous compounds). She also has access to spirit magic through Koyo.

Background: Her real name is Meira. From a young age, she despised the royals and their government, refusing to partake in their systems. She never got officially licensed as a result and struggled greatly to make a living. Her daughter, Araspeth, had a difficult uprising and eventually repelled, joining the royal government. Her mother eventually joined the Alphabet Society.

----

Name: Delta

Sex: Female

Social Class: Mage - Delta is the leader of the Alphabet Society.

Age in human years (must be 18): 55

A brief description of appearance: Delta has mysterious antlers on her head. Like all members of her society, she hides herself in blue robes and a spell that covers half her face in darkness. With her hood pushed back, she is later revealed to have greying black hair and grey eyes.

Magic Style: Delta is the mage of winter time. She specializes in water-style ice magic. Through Kori, she has access to spirit magic.

Background: Not much is currently known about Delta aside from her real name—Selene. She is the most powerful member of the Alphabet Society, and its leader.

 

[Louanne Learning]

@ps102 - updates made

Post in thread 'It Began in a Tavern - Character Index'

May 18, 2025

Alphabet Society Members
Character Approved: 2/17/2025
Character Submitted by @ps102


Name: Alpha

Sex: Male

Social Class: Mage

Age in human years (must be 18): 40

A brief description of appearance: Alpha's appearance is unknown. He hides his features behind his forest green hood, which represents his element.

Magic Style: Alpha is the mage of spring time. He uses earth-style wood magic (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen) both for defense and offense. He can armor himself, and create various deadly wooden weapons. His signature attack is...

• Luxuria

 

[IgnitedxSoul]

It was me, when I wrote the following:

Araspeth looked around her quarters, taking the space in. Even after all this time, the space felt surreal. Most of her youth was spent in the back room of a tannery, the rancid smells of decaying flesh, animal urine, and dung lingering in the air. Her father’s work was grueling, he made very little money, and the caustic chemicals used to prep the skins grew venom so deep in him that even the strongest of healing mages couldn’t have saved his life. Then her mother took to rebellion, and Araspeth herself, at the time too young to know better, followed suit.

But now? She had everything she ever wanted, right at her fingertips. Hot meals every day, thick curtains that kept out the cold drafts late at night, silken sheets, and thick woolen quilts. It was all luxury her urchin child self couldn’t have even fathomed. It wasn’t just the luxury, though, that set her mind straight. Despite everything her mother had tried to convince her of, her time rising the ranks to High Priestess taught her some harsh realities those in the rebellion refused to face.

The world is hard, sure. Many suffer through poverty or struggle with disease. That is just the natural order. The way things are meant to be. But the scientists, those who answer to Barnabas, are seeking things far more valuable than the costs. Magic is dying. It’s happening slowly, but with time, the total volume of ether seems to be dissipating. Every few years, the census makes it clear: there are fewer and fewer magic users. And if they are gone, everyone can be damn sure that disease will be truly rampant then. But if we can harness it… if we can bend magic to our will, or prevent it from dying…

So yes, mom. Araspeth thinks. I’ll happily sacrifice hundreds more if that can save the lives of generations. Seeing vile, mutinous cretins like Roman writhe against progress, and fail… well that was just a little bonus.

 

[ps102]

@IgnitedxSoul, just reminder that your turn ends after tomorrow. I'm happy to give you a bit more time if you need it though

 

[IgnitedxSoul]

If I could have through end of day Friday that would be a huge help

 

[ps102]

If I could have through end of day Friday that would be a huge help

No problem. You can have until end of Friday!

 

[IgnitedxSoul]

The planning for this scene ended up more complicated than I anticipated. But I had a revelation that I wanted to discuss.

In Brother Silas' character description the following is written:

Silas is the leader of the Ghosts of Kodama Abbey, the ghosts of a thousand monks destroyed by the Royals hundreds of years ago. The ghosts are awakened in the presence of the High Mage Hemios and the High Scientist Barnabas, while a Royal - Arthur - plays the violin, as it was ordained in the Scriptures. These ghosts have an important role to play in the final battle of good and evil. They contain the light of goodness.

Now, I went back through the manuscript and found two things:
1) There is nothing in the manuscript yet discussing when the rebellion occurred or how long ago these monks died.
2) At the time of killing her father and wounding Arthur, Melina was slated to marry a prince from the northern peninsula, Silas Cromwell.
3) Cliff Cross is a major city in the northern peninsula, just north of Kodama Abbey.

