BOBS Tales of Old - Introduction Thread

[Khorne]

The year is 355AE.

The Long War has ended, but its shadow lingers across Oléon’s scorched fields and the hollowed coffers of Corrington and Mardier.

In Mardier, the Crown bleeds gold and answers with burdens. The new Temple Tax, levied against Nornian faithful in the Carolean Pale, has fanned old fires. In defiance, the priest Birger Jung has nailed his Reinland these to the cathedral doors, proclaiming an independent state the manifest destiny of the Karlomans.

Corrington, humbled by defeat, finds its throne unsteady. The wild Taemric Marches stir with talk of freedom and a Great Charter to bind the king’s hand. Noble houses murmur, blades glint, and the winds smell of treason.

Oléon, against all odds, stands triumphant. The priests hail their monarch as the Stormbringer, chosen of Zeus, and declare victory divine. The kingdom rebuilds, banners rise anew, and ships set sail for Afar. But in Terra Pontilla, unrest simmers - Oléon’s grip weakens, and rebellion sharpens its knives.

The war may be over. The reckoning is not.

What is it?

Tales of Old is a role-playing building game set in the late medieval era and early age of explorations. It is the land of infamous raiders, brave explorers, bold merchants, cunning mercenaries, and heroic soldiers, and it is open for all who wish to join! Through official challenges, minichallenges and freebuilds, every player claim their place in the Old World of Halos. The five playable Factions interact, cooperate, compete and struggle for power, just like the players do, in a diverse world, and help shape its story.

 

Where do I ask questions?

For general questions, lore questions, or history questions, ask in this thread. For faction specific questions, ask in the faction threads. Ask away! There is also a Discord server which you can join: https://discord.gg/sFKBGHbrDJ.

You can find a FAQ at the bottom of this post.

 

How do I join or play?

For a full run-down of the rules, please consult the 'How to Play' topic.

To sign up, you need to pick one of the five player Factions:

• The Kingdom of Mardier
  • The Carolean Pale
  • The Namereen Princes
• The Kingdom of Corrington
  • The Taemric Marches
  • The Knights of Yeldo
• The Kingdom of Oléon
  • The Afar Trade Outposts
  • Terra Pontilla
• The Pyrite Empire
  • The Phoideratoi
  • The Exarchate of Varcosia
• The Mogholay Sultanate
  • The Corsair Taifas
  • El-Otayi Exclave

Each of these also has two Sub Factions to choose from, for added narrative flavor.

 

Overview of important topics:

• How to Play BOBS TOO, for information concerning the rules and mechanics
• Chronicle of Ancient Days, for an overview of all Build Challenges - past and present
• Jozef's Inn, a discussion topic for loose banter
• Assorted figbards, an inspiration topics with various figures of all Factions
• Factions overview
  • The Kingdom of Mardier
  • The Kingdom of Corrington
  • The Kingdom of Oléon
  • The Pyrite Empire
  • The Mogholay Sultanate

 

 

The Lay of the Land

A larger and more detailed version of the map to come.

 

 

FAQ

About Brethren of the Bricks Seas - Tales of Old

What is Brethren of the Brick Seas - Tales of Old?
Brethren of the Seas - Tales of Old, or BOBS-TOO in short, is a cooperative online LEGO building RPG, similar to Brethren of the Bricks Seas, Guilds of Historica and many more. It is a prequel set roughly two centuries before the events of Brethren of the Brick Seas and thus has a more medieval setting.

Will BOBS TOO replace regular BOBS and will there not be an Era III?
Firmly no. Era III is still in the works. BOBS Tales of Old is a side project, an escapade into an earlier time frame of the BOBS setting.
It is not meant as a replacement whatsoever. More like an expansion pack in game terms, bringing something alternative and new.

Do I need to be familiar with the events of Brethren of the Brick Seas in order to join and enjoy Tales of Old?
You don’t need to be an ex-BOBS player or know everything about BOBS to enjoy Tales of Old. We would suggest reading the General Introduction and perhaps even the BOBS faction topics if you want to know more about it.

Is it medieval in style?
Yes. But: we are striving more towards the later stages of the medieval period. We are aiming for the mid to late 1400s (1450s - 1500), with early gunpowder, advancements in nautical technologies and the rise of the basic concept of centralized nations. Like BOBS, real-life influences can come from a broad period of time. The earliest bookend for TOO inspiration would be 1350s and the very latest acceptable would be 1520s.

Is there pop culture media I can look at for inspiration?
Certainly, since the medieval era is a popular one. However, we're aiming for a late medieval setting. The most recent well-known example of this time frame would be Kingdom Come Deliverance (I & II), but also Assassin's Creed II. You could even look at The Witcher III, but without the fantasy elements. Same goes for Game of Thrones, even though that veers heavily into the fantasy territory in terms of uniforms and the like. This isn't Lord of the Rings or World of Warcraft.

Is it fantasy?
No. This is 100% a BOBS spin-off, meaning that we are aiming for realism, albeit in a fantasy world. No orcs, elves, dwarfs, dragons, etc. However, like BOBS had its whimsical moments, there is of course room for whimsical-ness and some fantastical elements in Tales of Old as well. Game of Thrones without the dragons. The Witcher without the fantasy creatures or fantasy races. 

 

About the mechanics

Is there an EGS?
No. To keep the game as lightweight as possible, we have opted to not include and EGS or MCRA. Tales of Old will be more narratively driven, instead of via complex mechanics that require a lot of maintenance. In this way, we were able to move forward quickly and deploy this as an interlude to BOBS Era III, which will feature more sophisticated gaming mechanics again.

Can I make my character a king, emperor or general?
No. The Kings and Emperors (and Sultan) are NPCs and aren't player characters. It is also recommended  to not play as a general, but start at a lower rank so that there is plenty of room for progress in the Tale of your character. Starting out as a knight, for example, can be a good start as that is part of the medieval social classes, and doesn't automatically imply your character is an army leader.

 

About the world and its Factions

Where is Eslandola!?
Eslandola as a seperate nation (and many other offshoots of Mardier) are not independent yet during the Tales of Old time frame, so it is still a part of the kingdom of Mardier. However, Eslandola is certainly not forgotten and more will be revealed later in lore.

Why is Mokolei spelled like 'Mogholay'?
The Mogholay Sultanate is still very a fledgling nation in Tales of Old, so the "native" spelling is used for added medieval exotic flavor, instead of the more Madrician-centered name and world view of regular BOBS.

What is 'the Faith'?
The Faith is the most common general religion found in the world of Halos. It is mostly based upon real-life Greek mythology. More information can be found in the original BOBS Introduction Thread.

What is 'the Nornian Faith'?
The Nornian Faith is the religion practiced by many in the Carolean Pale. While it is mostly based upon Norse mythology, it also has many other real-life inspirations, such as shinto and buddhism.

 

 

A special thanks goes out to @SkaForHire, @Bregir and the many other creators whose stories and builds
brought the world of BOBS alive, and made this prequel possible.

 

[Khorne]

Great to see people joining the Factions and posting their character introductions. 

Can’t wait to see some freebuilds and entries for the first challenge. Let’s bring the world to life!