searching the void
Two Months in the Future:
Solterra’s King is gone.
In the city the castle stands empty as a ruin. Its windows are dark. Across the face of the fortress are painted slurs directed at a violent, hated king.
Yet all through Solterra whispers are spreading. They speak of the signs that have been appearing. One above the palace door that asks if any are strong enough to stand up and rule. And the other, in Mors Desert, where the sand swells and gathers like the waves of the sea. It swells and falls as though a great monster swims beneath. It tracks every creature that passes and rises before them, behind them, beside them, crowding them in upon every side. It traps them as it rises, great and monstrous. Its maw asks every traveller in a voice of slithering sand, ‘Are you brave enough to swallow the sand, sinking a peasant and rising a Sovereign?' The message is found spattered in blood across the arena of the Colosseum. Every time they clear the message it floods back as if all Solterra’s dead gladiators are pooling their spilled blood into one crimson question,‘The Solterran Seat is empty. Who is brave enough to fill it now?’
The pool in Vitae Oasis is restless. Water laps with sighs upon the banks, it hisses and bubbles and invites all to come and wash the dust from their skin. But harken, that water sounds as if a siren lurks within its depths, ready to drag down any who are foolish enough to step into the water. The Oasis pool watches those who come and gather and asks each one, just who might be brave enough to die a peasant and rise a Sovereign?
In the heart of the Canyon a teryr screams into the sky, day and night, over and over. Its cry forms the same questions, the same words: ‘is it you? Is it you? Is it you?’ You can search the whole of Elatus Canyon and never find the teryr that screams its gurgled cry. Its disembodied voice simply echoes and echoes and echoes off each and every wall.
Every single message is a call for all Solterrans and the whole of Novus. But no message is more striking than that within the heart of Solterra's Palace itself. For those brave enough to step within the black, emptiness of the castle’s keep, they will hear the lick and hiss of flame. Flames that make the throne room's windows glow an ominous flickering red-gold. It is a fire that lures all to where they consume the doorway into the throne room. The throne sits beyond them, vacant and still, illuminated by the flames that roar in open archway. The fire rises like a door, blocking all from entering into the throne room.
Guarding the blazing doorway a lion lies forged of raging sunlight. It’s burning eyes watch for any brave enough to heed the summons of water, sand and stone. It speaks to those who come, it laughs like a god and speaks like sand and water and stone. It is deafening and yet altogether silent. It asks in the mind of its beholder and throughout the whole court, “Solterra will burn the unrighteous. This fire is Solterra. Do you really believe you are called by Solterra? What makes you think that her fires will not burn you? Fools!'
And how those flames cackle and roar like the leonine sun until the throne beyond is obscured by fire and justice and vengeance.
That neither schools nor priests,
Nor Kings may build again
A people with the heart of beasts
Made wise concerning men
Whereby our dead shall sleep
In honour, unbetrayed,
And we in faith and honour keep
That peace for which they paid.
~Rudyard Kipling
The very earth of Solterra is calling for a new kind of monarch. Its throne has been tainted but Solterra is rising to reclaim its throne and its name. Stand up and prove yourself before the lion of Justice and walk through the fire if you dare. You will either become ash, or claim and throne and rise a mighty monarch appointed by Solterra herself.
Rules to Apply
Before filling out the form found at the bottom of the page, you must read the rules and guidelines below, as well as everything posted on this page! Please ask us if you have any questions or concerns at all!
If you have read through the rules, understand the requirements, and still want to audition for Sovereign, please make an IC reply to this post and put your completed OOC audition form (below) underneath it!
- Character Requirements:
- You can audition both existing characters and brand new characters, however both are required to make an IC post responding to this post! This thread has been temporarily opened so that both OOC, pending, and accepted IC accounts may make their replies for the audition.
- Anyone from any Court can apply.
- Your character must be at least three years old.
- You do not have to create a character account unless you are chosen. In the event that you are chosen as Sovereign, you will have 2 weeks to create your character's profile (it should be easy, since all of the information is already required to fill out the audition form).
- You can try out with as many characters as you'd like! However, each needs a fully separate post and application in this thread.
- General rules and requirements regarding Sovereigns:
- Regarding Sovereign vulnerability: Sovereigns will be deemed Vulnerable if you make 10 IC posts or less per month (this means that it will be extremely easy for anyone to win a Challenge against you), and posted absences only make you immune for 2 weeks.
- Sovereign activity requirements: To promote activity within their respective Courts, the Sovereign must setup 1 IC event every other season.
- Once you are selected and your profile approved, your first duty will be to create a Court Rules thread in your respective Court forum. Read this thread for things you can do as Sovereign.
- Regarding this audition:
- All auditions are due by 11:59PM EST on 09/27/19. Novus-standard time is listed in the sidebar.
- You must make an IC post replying to this post AND post the OOC audition form! Both must be included in the same post, with the IC post first and the OOC audition form underneath it.
- Please, only reply to this thread if you are auditioning for Sovereign.
- The IC post can have your own personal coding and art - but that will not affect the outcome.
- All responses to this thread will be considered complete, whether they are actually finished or not. Please do not post Work in Progress auditions!
- Please do not alter the OOC audition form itself. Although we love to see special coding and pretty pictures, we want to be as impartial as possible - and as much as we'd like to say we're fairly objective, special coding and pretty pictures can impress us! We want these to be bare-bones.
- As you're filling out the audition form, pretend you're filling out an actual profile. Make sure you adhere to all Character Rules set out here.
- We'll be judging on writing quality and how well your character fits into Solterran ideals.
If you have read through the rules, understand the requirements, and still want to audition for Sovereign, please make an IC reply to this post and put your completed OOC audition form (below) underneath it!
Code:
<button class="acc_ctrl"><h2>Click here to see this character's OOC audition form!</h2></button><div class="acc_panel">
<div class="tcat"><font style="font-size:20px; font-weight:bold;">About the RPer</font></div><blockquote><blockquote>
<span class="sidebarheaders" style="font-size:12px;">Thanks for auditioning! Let's start with your name.</span>
What is your OOC name?
<span class="sidebarheaders" style="font-size:12px;">Great! How old are you?</span>
How old are you?
<span class="sidebarheaders" style="font-size:12px;">Have you ever held a Position of Power before?</span>
Have you ever had any characters in a leading position, on or off-site? What did you like about it? What did you not like about it?
<span class="sidebarheaders" style="font-size:12px;">Have you read the Sovereign Rules?</span>
Yes/No - if No, please read the rules above and follow the links to the rules regarding Sovereigns and Courts
<span class="sidebarheaders" style="font-size:12px;">What aspect of Novus are you most excited about?</span>
Tell us something that stood out to you when you read the Guidebook, or something about the site in general.
</blockquote></blockquote>
<div class="tcat"><font style="font-size:20px; font-weight:bold;">Sovereign Questions</font></div><blockquote><blockquote>
<span class="sidebarheaders" style="font-size:12px;">Why would your character be a good candidate to lead Solterra?</span>
Tell us why your character would be a good choice to be Sovereign of this Court. Match up their ideals and values with Solterra and Solis.
<span class="sidebarheaders" style="font-size:12px;">What would be their goals as Sovereign? What would they do with their new power?</span>
What are your plans for the Court? Do you have a vision for Solterra? What rules would your character set? Would they hold any events to garnish activity? If so, what?
<span class="sidebarheaders" style="font-size:12px;">You've got us convinced. Is there anything else you'd like to add?</span>
Here's your chance to add anything else at all!
</blockquote></blockquote></div>