So my request is...
I want to make Brother Silas and Silas Cromwell the same person, with the following being his backstory.

Silas Cromwell is a prince from Cliffcross and was slated to be married to Melina, which he took to his heart to be true and destiny. Silas arrived to Chasti City to meet with the queen only to find the castle in ruins, the king dead, prince arthur presumed dead, and Melina being thrust into power. When Melina refuses to meet with him Silas will be crushed, and ashamed, unwilling to return to Cliffcross with such a political failure hanging over him. Silas instead took on the mantle of monk at Kodoma Abbey. He kept tabs on Melina, hoping that one day she might change her mind and take him as her fated husband, but she did no such thing, only growing increasingly dictatorial and oppressive. Silas retaliated, mounting the rebellion against the monarchy, getting his entire cohort of 200 men slaughtered.

Despite knowing Silas' mixed motivations, the monks believed in the scriptures and that Melina had to be stopped. They were willing to disregard Silas' complications. Still are, in their ghostly state.

The biggest change I can see here is making the deaths of the monks more recent history (in the last couple decades) but I don't believe it actively contradicts any of the material in the manuscript. This also adds a significant amount of depth to the history at Kodoma Abbey, will have occurred before most of our main cast were born or when they were young children, and could have been one of the many instigating factors for the Alphabet Society.

But, given Silas and the monks are @Louanne Learning's I don't want to write this without her permission.

(As I was writing this I realized it could also be possible that Melina learned of the fragment in Cliffcross as a consequence of the battle against he monks, since they likely had lots of writing on the scriptures. They may have even had information there that pointed her toward the city. It does beg the question of why she waited 20 years to actually take the fragment, but I think that could be explained away by an issue of resources or timing or wanting to do more research before extracting it.)

 

[ps102]

Interesting suggestion. It's up to @Louanne Learning, really. There are strict rules around making major changes to the characters of others, so thank you for asking first!

I had also noticed how Brother Silas shared the same name as the husband-would-be for Melina, but simply churned that to coincidence.

(As I was writing this I realized it could also be possible that Melina learned of the fragment in Cliffcross as a consequence of the battle against he monks, since they likely had lots of writing on the scriptures. They may have even had information there that pointed her toward the city. It does beg the question of why she waited 20 years to actually take the fragment, but I think that could be explained away by an issue of resources or timing or wanting to do more research before extracting it.)

Melina always had another fragment before the one she found in Cliffcross. She waited before extracting it because she didn't want complications (like the stoppage of time) to happen too early. That would cause too much unnecessary unrest.

She extracted the fragment of Hemera (blue) out of Cliffcross, which was necessary for destroying the sun. Hemera literally means daytime in Greek. I just made this up—I didn't know this since we recently came up with a redefinition for the fragments, but there is a link and it does make sense.

 

[Louanne Learning]

I want to make Brother Silas and Silas Cromwell the same person, with the following being his backstory.

Honestly, when I named Brother Silas, I did not know or remember that Silas was the name of the one Melina was to marry

But I think your suggestion is a stupendously wonderful one!! I love it when we are able to tie threads together, and this seems a fantastic tie-in.

Good catch!

I can add your description of Silas Cromwell to the character profile of Brother Silas.

I will make necessary changes to Ben's character profile, too.

This is a very exciting turn of events.

The biggest change I can see here is making the deaths of the monks more recent history (in the last couple decades)

I can't think of any problem with this. Can anyone think of any reason why this would be a problem?

Currently, Melina's age is listed as 40. How old was she when she tried to kill Arthur in the ruins of the castle?

That would be the time that Silas made his way to Kodama Abbey?

Then, I imagine a few years would have to pass before the royals killed all the monks?

@IgnitedxSoul - would you like to write the entry detailing Silas Cromwell's transformation to Brother Silas, or should I?

 

[ps102]

I can't think of any problem with this. Can anyone think of any reason why this would be a problem?

I see no problem. We might have to go back to the post where they got introduced to correct any timeline info though. That's easy enough.

Currently, Melina's age is listed as 40. How old was she when she tried to kill Arthur in the ruins of the castle?

I'll go with the number 18. It makes sense.

