[SU/D] Checkmate: Overture

[Martel]

Checkmate: Overture
​

Premise

The history of chess spans some 1500 years, with the game believed to have originated from India. However, what was the inspiration for this game of strategy and tactics? None who remain alive today remember that in a time a thousand years before the first recorded game, it came to pass that two neighbouring leaders, whose countries had been at war for countless generations, decided that war was not the answer to their quarrels. It was bleeding their countries dry, stripping their land, the very thing they sought to protect, of everything that made it worth protecting. Thus, they decided upon a new way to settle disputes: gathering together their most trusted servants, they made a contract with their Gods, granting them the gift of life eternal for as long as the game continued.

Yet despite the ingenuity of this game, or perhaps because of it, ultimately only the two Kings were left standing by the end of it, as they knew one another as brothers, and neither could gain the upper hand. It was with great sorrow that they drifted into eternal slumber, neither able to gain triumph over the other…or so they had hoped. The Old Gods were rarely kind, and it came to pass that, after a century, they were awakened once more to continue the game that they had pledged to complete; there would be no respite for them until their quarrel had been settled.

History became legend, and legend became myth, and whilst war persisted amongst the neighbouring countries, the game that the two nameless leaders had devised as an alternative was adopted by those who followed as a recreational activity, developing into the game now known as Chess. The rules developed and changed as time distorted memory and bred new creativity, until the game was barely recognisable in its new form.

Had they any inclination that the dispute between the two who inspired the game – those whose names had long since been forgotten with the passage of time, and were now simply represented by the shades of White and Black – still continued, perhaps they would not have been so keen upon the game. Once a century, the two awake from their slumber, choosing who they will for their own reasons to play out the game with them, gifting them with powers beyond mortal imagining, with the promise of immortality upon victory.

The year is now 1800 and the game has begun once again yet, this time, something has changed. A void has been left within the ranks of those who now call themselves The White before the game has even begun in earnest…a void that is about to filled with a mysterious third force with its own agenda. With the two Kings slumbering still, those who have been selected as the next players of this ancient game must now fend for themselves on two fronts…


The Rules of the Game

• The game is played out until the King of one side concedes defeat, or is defeated.
• The game is conducted in turns: the side identified as White issues the first challenge, and then the side identified as Black is gifted with the opportunity. So it continues until the game is completed.
• The word of the King is Law. If a player is commanded by a King to carry out a task, they MUST obey; failure to do so will result in immediate death.
• In the absence of the King, players should look to their Queens for leadership.

Player Ranks

• The King is supreme, and unmatched in might.
• The Queen is second only to the King and, in his absence, wields his authority as though she were speaking with his voice.
• Rooks serve beneath the Queen, and are of greater strength than Knights and Bishops.
• Knights and Bishops are of equal strength, yet they do not serve at the pleasure of the Rook.
• Rank determines who is the stronger, yet strategy determines who the victor is: a Knight can defeat even a King with the right strategy.
• All Pawns are equal in strength, no matter who they are wielded by: a Pawn wielded by a Queen will have no advantage against a Pawn wielded by a Knight, for example.
• All who share an affiliation are capable of sensing and recognising one another’s presence instinctively. They cannot, however, recognise their opponents in the same fashion.

Battle

• Battle is initiated by challenging a player of the opposing side. This can only be done when it is your side’s turn to issue a challenge.
• When it is your turn, one member of your side MUST make a challenge within one week of the last challenge made, or your lives are all automatically forfeit, and the game begins anew with different players.
• Challenges, once issued, must be accepted by the opponent, and cannot be withtracted by the challenger.
• Battles are conducted singularly, between two combatants, and other battles cannot take place during this time.
• Once a challenge has been issued and accepted, the two combatants may both manifest their Pawns and harm the other with their Powers. They will not, however, be able to harm others of opposing sides.
• Victory in a battle is gained in one of two ways: through receiving surrender from your opponent, or by inflicting a mortal wound: decapitation, stabbing through the heart, etc. Removal of limbs is not enough: as long as your opponent still breathes or refuses to admit defeat, they are still deemed as able to fight, no matter their condition. When your opponent is no longer able to battle, you are declared the victor.
• The loser of a battle forfeits their Pawn or, if they have already forfeit their Pawn, their life.
• The winner is allowed to continue on. Winners may not take loser’s Pawns for their own, nor do they become stronger in any way as a result of their victory.
• Battles cannot end in a draw; there must be a winner and a loser.
• Upon completion of a battle, both participants (assuming the loser is not vanquished) are restored to their previous state in readiness for the next challenge.
• There is nothing in the rules against the loser of a battle immediately challenging the winner to a second match after the battle is concluded…although this would be hasty, and would almost certainly not please their Queen…

