Welcome to Reluctant Heroes

[Horseman]

Enter Link to Reluctant Heroes Game Setting An alternate timeline 13th-century Earth where the current age was preceded by Robert E Howard's Hyborea, which was itself preceded by JRR Tolkein's Middle Earth. Longevity The game has been on RPG Crossing since 2018, but has been in play continuously since the 1980s, and online since 2002. DMs The game has 3 DMs: Rasgorn (Sr DM), Horseman (game designer), and Gibbon (the rudder). Game Ruleset: Homebrew 3.5 & 5th Edition D&D Site Rules: https://www.rpgcrossing.com/faq.php?...ide#faq_infrac

Current Characters Current Players in Reluctant Heroes Character Race Gender Class Misc Player A’sella Aldiyar Elf Female Bard Shadar Kai Arrevanthas Almira 'Raven' Lyonschild Half Elf Female Cleric Order of St. Kelemvor Ysolde Arune Wild Elf Male Ranger N/A Alemar Beartu Stutt Sami/Water Genasi Male Shaman N/A MegaComboBreaker Borkul Half Orc Male Druid Shaman 10 Doc Boromil of the Wend Human Male Barbarian N/A bananabadger Brenna Nightfall Human Female Warlock Servant of the Raven Queen, Memory Collector PlaidPeregrine Celest Bhaerkantos Human Female Cleric Thracian Tigra Critias Alverus Human Male Fighter Aquitanian Gibbon Demetrios Human Male Fighter Eastern Roman Empire BlackDragon0 Dionysius Hawkeye Human Male Paladin Eastern Roman Empire - Elven blood Ildrahil Endellion Dryad/Human Female Sorcerer/Ranger Member of the Nightblades Arrevanthas Fearoma Ambermantle 3/4 Elf Male Bard Noldor/Sindar/Vanyar/Half Elven Blood Ildrahil Illian Tree Dancer Grey Elf Female Sorcerer/Forest Guardian The Silent Historian Meilandru Ilmari Kettunen Human Male Druid Wildhunt Shifter (Corsac Aspect) Corwin Ivyian Nightblade Elf Male Rogue N/A donsr Jenai Van Bergen Human Female Ranger/Rogue Married to Anlaf Germondson Meilandru Jol de Corbie Human Male Cleric Frankish Gibbon Kahvi Moonshade Sun Elf Female Ranger / Arcane Archer N/A Tigra Lorawynn Amakiir Sylvan Elf Female Ranger Wood Elf Outlander ElvenMaiden Lylanna Wolf Daughter Elf Female Druid N/A Tigra Luc "Nûton" del Liège Half Elf Male Sorcerer Wild Magic Oakie Owain ap Gwalchmei Human Male Barbarian Welsh AnotherDragoon Oyuki Tengu Female Oracle N/A Tigra Shaylyn Cael’aera Sun Elf Female Rogue N/A Tigra Tambovsky Human Male Fighter Knight of the Celestial Runes bananabadger Ulric Ulfson Human Male Fighter Brave Murdoch Vardariannanur High Elf Male Ranger Grandson of Ecthelion Ildrahil Varhran Azhid Kaaszh Dryad/Human Male Rogue Courtier ImpInTraining Character pages https://www.rpgcrossing.com/forumdisplay.php?f=18466

Overview 1) Unique Setting The game blends historical facts with fantasy; feudal nations and structures resemble the real 13th-century Europe, but are tweaked in order to allow for creativity and fantasy adventure. Yes, there are Magyar tribes, but they are Hobgoblins; yes, fierce Welsh warriors exist, but they share their heritage with burrow-dwelling Halfling farmers, the descendants of those who lived in the times of Middle Earth, still tilling the lands of the Shire. In the north, Edward Longshanks has just signed a treaty with the Elves for joint rule of Albion, while his son searches the land for the legendary sword Excalibur. To the south, the rotting carcass of the Empire of Aquitania wallows in the corruption of its Senate, past glories all but forgotten, save for the occasional ruined aqueduct and the remains of paved roads to serve as a reminder that once this Empire stretched across the Western World. In the east, the Mongols have just crushed the Caliphate of Bagdhad and the Eastern Aquitanian Empire in Constantinople is losing ground to desert and mountain tribes. The city of Aachen in the newly risen Kingdom of Lorraine is a haven of arcane knowledge, attracting loreseekers from across the Western World. But nearby Germania has fallen to hobgoblins and war has also come to the Low Countries, with mercenary companies fighting over the spoils, selling their services to the highest bidder. The Blue Wizard has returned from the east and is hunting artifacts in Flanders. And everywhere is the hand of the Church of the West, risen to challenge the old gods of the North and the East, its friars and priests preaching the word of the Creator wherever they go, bringing the new faith to every corner of the world. A schism in the clergy means that the Church of the West currently has two Holy Fathers, one in the traditional seat of Ravenna and one in Avignon. Both are vying for power and the control of the Church. These are a few of the subplots that players navigate in the game. 2) Game Community This is a game of interlocking scenarios and multiple threads that weave in out and out of each other as time passes. Every year in December, all the PCs join in a common thread for a Yule celebration, where there is drinking, storytelling, poems, song & dance, riddles and other contests, prizes, and even weddings. The event builds camaraderie and shared memories. Players discuss what they have learned in the last year, build new adventuring parties, devise strategies to defeat a particular enemy, and also let their hair down and have some fun together from the various threads. 3) Depth of the Game World Player successes and failures affect the course of the game over the long haul. Actions affect the game's geopolitics and small details. For example, in 1275 game time (2004 real time) the PC Percy Trapspringer planted a magical seed; in 1297 game time (2021 real time), the PC Illian discovered the tree that grew from that seed. One of the two Holy Fathers of the Church is a one-time PC; some of the Church Saints were also PCs, a long time ago... 4) Big Tent Because of its long history, Reluctant Heroes has adapted to blend elements of AD&D, 3.5e, 5e and other systems. That accommodating philosophy extends to the players. The game seeks to recruit and retain players representing a range of backgrounds and nations. It strives to be old-school style gaming for modern players.

Timeline of the Seven Ages 1. First Age: the first part of the Silmarillion. 2. Second Age: the last part of the Silmarillion and the final battle of Dagorlad. 3. Third Age: the Lord of the Rings trilogy 4. Fourth Age: a time of Wizardry. Most of the dwarves retreat from trading and the last of the Noldor capable of leaving Middle Earth depart. 5. Fifth Age: also known as the Hyborean Age, the time of Conan and King Kull. 6. Sixth Age: the Bronze Age of human history, the time of the early Phoenicians, the Iliad and Odyssey and so forth. 7. Seventh Age: where we are now.

Links The annual Yule celebration occurs in December it is a time when all players get together in character, share stories, riddles and share the joys of the Season. Yule threads can be found here https://www.rpgcrossing.com/forumdisplay.php?f=18467 Glossary of the Western World https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...16#post9409416 World Maps https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...74#post9409874 Chronology of the World https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...88#post9432888 Peoples of the World - Expanded information on races and peoples of the world https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthread.php?t=207466 Gods and Mythology - Religions and Worship https://www.rpgcrossing.com/showthre...72#post9409372