That would be the time that Silas made his way to Kodama Abbey?

Probably... unless he had been eyeing the place for a long time and made visits. Up to you two to decide (just making a suggestion).

 

[Louanne Learning]

I'm getting ready to leave soon for a visit to my sister's in Toronto, but I will make all the necessary changes to stuff already posted tomorrow

 

[IgnitedxSoul]

Melina was 14 when she destroyed the castle and killed her father per this post:

It Began in a Tavern - Official Legacy Roleplay (Part 2)

I can't find any reference to Melina trying to kill Arthur on a different occasion in the manuscript.

My idea for Silas' timeline:
Per the above linked post, Silas was supposed to meet Melina the following day, so he would have arrived to Chasti City to a collapsed castle and a Melina just starting to take her new role as Queen at the ripe age of 14. He finds Melina, introduces himself, and is dismissed by Melina who tells him she has no interest in marrying him. Her father's whims are not her own.

Dejected, he refuses to return home to Cliffcross, scared of being seen as a political failure. So instead of making it all the way home, he stays at Kodoma Abbey and becomes a monk.


As far as I can tell there is nothing in the manuscript that gives a timeline to the monk rebellion, just that it happened in the past and is seen as "history"

Dusca and Barnabas dismounted on the road before the abandoned monastery ruins. “Do you know the story of Kodama Abbey?” Barnabas asked.

Dusca smiled at him. “The history, you mean?”

“Yes … it’s a frightful one.”

“From what I have heard, the monks led a rebellion against the monarchy.”

“And were then brutally destroyed.”

 

[ps102]

Melina was 14 when she destroyed the castle and killed her father per this post:

That's surprising... I don't recall setting that age. But I guess it makes sense. I probably looked up marrying ages for girls in the medieval era and found that 14 was not that uncommon, even if quite surprising in our times.

So, Melina turned into a murderer at the age of 14!

 

[Louanne Learning]

Melina was 14

Great, that gives us a few more years.

I'll have Ben arriving to the Abbey around the age of 14 after Silas has been there a few years.

How long was Silas at the Abbey before all the monks were killed?

He has to connect with the spirit world in that time

 

[Louanne Learning]

K, gotta go! Heading to Toronto now. We'll talk more later!

 

[ps102]

Also, I realize that I may have messed up the geography by misunderstanding what a peninsula is. I thought that a peninsula was land surrounded by water, but larger than an island. But a peninsula is supposed to be a piece of land that is surrounded by the ocean and still connects to the land.

I talked about how Cassandra is the ruler of the Southern Peninsula. Obviously, that's not possible because Melina rules the country. What I wanted to say is that Cassandra is the ruler of a Southern country. That's also preferable because I want significant geographical distance between Sophia's homeland and the country the story takes place in.

We should probably re-work the geography. I'm going to take responsibility by re-reading the story and identifying what needs to be changed. Cliffcross is in a peninsula when you look at the map so that's fine to leave as-is. Soul can go on as he has planned.

For changes, I'm not sure what we should do. It's typical for stories that make up their own geography to go small so its creatively manageable. We should probably go with four continents. The Southern, Northern, Eastern and Western continents. A continent in the real world contains multiple countries, but to make this manageable as I've said, we'll treat a continent as a very big country. Australia is like that, actually.

Sophia would be from the Southern Continent. This story can take place in any of the other three. There is an entry about Geography in the lore thread. I propose this:

Spoiler: Edited geography entry

Geography and Geopolitics​

There are four main large masses of land—the Southern, Northern, Western and Eastern continents. Our story takes place in the Western continent, ruled by a monarchy with Melina reigning as Queen.

The Western continent is divided into four discreet domains: The fire, water, air and earth regions. In ancient times, those regions used to be ruled by tribes that practiced an elemental magic style exclusively. Wars were fought and each tribe lived in isolation until the country was eventually united by the current monarchs. At present, these names are purely kept for geographical purposes, and any style of magic can be practiced anywhere throughout the land as long as the mage in question holds a license issued by the monarchy that now governs.

Each regions has its own cities, towns, and special places. The capital is located in the Earth region, which is symbolic of how the royal family has roots from the earth tribe.

Any disagreements or suggestions? I won't make it 'final' until we all agree. Sorry for the trouble. I do feel pretty bad about it.