Pawns and Powers

• Each player is gifted with a unique power that they may use both in battle and outside of it, as well as a unique Pawn.
• Pawns are a weapon of choice – for example, a sword – that act as a barrier between the player and death; defeat in combat will result in the destruction of the Pawn, yet their own life, even if they have been killed as a result of combat, will be spared….the first time. Without a Pawn, there is nothing standing between the defeated and the embrace of death.
• Pawns are sealed until the moment of a challenge; they CANNOT be called upon at will.
• Once a Pawn has been lost, there is NO WAY to regain it.
• Powers may be used passively in any way the player sees fit outside of combat. However, powers may NOT be used to harm the opposing side outside of combat, in any way. You could not, for example, blow up the ground with your power in hope that the earth would bury your foe.
• Powers are unique to the wielder: only one active player can wield fire, or have super strength, etc.
• All powers are equal; however, advantage may be gained by virtue of strategy, surroundings, or rank.
• If powers are used in an attempt to harm another player from an opposing side, through intent or otherwise, the one responsible will be immediately extinguished and replaced.

Other

• Players may use any tactics or strategy they feel is appropriate as long as it does not violate any of the above rules.

The Red Queen

A mysterious third party to the game, nobody knows precisely who The Red Queen is, or what her objectives are. A being of immense power that dwarfs that of a normal Queen and perhaps even rivals that of the Kings, the Red Queen appears to be outside of the conventional rules of the game, and also appears to be capable of bringing other players under her control, thereby bringing them outside of the rules also.

The game does not recognise the Red Queen as a participant – she does not share the contract that the Kings made with the Old Gods - meaning that those who are attacked by her or one of her minions when they are unable to issue a challenge will be unable to engage in combat, and run the risk of death or being captured themselves. The Red Queen can no more be refused than a King, although she requires your blood to bring you under her control. Her control, however, cannot be broken by any other a King once it has been put into effect.

Those who have been converted to the Red can be challenged in the same manner as any opposing player, however and, presumably, can be defeated in the same fashion; despite their ability to flout the rules, the Red remain of the same strength that they were of to begin with. Reds are capable of sensing both those of the White and Black, however.

