Okay! IC is UP! Feel free to post, people I've accepted. If you want to join, post some character info in the OOC and get to it! Below is a synopsis of the plot and an introduction, so if you've read this all before feel free to skip.<br/>OOC:l<a class="postlink-local" href="https://creativefreedomrpg.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&amp;t=3296">viewtopic.php?f=18&amp;t=3296</a>l<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF8000">Throughout the Continent, the many countries dividing the specific regions have been at war for untold centuries. What could have been a rich, diverse trade market was barren, all money was being siphoned away to support the war efforts.<br/>It seemed the entire Continent was doomed to collapse under all of the turmoil, when the people from across the sea appeared. They called themselves the War Mongers, the Soldiers of Misfortune, they were the Slayer. They gave the inhabitants of this Continent two options, keep fighting and be crushed under their massive armies of monstrous soldiers, their superior â€œsteamâ€ technology, their merciless slaughter of anything in the way, OR, the Continent could surrender and face a life without war, but a life of slavery.<br/><span style="font-style: italic"><br/>Freedom for Peace, a fair trade, no?</span><br/><br/>The countries are all gathered at their Citadel, poised on the edge of a massive desert, an uninhabited desert leading straight to the coast, where the Slayer first landed. Guards are at the minimum, after all, the Slayer are in a win-win situation. Fight and lose to their armies, or submit and save your skin.<br/>The collected leaders and their families, now prisoners, have been given an assembly room and 48 hours to make their decision before the Slayer start their march across the Continent. Along with the leaders is one Slayer representative, an odd prince, to supervise and offer the appearance that these savage War Mongers have a diplomatic side.<br/>For now, many are wary and, understandably angry. Some may wish to ally with the Slayer to destroy the rest, some may simply want peace and to be left alone.<br/>What will these leaders do to save themselves from their over-seas invaders? Do they fight? Or do they lie down and die? Or, perhaps, can the Slayerâ€™s mind be swayed to a lessâ€¦oppressive option?<br/>The setting is in the Citadel, which is a massive tower, crafted from stone and a limited use of steel and copper. Outside this castle lies a multitude of smaller, simpler stone buildings, seeking shelter from the merciless shifting sands of the desert, inhabited only by monsters and rogue bands of criminals. The land itself is strained from war, so sufficient weapons and resources are hard to come by.<br/><br/>The Citadel, perched on the edge of a massive, golden desert, which in turn gives way to a rich and almost tropical coastline. This area of the Continent had been called Coiil. The people had been a rather unwilling but a participant nevertheless in the endless War.<br/>These people had been characterized by their beautiful architecture, with massive cities built out of dunes and clay, their very buildings painted in many, colorful religious designs and if one moved to the right hillside and faced the citadel, they could see, out of the many individually painted huts, a collective picture of the people's god, some form of flying serpent, with feathers of many colors.<br/>However, now, in the Citadel, as the leaders had been all but herded in, the city was quiet. The paintings that had so beautifully graced the walls of the clay buildings were worn down, and down right obliterated where the buildings had been trashed.<br/>The country of Coiil had been the first to encounter the Slayer, and the first to fall under their metal heels. Coiil had fallen within the week of the Slayer's shoring, and it hadn't been known to the rest of the world until several months later. This civilization had fallen without a single peep. No Natives of Coiil can be found, not here, not anywhere. The only population in this deserted, run down, and looted city is the small population of servants and an even smaller population of armed Slayer guards. Outside the city is the desert, heavily populated with rogue Natives and Slayer alike, as well as frightening, bestial monsters. Monsters, who are rumored to have been introduced to the desert by the Slayer themselves.<br/>The leaders themselves were escorted to the Castle, and into the Meeting Hall, a wide, cavernous room, much too big for the heavy, long wooden table that would be their debating area.<br/>Aside from the table and the torches lighting the Hall, the chairs, and the few articles scattered about that the Slayer hadn't looted in this room, the space itself was bare.<br/>Upon entering it, all of the leaders and their company were locked inside, the joking, grating Slayer speech of the guards the only noise from the outside.<br/>Some leaders dropped what few belongings they had on the floor in the corners and picked their chairs, one victorious looking self-proclaimed King taking his place at the head of the table.<br/>They wait...and wait...and wait...After almost an hour of waiting for the final delegate, the guards outside shout out a hail, the name "Fraxin" is repeated several times, and finally, after a short conversation with a mute second party, the Prince arrives, dirty, smelling strongly of smoke, and carrying a load of baggage.<br/>Th Prince waves at them, yawns hugely and slumps down into his arms, falling asleep, where neither voice nor touch can awaken him.<br/>The IC begins at the third hour. After trying to wake him to no avail, and fearful of the guards just outside the door, many leaders had settled themselves and decided to talk about avoiding their fate. Maybe a treaty? If they all allied then they could beat the Slayer, right? What about bargaining? If they gave them some land, and riches they may be persuaded to leave the Natives alone right? Well what if <span style="font-style: italic">we</span> ally with the Slayer against everyone else? It could work, they'll surely need help on mapping the other countries, right? Maybe?<br/>It is now hour 3 of 48, and the leaders are feeling the building tension. They have limited time to save themselves, what will they do?<br/></span>