Greetings!

[Cassander Beetrix]

Hey there! I thought I'd leave a quick message and thank the group of folks who found me on Discord this evening and have helped me learn more about VI. I'm quite familiar with Redwall, it's one of my favorite settings, but am new to this type of RP. However, I'm a creative writer at heart, and ready to give it a go! I've chosen a name, Cassander Beetrix ("Cass" for short, he/they) and I won't submit a character application until after I've read more and understand the lore and the environs a bit better. Any links you might share to help me read helpful stories or to understand the setting will be really appreciated! I am a bit of a fish out of water at the moment.

Cheers!
Michael

 

[Jeshal the Ironclaw]

Welcome to the Imperium I can be more helpful with actual links when I'm not working (sob) but hello! My personal feeling is the setting is like a cross between Hornblower, Discworld (minus the magic), and Pirates of the Caribbean. The Bilge is where a lot of our land based stories take place, often in taverns, the market etc. Players are generally encouraged to have at least one character aboard a ship. Main thread for The BlackShip currently is Mettle. Madness or Brilliance or Hearts of Oak are optional "sign up" threads. The Golden Hide's current main threads I believe are Voyage to Croper's Cove: Hang the Treasure and Troubled Waters. BS is more of a traditional ship of misfits with a more relaxed attitude with an ex pirate for a captain. Hide has an additional steam engine with a more science flavour to some of the crew and more 'Navy' in its running style. I beliiiiieve we're meant to guide more people to BlackShip for balance of players but Captain Stowett or Ministers can confirm on capacity. But yes glad to have ye aboard and hope you enjoy your stay xxx

 

[Callisto Bluemoon]

Welcome aboard, Cass, we're delighted to have you! I believe Jesh has handled a lot of the explanations above of it being age-of-sail based but without strict adherence to real-world realism, so I'll just rattle off a few extra thoughts:

The Rules, Guides and Official Lore sections are going to be your first port of call for a run-down of the forum itself, particularly the New Player Guide and Character Creation Guide. The site has existed in one form or another for over 20 years so whilst it's stuffed with lore and tidbits to uncover there's absolutely no expectation for you to be familiar with more than the rough setting. In fact, you could even create a character new to the shores and learn about it as they do!

A glance over areas such as the Ministries and Factions can give you a little more detail on some of the organisations running on the land, and we have the two ships mentioned above for seafaring adventures (characters can choose a life serving in both faction and Navy if they so choose!). If you're uncertain of what nature of character you want to make, the factions and Navy might give you some inspiration as to where you might like to see them end up.

For a general idea of roleplay style and structure any threads should give you a nice indication of the vibe. Those marked with a "completed" tab can be fun reads as self-contained stories, but many of the threads should provide you a general feel.

The site likes to pride itself on being a very supportive community so if you've specific questions about lore, characters or roleplay feel free to ask here or the Discord and people are always happy to answer :3

 

[Cassander Beetrix]

Thank you, @Callisto Bluemoon & @Jeshal the Ironclaw! I've spent some time with the Character Creation and New Player guides last night and today. I do appreciate how clear things are, that really helps. I'm looking forward to creating my first character!

 

[Amnesty Greysoul]

Welcome, Cass! We're so happy to have you!

 

[FinnianBrightfur]

Well met Cass! What a great name. Looking forward to meeting your character once you've gotten things established.

I know there's a lot of lore to read, but don't let it overwhelm you. Feel free to ping any of us to ask questions, or for a summary. All of us are super excited for more writers!