Rules and stuff to consider

1. THIS IS A PRIVATE RP. If you haven’t received an invitation via PM from me within 24 hours of this topic's setup, however, this does NOT mean you can’t get involved. PM me if you’re interested in taking part and we will discuss it. But before you do, consider the points below; I'm not the kind of person who typically throws things open, so you may want to re-think your eagerness.
2. This will be a two-part RP. So if you’re taking part, be prepared to do so for the second one as well…unless your character is killed off, anyway. Because this is a two-parter, this also means those who don’t get in the first time might get luckier the second time around; I'm not planning that far ahead, but I WILL contact you when we're closer to it so we can discuss things. There may be scope for more RPs beyond this depending on the level of interest, but there are no plans beyond two.
3. There is a VERY high probability your character will lose once, if not twice, before this RP is over; this RP is very battle-oriented, and there is no scope for draws or inconclusive matches. There has to be a winner and a loser, and you can't win every time...unless you're a villain anyway, and that typically ends badly; not even villains win EVERY time. Be open-minded to that possibility. This is not a "play nice and let everyone win" RP.
4. DISCUSSION. Because of the turn-taking nature of this RP, and the way that I – and others participating – role-play, this RP is NOT NOT NOT going to be ad-hoc. If you think you can just cruise by, you can bloody well think again and get out now. If you’re taking part, then you’re ACTIVELY TAKING PART. This involves talking with me and others about plans for your characters, how challenges will play out, how your character will develop; anything and everything. It is not enough for you to just make a good bio; you need to have a definite goal in mind that is firm and yet flexible. Development of your character is important, but it is not just about you. This RP is NOT dying because some people don’t pull their weight; if I accept your character and you don't make an effort, I'm just going to kick you right back out again. It’s not unreasonable to expect you to take part in something you sign up for. So there. This is an advance warning for people who I’ve never RPed with before who may be thinking of signing up for - I am considerably more demanding of people than most - or people who I KNOW do this. If you know that I know you do this, save yourself the trouble of PMing me now. We are going to FINISH THIS ONE.
5. ACTIVITY. If you take part, I want a post every three days at least, unless you have a compelling reason for not posting. Bear in mind here that I’ve done an Undergraduate Degree, and am doing a Master’s Degree: I am extremely sympathetic if you have exams or prior commitments. Shit happens; I'm not expecting you to drop everything for the sake of an RP. But I’d like it if we were all on the same page, so interest doesn't just dwindle out and die.
6. If you've RPed with me before, you may have a maximum of TWO characters, due to limited spaces. One per side. If you haven't, start with one and we'll see where it goes. This is just me being cautious.
7. This is set in the 1800s, in a fictional city...we'll say in England somewhere. Please try to keep this in mind. The location is deliberately vague so we don’t bugger up continuity - it doesn't really matter - but the time period is not. Think retro/steampunk~
8. I am well aware there are more chess pieces than this…why do you think the RP is split into two parts? This is what I deem to be a manageable number of characters: the Kings and the other Bishops/Knights/Rooks will be introduced in the second planned RP, when the intrigue is high and the ranks have been thinned a bit. Big RPs stumble and fall and are a bitch to organise. So this will not be a big RP. This will be a modest-length RP with a definite ending, but how we reach that ending and how quickly will be up to the participants. I COULD be persuaded to include the second White Bishop to balance out the numbers, but that is all. I'm not going to include every single planned space to accomodate extra people; if you don't get in, tough luck.
9. All that usual stuff about roleplay etiquette here. I’m not going to repeat what is blatant common sense. But I will say this: you only get one strike with me, not two or three. One. Piss people off and you’re out, immediately.

Character Roster:

The White
The White Queen [RESERVED] [Element: Ice] [Pawn: Scythe] [Martel]
The White Knight
The White Rook

The Black
The Black Queen [RESERVED] [Element: Gravity] [Pawn: Chain] [Martel]
The Black Knight
The Black Rook
The Black Bishop [Alyss] [Element: Lightning] [Technocrat]

The Red
The Red Queen [Poppy] [Element: Spirit] [Martel]
The Red Bishop [RESERVED] [Ringo]


Application Template

Name: [The name of your character]
Affiliation: [Your character’s affiliation, e.g. The Black Knight]
Gender: [Male or Female]
Age: [16 or over]
Appearance: [What your character looks like. You can provide a picture to illustrate, but I still expect significant detail]
Pawn: [Your character’s Pawn.]
Power: [Your character’s Power. You may have ONE Power. I want a significant amount of detail here: strengths and weaknesses, limitations, how your Power interacts with your Pawn, etc. Powers of Light and Darkness/Shadow are NOT available.]
Personality: [Be detailed]
History: [Be detailed]
Character theme: [Optional]
Battle theme: [Optional]

 

[Gaige]

Name: Alana Rastafet
Affiliation: The White Rook
Gender: Female
Age: 25
Appearance: Alana is tall both for her era and for women 2000 years later at five foot ten. She has a slender, willowy figure, being somewhat underweight. What weight she does have is muscled enough that she can hold her own. Her complexion is somewhat pale and her face angular. Her eyes are a dark bottle green and
almond shaped. Long platinum blond hair falls to her middle back in a straggled, uncared for mess.

Outside of battle, Alana opts for flowing dresses and heels. Feminine clothes, typically in red or white colors, are the cornerstone of her style and fashion. Her hair is left in its typical tangled mess, though she wears a white butterfly hair clip at the corner of the temple. She'll also wear silver rings and bracelets studded with diamonds, and a silver necklace studded with a single, rough sapphire.

In battle is a different matter altogether. When a challenge is issued to her, she will don her father's armor; an iron set consisting of full chestplate and gaunlets along with greaves. A visored helmet completes the set, and her hair is tucked (uncomfortably) into the helmet itself.

