Realm of Dreams and Shadows

This roleplay thread will not be like the others. It is not a total-combat thread!
This roleplay will involve a lot of thinking and cunning; there will be riddles, quests, codes, and tests; Consequences, triumphs, adventures, betrayals, unexpected things, and some battles.
You will have to rely on brainpower more than brawn; Will you succeed, or fail? Will you even survive...?

You create your own character; it can be any theme you like, any race/creature you like (even something you made up), and it can have magic.
BUT:
You can only have one character, as a way to prevent roleplay from getting confusing.
The Shadow Lord, the Silver Maiden, Nightmares, and other non-member characters crucial to quests will be played by me only.


The Realm of Dreams and Shadows

The Realm of Dreams and Shadows (RDS) is an ancient "unreal" world separate but dependent upon the Real World (a.k.a. our world/real life). The creatures, beings and areas within RDS were created within the depths of Real People's (us) imaginative minds; so, if you can think of it, it is in RDS, whether 'it' is fantasy-themed or modern or sci-fi or whatever.

RDS is divided up into different Areas, which in turn are divided into different kingdoms/nations. However, each Area and its kingdoms/nations must follow the laws of the Vagary, who is the supreme ruler over all of RDS and its denizens.

This is where the trouble begins.

The last Vagary, a widower named Ahwer, had twin children: a son who is the leader of Nightmares and their allies, the Shadow Lord Rah'wei; and a daughter, the leader of all those (good and bad) who opposed Nightmares - the Silver Maiden Wysther. When Ahwer faded (Dream and Shadow People fade into nonexistence when they grow too old), he had not said who would take his place as Vagary; and thus there began a war between the neutral-but-just Silver Maiden and the wicked Shadow Lord.

After several centuries (time works differently here; you will learn why) of battle, the Silver Maiden and her followers -- the Silver Army -- managed to drive the Shadow Lord and his Nightmares into a small valley called Dreary Glen and temporarily contain them there. However, shortly afterward the Silver Maiden vanished. With her absence, Nightmares have begun to creep out of their prison and soldiers of the Silver Army are attempting to stop them.

The Shadow Lord and the Silver Maiden will sometimes appear to you. They will always be disguised, however. Unless you have evidence gained through roleplay of how you know who they are, you can not know them unless they tell you. Depending on who you are and what your alignment is, they will either try to help you or hinder you - sometimes directly, other times indirectly.
Nightmares can be: intelligent; unintelligent; "normal"-looking; warped-looking; beast-like; or having no form, but emanating a sense of terror. Some Nightmares make sense, others are insane; some are mild, like reminders of minor embarrassments; others seem like they came straight out of a horror movie. When a Nightmare comes around, there always comes with it a sense of helpless, primeval terror which affects everyone, good and bad.
Can you control your fear...?


Choose a Side

~ Silver Soldier: (You do not have to be a literal soldier; it is a term) You are either good or neutral-aligned. Either by accident or intentionally, you have found yourself fighting against the Shadow Lord and his minions. You want the Silver Maiden, wherever she is, to become the Vagary.
~ Shadow Hand: You are either evil or neutral-aligned. You have chosen to fight against the Silver Maiden and all that she stands for. Nightmares are your allies, and you serve the Shadow Lord.
~ Un-Aligned: You serve neither the Silver Maiden nor the Shadow Lord; you only try to take care of yourself and anyone dear to you. However, you might choose to temporarily ally with one side or the other -- for your own purposes, of course.


Areas

~ The Singing Forest: This area brims with beautiful plant-life, giant waterfalls, pristine lakes, and fantastical creatures and beings. It is always a paradise here; the Shadow Lord and Nightmares can not reach here. The Forest got its name from all its singing birds.
~ Dreary Glen: This small valley is the prison of Nightmares and the Shadow Lord. It is always as dark as night here; the trees are dead, the mountains rocky and treacherous, the rivers polluted, there is little wildlife, and it is always cold and foggy.
~ The Great Mountains: This is the mountain range which encloses all of RDS. Their peaks reach so far that they disappear above the clouds. On their outer edge (not the inside, which houses RDS), there is nothing; only a void where all things end. The mountains literally are the edge of the world.
~ The Forgotten Caves: This is the underworld, a series of underground caverns and tunnels which stretch beneath all of RDS. They are always at a constant cool temperature, and damp. Large caverns are lit with glowing crystals. Both dangerous and gentle beings live here.
~ The Wastelands: This is an area which exists in the middle of RDS. During the day, it is sand and as hot as an oven; during the night, it becomes dangerously freezing, and ice and snow forms...only to melt away in the morning.
~ Havenrise: This is a giant plateau which is treeless, but has plenty of green moss and grass. This is the meeting place and training grounds of the Silver Army. It is also home to farmers, historians, weavers, artists, scholars, and musicians.
~ Hanging City: This is a realm over the Realm, suspended from air- and space-ships. It is a towering city of metal and science, coldly indifferent to the world below it. All medicines, advanced weaponry, scientific discoveries, flying devices, et cetera, come from here.
~ The Living Sea: This is a body of water which is not wide enough to be a true sea, but is as deep as one. It can be placid, it can be violently stormy; it houses both friendly and hostile aquatic creatures. Pirate ships, merchant vessels and fisherman boats sail these waters.
~ The Never-Ending Plains: This is a wide expanse of untamed wild which closely resembles an African savannah. There are many wild creatures here, both familiar and unfamiliar. You might also find some nomadic peoples...some technologically advanced, others not.


Quests + Note

Each quest will lead into another. For some quests, you might need knowledge, and object or a person you gained from another adventure.
You might choose to ally with other playing members and help each other, or you might find yourself battling against or hiding from other members. This is not required; you choose to do this on your own. But, all fighting has to be logical and relevant to roleplay! Spontaneous battling taking place without valid reason is not allowed here. Everything must have a plot.
Adventures are unique to each player, but will tie into other members' quests either positively or negatively. Some quests will have you search for other playing members!

If you have to travel somewhere, be logical; if you are in a desert and want to go to the ocean or a mountain, you cannot simply "appear" there. That's, for lack of a better term, just plain dumb. Whether by flight, boat, car, or foot, you must roleplay traveling. Yes, teleporting is allowed, but only for short distances unless you own a machine teleporter...and once again, be logical; how would you have gotten a machine teleporter?

Characters will be provided for you to roleplay with!
For example, if you are roleplaying traveling by foot, I might play a random other traveler coming to walk beside you and chat, or I might be a bandit about to rob you.
If you are sitting in a restaurant, I will be a waiter or waitress. And so on...

Roleplay is Not Pre-Determined!
Yes, there are quests and adventures which tie into each other; but whether you succeed or fail in them is not determined. Roleplay determines that.
This means there is no pre-determined end to the roleplay, either. Both sides - good and evil - have a chance to win this war.
If you have any ideas for quests, adventures or areas you would like to see done or added in here, SEND ME A PM! I will GLADLY take your suggestions and work with you on integrating them into the roleplay!




Map of the Realm of Dreams and Shadows





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Map of the Forgotten Caves