In miscellaneous details, her wrists are scarred, and her eyes often have gaunt circles under them.

Pawn: A spiked whip. The whip itself is made of leather, as is the pommel. However, the durface of the whip itself is lined with steel spikes capable of severing veins and cutting out flesh if a strong enough hit is landed. This Pawn is particularly fickle. A glancing blow will only cause minor cuts and bruises, but a strong hit can cause major bleeding. It stabs on the way in, and when it is dragged out, shreds.


Power: Fire. This is a broad ability, however, she uses it for a few particular methods. First of all, she will create small fireballs, approximately the size of a tennis ball in diameter. She can create up to three of these fireballs in a single post. However, constant activation of her power in this way will tire her out quickly.

Secondly, she can call unformed streams of fire to her control, and launch them at the enemy. These streams of fire operate on much the same principle as her whip. Glancing blows will deal minimal damage, while full on blows will deal major damage.

Walls of fire can also be created, allowing her to wall off an opponent. While these walls aren't particularly tall or wide, they act as a reliable method of suppression, and are obviously capable of burning if touched.

Lastly, she will imbue her pawn with her power. This causes small embers to ignite between the minuscule spikes on her whip, which means that the enemy's flesh will be scorched if they are struck with the whip. The whip will also release licks of fire as it moves around, igniting flammable objects and causing further damage.


Personality: Solitary is the first word that many would come up with when viewing Alana. She rarely if ever engages in social actions she has no need of, and will never bother with idle chatter or casual things of the like. She in fact hates the contact of other people, and will do her best to avoid it. While she is capable of putting on a straight face and listening, if she is uninterested, she will likely stonewall the person she is conversing with.

In truth she is a bit of a death seeker. She views the game as a way to die with honor and dignity, in the heat of battle. On the same note, she is also something of a blood knight. She gets a thrill out of drawing blood and having her blood drawn, and battle is the only situation in which one is likely to see her smile. She will never yield to the enemy unless commanded to do so by her superiors, and would gladly fight to the death.

Alana knows power when she sees it, and to that end she is obedient to her Queen, and by extension her King. They are the two people most likely to get her to speak more than a few words at a time, and she treats them with great reverence

A deep turmoil is present within Alana, and she battles it every day. Her past has not been kind to her, and she resists the urge to break down and give in on a regular basis. In truth, the game has given her something to fight for. Something to die for.


History: With a mother that died giving birth to her younger brother, Alana was surrounded by men growing up, and as her father taught her brother how to fight, he taught her as well. Her family was rather aristocratic, her father a knight of the Queen of England and proud of his station. Naturally, he made a few enemies throughout his career, but Alana never worried about such things.

Her father finally retired when Alana was eighteen years old, and she and her brother were determined to support her father in his old age. However, fate was feeling fickle that day, and would not allow her determination to last for long.

A few days after her father had retired, she came home with groceries. However, something seemed wrong. She could tell as much immediately. Her fears were confirmed when close to ten masked figures ran from her house. As she stopped in shock, her brother, his stomach pouring blood, staggered out after them, sword in hand, and collapsed upon the ground.

By the time she reached him, he was already dead, eyes wide open. A check of the house yielded the same results. Her father and most of the staff were also dead, all stabbed in the stomach or chest, or their throats slit. This was professional work. She knew that immediately.

By the time one of the few surviving maids had gotten the police, she was completely numb, answering their questions with short and simple retorts that gave them what they needed to know. And after they left, the numbness didn't fade. After days, weeks, months had passed, the numbness didn't fade. The only alternative was, of course, to take her hairclip and slice her wrists open with it.

Unfortunately, a staff member was patrolling as she did so, and she was rushed to the family doctor and saved. However, the damage was done, and for her "own safety", she was confined in a sanitarium. A sub par, inhumane 1800s sanitarium, where she was confined in a dirty, dusty foam room with nothing she could end her miserable existence with. And so this continued for five years.

When a figure obscured by light came to her in her cell, granted her power, and vanished, for the first time in five years, Alana felt a spark ignite within her. Power flowed through her, and she would use it to end all of her suffering. There was a game, the figure had told her. A game in which she could die with honor. Fire flowing to her fingertips, she blasted through the walls of the asylum and joined her White Side brethren.

This was her calling. This was her end. This was her final duty.


Character theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7K_9ZyQlyA

Battle theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--V_ee1j7Po&feature=relmfu

 

[Abstract Debauchery]

I'll have a character up within the next three days. I've pretty much got them outlined already, but at the moment I still have finals work to do and then work. So at the very latest, I should have both my characters up by Sunday.

 

[Abstract Debauchery]

I'll have both my characters up on Tuesday. Finals and work are tag team killing me. Sorry for the delay.

 

[Martel]

Accepted, Diar~

No worries, Ringo; we still have a few slots that need filling, I haven't written my bios yet either, and I spent last night writing something else. Hoping to get this moving by the beginning of next week at the absolute latest, though

 

[Lebreau]

It'd be really awesome if you'd add the White Bishop in here so I can kidnap it. (I like the idea of a Bishop better than Knight or Rook, but Rook would be alright.) But if not, I'd like to claim Black Rook and the power of air. I'll get a bio up as soon as I can but I'm in the midst of finishing school for the year so I have to prioritize~

 

[Abstract Debauchery]

Name: Alyss Aldan

Affiliation: The Black Bishop

Gender: Female

Age: 18

Appearance:

Alyss stands at around 5’4, making her rather short, but not overly so. Her eyes are a bright emerald green, and her hair is a ruby red. She has a very slender frame, making her a bit more fragile than most. She hates showing any sort of skin at all, which is why she wears what she wears. Her blouse is a long sleeved button down blouse. She wears black arm garters on both of her sleeves around her upper arms. She wears a black tie that is tucked into a dark grey vest.

Her skirt is a long red skirt that is parted in the middle. The skirt extends down to a bit below the backs of her knees. Under her skirt she wears a pair of black pants. Her boots have a one inch heel to them. Overall, she is highly formal in appearance. Her long red hair is straight, and goes down to her bottom. There are times she sits on it if she’s not careful. She wears a pair of thin rimmed glasses, and she has a hard time seeing without them.

Pawn: A rapier – She uses it to help conduct her powers at times. She does have training with a rapier, but due to how small she is she doesn’t get up close to use it in that fashion much.

Power: Lightning – With her power, she can shoot lightning from her fingertips. As stated above, she uses her power with her rapier in order to guide it more directly. From her hands it comes out as multiple streams of lightning. As such, it flies everywhere. When conduced with her rapier, it strikes as a single bolt of lightning hitting whatever she’s pointing her rapier at. When firing lightning for extended periods of time, she can become rather tired. If she gets too wet and fires lightning, she can “short” herself out and become extremely tired. As such, she is useless in the rain.

Personality: Alyss can be rather shy, and as such can be extraordinarily quiet. She tends to push people away most of the time. She is cold, brutally honest, and arrogant. Of course, this is all a front for the most part. She simply doesn’t enjoy the company of others much at all. For the most part, she is a spoiled brat. She tends to think rather logically, but when angered she lets her emotions get the best of her every time. She holds herself rather highly, and doesn’t particularly enjoy taking orders.

Around new people, she’ll be quiet if they’re nice. But she’s far too untrusting to say much at first. If they’re rude or mean, she’ll open up against them, typically in an insulting manner. Once someone does get to know her, she can be rather polite, and if she likes them enough, she won’t mind doing favors for them or treating them kindly. Though, to those she doesn’t like, it’s a side of her that they will never see.

To those that do know her well enough to be on her good side, they find that she can still be rather arrogant and still hold herself highly, but she tends to not do so as much. She enjoys being right, and she absolutely cannot stand being inferior to anyone else. Most find that they simply cannot stand her due to how she speaks and holds herself. She refuses to use contractions and speaks with a high class sort of tone in her voice. However, most find once they break down that wall, they will find a good friend in her.

One of the oddest quirks about her is that she cannot stand being touched. She doesn’t fear it, but she can’t stand it. She never lets anyone get close enough to do it. When touched she will jerk back almost instinctively. Even though she won’t admit it to anyone, she is a lesbian, and cannot stand being near or around men. To a certain degree, she is also submissive and can be a masochist. However, that’s a truth even she refuses to admit even to herself.

One thing to note about her is how easy it is to intimidate or scare her. If placed in a situation where she know she cannot win, she will back down. If faced with something she's terrified of, she will also back down. She is deathly afraid of the dark.

History: Alyss comes from a rich aristocratic family. Never once has she ever really had to go without. She’s always gotten whatever she wanted whenever she wanted it. However, this left her rather bored and very inexperienced in life. For the longest time she simply wanted to get away, but never could. Her education was always top notch. Her professors were the best in their field or the best money could buy, or simply both.

It was a rainy day one day when she was caught outside of her mansion and her house. She took shelter under a tree at the time. However, that’s when her life changed forever. She wasn’t sure how it happened and in fact still isn’t quite sure, but she was chosen to be the Bishop for the Black King. She took the spot, if only for the power and the supposed prestige it carried. From there, she took plenty of money from her parents’ account, and started traveling.

Though she hasn’t been in battle yet, she waits for the day that she is, and hopes she can handle herself well.

Character theme:

Battle Theme:

 

[Izanagi]

Yo! Requesting your permission to join, OP. If this sits well with you of course!

 

[Abstract Debauchery]

Name: Lysis Alura

Affiliation: The Red Bishop (formally the White Bishop)

Gender: Female

Age: 22

Appearance:

Lysis stands at around 5’8, making her somewhat tall for a woman. She has long black hair that goes down to her mid back. It’s perfectly straight. Her eyes are a dark brown. She has a somewhat slender build, but with a bit of an athletic one. On her left arm she wears a rather unique glove. The elbow of it can be used as a weapon, but serves no other special purpose. She wears a rather eloquent red dress that flows to her feet. Her hat matches her dress perfectly.

Pawn: Sword – A light one handed sword

Power: Fire – With her ability, she can use fire to cover her sword and use it. She can also use it to direct her blasts. Without it, flames shoot from her hand in streams or she can throw balls of fire at the enemy. She is 100% useless in water, but can still use her power when wet. If she uses her power too much, it tends to not only make her tired, but very cold as a result as it drains her of body heat.

Personality: Lysis is extraordinarily cold and methodical. Every action she takes has a purpose behind it. As such, no one knows what she’s ever planning, and she will quickly turn her back on a friend if it served her better interests. As a sociopath, she doesn’t mind using people. The only time she truly feels things like happiness or joy is when it comes to something resolving her. If told someone else just won the lottery, she wouldn’t care. If told a close friend won the lottery, she would use them. If told she won, she’d rather enjoy it.

When dealing with people, she’s nothing but ruthless. It takes a huge amount of power to gain her respect. If one doesn’t have it, they simply do not get it. She talks down on everyone because she knows when push comes to shove she will take someone else out. In battle she is direct and brutal, and she doesn’t for a second put herself past torture. In fact, one of her favorite things to do is scar people that get in her way.

She takes very little joy in things like friends. From her view point, if you’re not useful; you’re better off dead. Most people can hold a grudge, but when it comes to Lysis, she can hold a grudge until the day she dies. Once on her bad side, most never get off. If angered or annoyed, she will stop at nothing to get back at someone else.

Even at face value, one can tell that Lysis is a sadist. It brings her great pleasure to hurt others. It doesn’t matter if it’s physical or mental. If she’s causing misery, she’s happy.

History: Despite her appearance, Lysis is not from a high upbringing. Everything she’s ever had, she’s had to work for. She’s worked her entire life and she has never enjoyed it. People have always annoyed her, and as such she’s returned the feeling twice over. Her first murder was in a factory she worked at years ago. One of the men their made the mistake of laying his hands on her. She was the last thing he ever touched. As no one looked, she pushed him into a furnace and watched him burn and listened to his screams.

That’s when she discovered she rather liked fire and that the sounds of a human screaming out in pain were rather delightful. She didn’t go on a killing spree like some would suggest. Instead, she continued to work and attempt to move up in the world. However, the world is a rather cruel place and she was never able to make it. She never had the luxury of being born with money. However, her world changed when she was given the power and honor of being the White Bishop.

However, she returned that kindness by betraying them all. She sided with the Red Queen. There was no fight or force required. Lysis simply understood that she was not on the winning side. She changed that and is currently happy with her position.

Character Theme:

Battle Theme: