Welcome Aboard the Moaning Molly! (Last Call for Crew! IC Starting Next Week!)

Started by Capone, August 30, 2015, 10:10:14 PM

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Capone


WHAT SORT OF GAME WE PLAYIN', EH?

The general concept to the Moaning Molly airship adventure is to take the adventurous crew setting of a show like Firefly and bring it back into the realm of fantasy. Instead of a spaceship sailing through the stars evading Reavers and completing jobs from planet to planet, you'll be fending off dragons while doing work from kingdom to kingdom. It's probably tempting to think of it in terms of sky pirates, but vagabonds and mercenaries with a ship is more to my liking. The crew will be transporting goods or even people from destination to destination, with occasional crashes into or pit stops or even errands into old ruins, enchanted forests, and cursed graveyards.

There are, however, a couple catches.

Our airship, the Moaning Molly, is not only a brothel, but also sentient.



WELCOME ABOARD!

Several decades ago one of the Gnome kingdoms began work on an experimental type of airship. Using dark powers beyond the moral and ethical boundaries of most races upon Terra, the gnomes imbued these ships with sentience, making them capable of responding to dire situations faster than any group of crew could. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these ships seemed to randomly "malfunction", to put it kindly. Be it voluntarily crashing into terrain or other ships, spiraling out of control, throwing the crew overboard or even into its own propellers, or simply dropping into the ocean to drown with those aboard it, the ships all somehow failed. The project was scrapped and buried, never to be heard from again.

One such ship, however, did not malfunction, discovered one day, decades later, by our beloved Captain. Together, the Captain and the ship figured out a business plan and set off for adventure and business.

How does it work?

In this setting, all airships carry what is referred to as a Hover Stone. Mysterious objects that are perfectly spherical and often found by humans, dwarves and gnomes in their various mines and catacombs. They vary in size, with the largest being used for military-grade airships and smaller ones being used for commercial and private ships. While they are common, it is still more likely to see standard ships out on the sea as it is more cost effective (surprisingly). The hover stone in the Moaning Molly is about a medium Harpy class hover stone, noting that it is capable of decent speeds for vehicles of a standard size. While equipment cannot connect directly to the hover stone, it gives off electric signals and pulses of heat absorbed by a variety of crystals and diodes that are then transferred throughout the ship to grant it the ability to hover and fly. Note that this is not necessarily powering all the machines, as there are still typical power sources on board. Instead, the energy from the hover stone is routed to key points of the vessel that help propulse it upward, where the remaining machines are able to do the rest of the heavy lifting and keep the airship in the sky.

The Hover Stone acts as a sort of vessel for the Moaning Molly's soul, though control also extends to an onboard Flesh Golem that passes for a human. This Flesh Golem is using her role as The Madame as cover, keeping her sentience secret.

Unless otherwise noted, characters will not be aware of Moaning Molly's sentience.

What sort of crew are you lookin' for?

I will be playing the Captain, detailed in the character sheet below. He's in his mid-thirties, an experienced warrior and well-acquainted with the skies. He will be of a pleasant and good-natured disposition.

Mia H will be playing Molly, the vessel, the flesh golem, and Madame. She will be serving as Co-GM.

As for the remaining players, allow some creativity. You can play a typical tough warrior for off-board missions, a scout, an engineer, or, of course, a brothel worker.

For the start of the game, I would prefer male and female characters be played by Lords and Ladies, respectively (with Lieges playing whatever they desire). This may seem unfair, but I want to have a good balance of players at the start, and sometimes there's way too many of one type of player/character that throws everything off. Due to surprising levels of interest, there will be no restrictions as to who plays what gender. I would also prefer if we could have brothel workers of varying genders and orientations, and same with the crew. Variety is the spice of life, after all, and it would be interesting to have a male bisexual brothel worker and a female lesbian navigator, or what have you.

I am currently trying to decide what should be a good number of players for this game, without being too few or too many.

So will this be a smutty game?

No doubt that there will be smut, but it is not the sole purpose of the game. It would get boring fast if the entire game was about going from port to port for the brothel workers to fuck, only to fill it in-between with more fucking amongst the crew. So players will be welcome to pair off when they desire, but there will be a constant stream of adventures coming along.

With this in mind, I encourage players that choose to play brothel workers come up with an interest or set of skills that will help keep that character involved in adventures. Suppose there's a brothel girl whose room is filled with tomes and scrolls of old cultures and kingdoms (the smell of parchment makes her so hot). After touching down in an old forest, the group discovers an old castle ruin with runes that the girl recognizes from one of her books. This allows the character to be involved in an adventure rather than sitting around waiting for the next fling, and provides a much more satisfying experience for everyone, especially the player.

Are Players Allowed Creative Input?

Originally this was a big blank canvas, but after being asked a lot of questions, I was led/driven/inspired to put more time in and build a much more detailed world. So the answer is "yes", but with caveats. It is advised that players read the setting material below before or during character creation.


SO WHAT KIND OF WORLD IS IT?

I'm trying to make a large world that's also vague. So while a map has been created, it is filled with empty spots. Note that this setting is still under construction. The world map, races, and creatures are largely set in stone, but the borderlands, kingdoms, and other such macro-scale details could be completely scrapped and rewritten any minute now. Based on the nature of this game, however, most of that information is not important. Our characters are largely going from port to port, or into uncharted territory. They have no place in the greater scheme of things.

My intent with this setting is for it to be my go-to fantasy setting for Elliquiy games. So not all of this information will be pertinent in the game. Use this as reference material to make sure your character fits.

The Races
Humans:

Humans make up the majority of the denizens of the continent, and who you will most likely run into. There’s nothing truly different about them in this setting compared to others. The only difference is it’s not certain whether there are human races beyond the continent, or at least not like the commonly caucasian sort found within the Kingdoms. From the savage lands are dark skinned men and women, some of which escape the slave trade, others which come to explore a new land. They are often viewed with a curious eye, and it is not uncommon for people to speak to them slowly even if they can speak the common tongue perfectly well. It is rare, but there are second or third generation citizens whose parents or grandparents came from the Savage Lands. Many refer to them as savages or barbarians, largely out of complete ignorance. However, there is no hatred for the people, just an assumption that they are “a bit slower”. They refer to themselves as Kin-Quo. The continent, in their tongue, is Kin-Soo.

To the East lies a land not unlike our China. However, very few manage to make it across the wastes. Some are merchants, some are adventurers, and some, still, are refugees of war or fugitives seeking to find a new home, should they survive the desert. These are very, very rare sorts of folk to find and meet, but they do exist within the continent, and are very quick to learn the common tongue. Their homeland is referred to as Xing Tsu, though that is evidently a more broad name for the entire region. Many progeny of what are called the Xing tend to be half-breeds, and it is not uncommon for the daughters to be sold or persuaded into the sex trade due to their exotic appearance.

Elves:

It would seem the Western lands consist of Elves, or similarly evolved fae on the family tree (such as the Dark Elf). Not a dwarf, gnome, or human among them. As such, the long-lived Elves find the “Eastern Continent”, as they call it, a curiosity. Those that live on Elvenhome or along the shoreline, trading and meeting with these “exotic races”, often travel inland to become a sort of celebrity, telling tales of the men from across the sea.

The common elves are much less industrial in their approach to the world, however. They tend to build settlements within and around the trees, rather than clearing a region and building a whole home. Thus their cities are something to behold, and it is said they have mastered an art for growing things. Thus they have networks of trees as large as castles, and they inhabit the interiors as insects might crawl within and throughout a normal sized tree.

However, not all Elves are so common. Beyond the shores there are still plenty of warring factions, and one such community chose to break off and conquer some of the human lands within Seheisla. That was centuries ago, and now that Elven Kingdom seems more human than a reflection of their culture of origin.

Dwarves:

They are born of the Earth, work of the Earth, and return to the Earth. It is believed that the Dwarves were masters of the continent before Humans even existed, and that they had to dig deep into the Earth to flee a cataclysm. This is the most their own scholars can gather, as the writings on the walls are worn and smoothed over, and the parchments found crumble and turn to dust. This has led to dwarves seeking a more permanent solution to recording their history, as there are several gaps and much forgotten lore.

Dwarves essentially pray to and worship their ancestors. Lineage is very important to them, and likely the only thing that has survived the many centuries. It helps that dwarves live long lives. It does not help that they have difficulties breeding. Many dwarven babies are stillborn, and some in the population are sterile. This has kept their numbers few, and many that are unable to continue their line leave their mountain homes and wander the surface world.

Dwarves are masters of digging and architecture, and often sell their services to other kingdoms and cultures seeking to build fortresses, castles, or even whole settlements. However, they are in constant competition with gnomes, despite the frequent trade. Dwarves know about digging and rock, masters of such physical labor, but they are not engineers like their subterranean cousins.

If there are Dwarven wars, they occur within and beneath the mountains. The different Dwarven kingdoms have largely been at peace for centuries, cooperating to build a network of tunnels that expedite travel within the mountain ranges.

Gnomes:

Slightly shorter than dwarves in stature and certainly thinner, what the face of a gnome looks like has long been forgotten, aside from typically large snouts. Their eyes are beady and yellow and masks and kerchiefs are always covering from the nose down. It is to the belief of gnome society that there is no foe of progress greater than individuality. All gnomes are gnomes, all other races are not. Masks are worn in order to crush any concepts of being different from the gnome beside you.

However, some differences are inescapable, most typically in physical and mental prowess. Female gnomes are rare, and thus kept safe within the center of communities, saved for the most exceptional of gnomes. If by the age of 25 a gnome has failed to contribute exceptionally to society, then he is castrated, killing his sex drive and thus allowing him to focus purely on his work.

What is perhaps most peculiar about this society is that, even though there is no unified kingdom or system of government, no unified lands, just a collection of communities large and small, they all adhere to the same philosophy. Any scholars that have tried to discuss this matter have simply been dismissed. There is nothing profitable or beneficial in such talk.

This lack of empathy does cause much concern to scholars of the land, but there is no doubt that all races and citizens benefit from the productivity and ingenuity of the gnomes.

Players are not permitted to play as gnomes. There are no exceptions.

Other Races:

Halflings? Nekomimi? Kitsune? Other fae? There’s a possibility such characters exist! However, they are far less numerous and tend to exist in small, more rural communities if they are grouped together at all. If you would like to play such a race, speak with me and I’ll see if I feel the race fits properly into the game.
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The World

When viewing this map and reading this information, you might think to yourself “That’s not how things work” or “could that truly happen?” You may begin to question the logic. When you begin doing that, ask yourself “What does a Tauntaun eat?” Sure, you can probably find some answer from the Star Wars extended universe, but don’t. Don’t, because whenever you watch Empire Strikes Back, you don’t care. You just buy into it. Which is all I’m asking here.

Note: most of this game will take place between the lands of Treyanor, the United Kingdoms of the North, and the Flying Isles.

The United Kingdoms of the North

Outlined in red are the United Kingdoms of the North. For centuries the North was a hotbed of conflict and never-ending feuds. However, three Kingdoms soon began to conquer the surrounding territories, until just the trio stood. The three weary kings chose instead to form a treaty. Oddly enough, rather than the successors seeking to undo all the progress of their sires, they chose to take the treaty further and form a single unified Kingdom. Technically the three Kingdoms still exist, but their laws and economy are intertwined.

For almost a century this union has surprisingly lasted, though it hasn’t necessarily been as peaceful for those outside of their borders. As they witnessed the expansion of the Dorelian Empire, they attacked and absorbed one of the Kingdoms of Seheisla. That was roughly 33 years ago. Currently, the successor to that conquered Kingdom is insisting on becoming one of the United, so that it can gain some level of benefit and prestige. He can often be found appearing in court, at least, when he’s not trying to suppress the growing rebellion within his Kingdom’s borders.

While the United Kingdoms are largely currently at peace, there are occasional skirmishes along their borders with Seheisla and the Dorelian Empire. Times are good within the nation that folks hardly ever think of it. Politically, however, war is all but inevitable.

While the Kingdoms are mostly human, there are plenty of dwarves that roam about the countryside, many of which are merchants or seeking to make a living as smithies. Gnome settlements and cities pepper the landscape, and some Elves have established their own communities in the lush forests of the region. Each port of the United Kingdoms is bound to be a colorful place.

Dorelian Empire

Originally just a small strip of land to the South of the continent, an uprising in the capital city of Dorel led to the death of many politicians and nobles, with a new militaristic institution taking its place. Over the last two hundred years the Empire has slowly expanded its reach, primarily grasping at the various territories of the Seheisla borders and pushing as close to the Northern Kingdoms as possible. The militaristic government has proved to be surprisingly effective, ensuring prosperity within its borders by following a set of guidelines inspired by old Elvish warfare. The mentality is that the Dorelian Empire’s glory will come, even if it takes a millennium.

Currently seeing a stalemate at its borders, the Dorelian Empire has begun to explore South, towards the Southern Wastes and the Savage Lands. They’ve already established a connection with some of the dark-skinned tribes, using the southern continents’ slave trade to try and develop a unique brand of soldier, one the other nations will be unprepared to fight.

The Dorelian Empire is largely made up of humans, with many non-humans being merchants of a sort. There are a surplus of gnome settlements within the territories, as a war-hungry country is bound to be good profit.

Kingdoms of Seheisla

Once a massive empire itself, the old Kingdom shattered centuries ago, crumbling into a series of smaller kingdoms that have been constantly at war. It is only within the past few decades that uneasy treaties have been established, as the entire region is beset by all sides. It is likely that, within the next century, “Seheisla”, which in Elvish means “Land Beside the Sea”, will truly be a thing of the history books.

Many of the kingdoms have tried to unite as those in the North have, but the grudges run too deep and the bickering too hot for any sort of union to take place.

As a result, many of the peasants within the borders are uneasy. Their ruling body could change at any time, and their fields and homes could be burned to the ground at any hour. It is not unheard of for citizens to just up and travel across the borders to a neighboring country to find a better, safer, life.

Only Elves are plentiful within Seheisla, though not nearly so numerous as they once were. Many have sailed away, tired of the fighting between human kingdoms. However, there is one Elvish kingdom which still stands, and yearns desperately to unite the remaining kingdoms… even if they must do so by force.

Kingdoms of Treyanor

The many Kingdoms of Treyanor want nothing more than to each be independent from one another. It is the only thing that unites them in any sense. The border Kingdoms are typically the strongest in a military fashion, though in many cases not strong enough to protect against the United Kingdoms. Their borderlines have been pushed back, and the many smaller nations are working on putting together a combined military force to defend.

Treyanor has a healthy population of Elves and Dwarves, as well as other creatures as well. Due to the more free, independent nature of most of the Kingdoms, many of the minority races choose to settle and form communities in this region. There are several dwarven kingdoms that have been working on building new equipment for the different militaries as well. Essentially, Treyanor is a land that is unintentionally becoming a diverse and unified nation.

What keeps many kingdoms at bay for the time being is the control of trade Treyanor has. Be it Elvenhome or the Flying Isles, Treyanor are either responsible for selling the goods or retrieving them. As a result, few nations want to launch an all-out war on any of the nations there, as it would severely harm trade flow, particularly of medicines.

Northern and Southern Dwarven Kingdoms

The borderlines are more of an estimation, as these kingdoms exist within pockets typically connected by a long, vast network of tunnels within the Earth. There are other creatures with an affinity for rock and mountain that share many of these territories, but largely the dividing line is just a separation between what is ultimately lineage. The northern and southern kingdoms are able to trace their lines back far enough that they believe to know their original Father, and draw the divide there.

The dwarves have tried many times to cross the Eastern wastes and open trading routes, but there has yet to be a regular relationship successfully established. There are too many storms in the wastes and they stretch too far out. Occasionally, however, merchants and scholars from the Far East will travel to this continent, and there are rumors of dwarves, gnomes, and even humans that have made it to the exotic land across the desert.

As such, if something comes from the Far East, it likely passed through the Dwarven Kingdoms.

Other Dwarven Kingdoms

In light brown on the map are other Dwarven kingdoms. These are not really too different from the Northern and Southern kingdoms, they are just smaller, more isolated, and not conveniently located to a giant desert.

Elvenhome

Misnamed by human adventurers long ago, Elvenhome is actually a large island that the Elves had settled to centuries ago. It is the origin of the subterranean Dark Elf, which is frequently warring with the dwarves in the mountain range.

It is a lush island filled with forest and beautiful lakes. Much of the medicinal trade comes from this island. The majority of the population are Elves, Dark Elves and Dwarves, but there are a variety of other smaller races both indigenous and migrant, including a few humans.

North of Elvenhome is a peninsula that extends from the true origin of the Elves. However, not much else is known of it.

The Flying Isles

While there are floating continents scattered throughout the world, the Flying Isles are unusual as dozens of smaller islands float over the sea, at a good proximity to one another. Many of the smaller floating continents become port towns, while the larger floating continents are slowly and carefully being mined for hover stone, the theoretical cause for their floating. No official or reliable measurements have been made, but two of the islands with the oldest mines are believed to be closer to the sea than ever before.

Each port is largely independent of any one country, however, and many are even run by gnomes. Think of it along the lines of a coal town run by a company (see the film October Sky for such an example). Some ports, such as Griffinport, are simply a place for sky pirate scum and smugglers to escape “civilized society” for a while.

World’s End

While the fringes of World’s End have grass tundra, it quickly becomes nothing but snow and ice. No one has ventured into the snowy white wastes and returned. It is believed that the world ends here, and that once you’ve crossed the threshold there is no coming back.

Eastern Wastes

Very few settlements of any creature live out in the Eastern Wastes. It is a desert plagued by monstrously sized sand storms, very little water, less to eat, and horrific creatures that possess the absolute fury of a beast that doesn’t get the opportunity to feed often. Very rarely are airships capable of making the trip through or around due to the length of the journey. On rare occasion, however, a merchant manages to come West, bringing with them exotic potions, scrolls, and other products.

Dragon’s Mouth and Dragon’s Gullet

These locations are largely uninhabited, primarily due to the plentify presence of dragons. Those living along the surrounding shores are often keeping watch for winged beasts soaring through the sky, as it means any creature without cover is likely to be on the menu.

Dragon’s Gullet is less populated by dragon’s, but also houses a massive and active volcano.

The only adventurers that come near these territories are those with a death wish.

The Savage Lands

Horrific monsters dwell in those jungles and deserts, as do a dark-skinned people hardened against a harsh environment. No one is completely certain what happens across the sea, but based on the slave trade it seems that much war has been happening.

Only the Dorelian Empire really has much regular contact with the tribes of the Savage Lands, and very rarely purchases slaves. Oddly enough, gnomes are active buyers of slaves, though no one has ever seen a slave working in gnome communities.
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Fantastic Creatures
Kobolds: A furry little creature no more than three feet tall. Though appearing like a mammal, the kobold has scaled flesh, suggesting that it is part of the reptilian family tree. The creatures often form small tribes within forests, living in trees and burrowing into the ground. They rarely interact with humans, and at most tend to sneak into a camp at night to steal food and belongings of resting adventurers or merchants. They have been known to steal babies.

It is rare that kobolds venture into human settlements, and more rare that they are enough of an infestation to become a serious problem to the population.

Kobolds are a peculiar kind of intelligence. Smarter than monkeys, they tend to wear items as “clothing” and even learn through imitation of humans. However, they are not inventive, communicate only through grunts, shouts, and purrs, and have no method of establishing a real society.

Orcs: In terms of physical appearance, think the Orcs from Lord of the Rings (specifically not the Uruk-Hai, but the smaller ones). No one is certain what the origin of the Orc is, though the assumption is that they were once a race of fae that fell victim to dark magic. The very sight of runes can drive them to such levels of fear that it is believed they are somehow tied with the speakers of the Old Tongue, yet it has been impossible to learn what they know. Orcs speak no language but their own, and are completely uninterested in interacting with the other races.

Orcs tend to prefer swamp lands and marshes for homes, places that are wet and surrounded by vegetation. They are surprisingly adept at building shelters, often disguised to look like part of the surroundings. Yet there is little sign of civilization within these homes. A roof and a floor to sleep on is the extent, and each shelter is crowded at night when they rest. Orcs will attack unaware merchant caravans and travelers nearby for their belongings.

Large enough cities with subterranean sewer systems are likely to have a small tribe of Orcs living beneath their streets. These Orcs will often have scouts that scavenge at night, finding whatever food is left in the rubbish of the citizenry and, on occasion, breaking into a butcher’s shop for the latest kill. It is not surprising to see homeless or drunkards passed out in alleys kidnapped and taken into the sewers for food. It is at this point that the authorities typically stage a hunt to exterminate what they can of the Orcs, but even the most thorough hunt is temporary. Be it a completely different tribe or the remnants of the previous, they always return. They never, however, number more than two dozen.

The only race that Orcs actively hunt down are gnomes, though no one knows why. No one knows if they are a part of a larger clan or if it is merely ingrained in their “culture”, if it can even be called such, but it is not uncommon to see Orcs with war paint laying siege upon gnomish settlements. They never seem to have a real strategy or goal other than to kill as many gnomes as possible before they are all wiped out. Suicide squads, essentially.

Mermaids: Mermaids are very curious about humans, but fearful of large groups of them. It is rare that a whole ship of crew out on the seas will witness even a single Mermaid, but a single unfortunate soul thrown overboard may find themselves rescued. They do not speak any known tongue, and in fact don’t seem to speak much at all. Yet they certainly have voices, as they often giggle when closely observing humans, dwarves, elves, or other races.

Interactions with Mermaids are always brief, and sometimes a person rescued from drowning may not even be aware that they were saved by a Mermaid. The creatures are fascinated by genitalia, male or female, but will often behave sheepishly if presented with a “live sample”. On rare occasion will they experiment, but only if absolutely certain the land dweller can be trusted and are alone. This experimentation and examination can be cold and purely intellectual, or it can be erotic.

There are occasions where a Mermaid becomes enamoured with a land dweller, pulling them beneath the waves to try and take them “home”, wherever that may be. Unfortunately, no one has survived to find out. This suggests that Mermaids merely understand that land dwellers belong on land, but do not understand that land dwellers cannot survive under water.

Many have sought to capture Mermaids, but even if kept in water they never survive more than a few hours. It is uncertain as to why, though there are theories that there is some connection between the Mermaids and the Sea that is vital to their prolonged survival.

There are those who hunt Mermaids for their scales. When ground up, the scales make for a sort of “glitter” that not only draws the eye, but acts as a sort of light visual hypnosis. A man that sees a woman adorned with such “make-up” will develop enhanced feelings of attraction to her. This is not the same as a love potion, however. Typically only nobles can afford it, and many who are aware where the glitter comes from look unfavorably upon its use. However, there’s still enough of a demand for it in higher class society that it is a frequently traded good, and deals are often struck with brothels to give a limited supply.

As Roderick owes his life to Mermaids, he is against the use and transportation of Mermaid scales.

Fairies and Pixies: These small creatures, at most seven or eight inches tall, have a natural glow about them that makes them shine at night. However, they also have tendency to be quite elusive. The only race they trust implicitly are the elves. However, there are ways to coax them out of hiding as long as you know where they are settled. Typically deep in the forest, by a lake, where the trees are large and filled with empty holes and nooks to hide or slumber in.

Fairies and Pixies have a curious love for incense and scented candles, curiously enough. A standard ritual is to slowly enter a known Fairy “nest” holding a candle aloft, placing it down upon a stump, boulder, or similar natural pedestal, and then lighting the candle. Afterwards, it is best to step away, and after several minutes fairies and pixies will come and surround the candle.

Types of “dust hunters” will thus respond differently. More aggressive ones may use nets to capture a fairy or pixie, using a knife to scrape dust from the wings. Some simply wait and collect whatever dust has dropped upon the ground. Others still manage to establish some form of communication, indicating that the candle is a trade for dust. This strategy is known to fail at times.

Elves have a tendency to grow “pixie farms”, entire gardens populated by fairies and pixies that willingly offer their dust. This is a result of Elves understanding the Pixie Speak, a language no other race can even begin deciphering, nor do the Elves know how to decipher it themselves. It is a natural connection of some sort. This means, while not all medicines are made and distributed by elves, most medicine is.

Dragons: Dragons tend to be sighted where there are large peaks of mountains. This makes them a common foe to Dwarves, as well as a potential problem for Floating Islands or airships that roam too close to what they consider their territory. They actually do not roam much, but instead create a perimeter that they treat as “their home”. Those who enter are slain.

This typically means that a dragon established in less habitable regions will be a problem to nothing but the local mountain goats. However, when an adolescent dragon first flies to discover its own territory, it razes and attacks many in its path. Once it has found a fitting spot to nest, it goes about razing all land within its desired perimeter. This means towns or villages that just so happen to be within that perimeter get attacked.

These attacks are largely uncommon, however, as dragons do not often breed. There are maybe one, two adolescents a year, and most often they soar right for the mountains or attack the nest of another dragon.

They are very uncommon and spread out in the northern lands and along the mountain ranges, but the Dragon’s Mouth is a collection of islands completely littered with the beasts. No one is quite certain why the congregate so closely together, and it seems they are often fighting with each other. They are the greatest danger to trade and travel between the main continent and the savage lands, as they’ll fly for miles in search of food or potential trespassers. Needless to say, the Dragon’s Mouth has no settlements.

Legendary Beasts: Within this game players will run into creatures such as Naga, ghoul, minotaur, banshee, cockatrice, and various other monsters of legend and lore. These creatures are not numerous, and often times are only spoken of in old wives’ tales. You might hear of a crazy old man that swore he saw such a beast when he was younger, spinning the same old yarn in the corner of the tavern every night. Maybe he’s just crazy. Maybe he saw something. Maybe, he happens to be telling the truth.

Other smugglers and sailors will certainly have their own stories to tell, and sometimes a sailor will encounter such a creature twice, maybe thrice in their lifetime. It all depends on the creature. However, these beasts are not crawling all over the world (or flying). They are rare, and your average peasant will likely never run into one (and if they do, it’s doubtful they’d live to tell the tale).
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Technology and Magic

Technology and Magic
Tech

As discussed frequently, think Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy IX. Thoroughly fantasy with some miraculous (for the time) technological advancements, mostly involving cogs, gears, and clever implementation of copper wire and springs. Less “steampunk”, more “clockwork”. A castle with shifting parts throughout would be a technological marvel that, to some, would almost come off as magic in itself.

There is knowledge of gunpowder, which has largely been used for canons. Pistols are a recent gnomish invention that have failed to find a market amongst the major kingdoms due to their limited firing capacity and time required to reload. They are single-shot, requiring powder and ball to be loaded in before firing another shot. Crossbows are cheaper, take less or as much time to reload and can be built to also act as a melee weapon. In addition, soldiers are already trained to use crossbows. The flintlock and wheellock pistols gnomes came up with would also fail and misfire without proper maintenance, which was more complex to teach than that of other weaponry.

As such, gnomes have begun to introduce pistols to the black market, primarily from Western cities and factions. There are gnomes that have been working with the Eastern lands on rockets, but those have not made their way to the territory in which the game currently takes place.

Pistols should be uncommon. Very few adventurers should have one, and it will rarely be a primary weapon. They are largely short-range weapons, and if they get wet then they are pretty much useless until they can properly be cleaned. Gnomes do not often teach proper pistol maintenance, preferring to make a profit off of repairs, as well as ball and powder sales. However, some enterprising or clever individuals have managed to figure the maintenance of many models of pistol out.

There are rumors that gnomes also have rifle weaponry, but that is all it remains. Rumor.

Magic

Magic does not exist as it does in many other fantasy settings. No one throws fireballs from their bare hands, heal gaping wounds with soft-spoken words, or summon meteors to crush the planet. Magic is literally supernatural, often a mysterious and inexplicable force naturally occuring within nature or drawn from creatures or environments of a magical nature. The hover stones for the airships are an example of naturally occurring magic.

As such, “technology” is typically enhanced by magic. The energy from the hover stone collected to reroute throughout an airship so that it may more effectively float, hover, and soar into the sky is a result of combining magic and technology. Certain effects can be amplified by a skilled magician that enscribes runes across the stone itself (a risky endeavor that could destroy the stone and/or the magician performing the inscription), or upon portions of the ship (much less risky, but a less powerful amplification).

There are many objects which can gain similar enchantment based on the magician’s inscriptions. An inscription can be placed upon a door that, without saying the keyword inscribed into the doorway, leaves any who cross the threshold paralyzed or slumbering. An inscription can be writ upon a blade so that, when dipped within fire, will burn bright until doused in water or within a proper sheath. A properly formed inscription might even keep that blade burning beneath the water, or only doused while in a sheath with matching inscription.

There are libraries and organizations dedicated to mastering The Old Tongue, the ancient language in which runes and glyphs are written. No one is absolutely certain of its origins, as it is shared across all races, has a very complex linguistic structure, and the words themselves are of great power to make ideas real. Some believe it was created by ancient Gods, or beings that have either died or left this world. No one knows for certain, as documents have yet to be interpreted in a sensical manner.

This means a magician’s power is limited to their understanding of the language and knowledge of words. So the eternal flaming sword described above is based purely on how knowledgeable and skilled a magician is with the language. Note that the Old Tongue is only written, as there is no guideline as to how it is spoken. This additionally makes interpreting and translating texts difficult, as various schools and even cultures apply different names to different runes and symbols, creating an inconsistent alphabet between those working with the language. It is only recently that scholars from Dwarven, Human, and Elven nations have agreed to begin working on a unified interpretation of the Old Tongue. Naturally, more time is spent arguing over whose interpretation is correct.

It is believed that gnomes understand the power more than anyone else, yet keep its secrets to themselves so as not to give away any secrets. Many of their darker projects do not see the light of day, and usually they only use the magic to help improve their own factories and assemblies. They do not, after all, want to share too much of their technology and sacred arts with other races, and supposedly this is where the most important secrets are kept between gnomish cities and clans.

So magic is either naturally occurring, or placed upon objects via inscription. Inscription can focus or draw out a magical object’s powers, though at a risk, or it can imbue a normal object with supernatural properties. Alchemy is a third type of magic built upon naturally occurring magical objects. For example, legends say that a unicorn horn, when ground up and mixed with water into an edible liquid, is capable of curing any illness or disease, no matter how fatal. Fairy or Pixie Dust, the dusting collected off of their wings or pollinations, is used for medicinal powders that accelerate healing (but only along the lines of a wound that might heal within five days healing within two). Most of this powder is sold and distributed by Elves, many of whom have whole “Pixie Farms” within their communities and cities. This is believed to be due to Pixie Speak, a language that, for whatever reason, only Elves can understand.

Alchemy is practiced by all races, and typically results in medicines, poisons, bombs, and such creations as the Tanglefoot Bag found in a game like Dungeons and Dragons. These, however, are very uncommon due to the expertise, time, and cost to create, and thus time to purchase, typically used by successful bounty hunters and only sparingly.

The final form of magic are Rituals. These are related to religions and cults. Religious rituals will be detailed in the Religion section. They often involve animal sacrifice, and/or the burning of specific ingredients as incense, in addition to hand gestures. Religious rituals either result in very, very subtle results, or they are an offering to nothing. Naturally, debates rage over the “one true faith”.

Cults, or other such organizations, typically practice blood rituals using the Old Tongue, but only selectively. Part of the mystery to the Old Tongue is that blood rituals only work with a human or elven sacrifice. Any other creature’s blood, even gnome or elf, do nothing. Blood rituals also only work for certain purposes. In the case of our earlier eternal blade example, inscribing runes upon the blade with blood would have no impact.

Most often, blood rituals are used for acts that many would consider heresy. Necromancy is one such act, and requires one life to be given so that another may rise. Unfortunately, there is still little known about what is often called Blood Magic, as few scholars insist on, or are even capable, of studying it. To properly study it would require murder, and thus one can only study the aftermath of such activities. What is known is that Blood Magic rarely leaves the inscriber sane. Such dark magicians often become feral, twisted, schizophrenic, paranoid, and a multitude of other side effects. Occults are often short-lived, and have a tendency to destroy themselves.

Many scholars have drawn a correlation to types of magical abilities or properties and the creatures associated with them. For example, the magic of Pixies and Fairies is passive, or incidental. They use no magic on others, their dust just happens to be magical. Same goes with the Unicorn, a creature that has not been sighted for centuries, if it had ever existed at all. These creatures are peaceful, and their magical properties are all passive.

Yet the song of the Siren, the hypnotic stare of the Naga, the petrifying gaze of the Cockatrice, the bite of the Werewolf, these are all aggressive creatures that use their magical powers for harm. Between this and the nature of blood magic, many scholars are beginning to theorize two potential sources for magic, one good and one evil. Again, however, there are arguments over whether such supernatural forces would follow mundane concepts such as ethics and morality.

This, on the whole, is the nature of magic within the game world.
-

What section will this game be located in?

Non-Con Exotic is the plan. I don't want the violence to be too descriptive to keep in the more light-hearted nature of the game, and I don't anticipate much in the way of character death. However, it is possible that players will want to explore aspects of their darker kinks and perhaps have their brothel worker captured by the orcs and ravaged, or have a Naga literally put the squeeze on our chief engineer.

This leads to the previous point, where, if players wish to do some experimenting with monsters or villains in the more non-con/exotic realm, they can control the monster themselves or have another agreed upon player control the monster. Or villain. Again, wanting to keep the adventure dynamic and fun.

SAMPLE ADVENTURE HOOKS


  • The crew arrives at a floating island’s looking to drop off a delivery, but it turns out the intended recipient is deceased. They, and other key members of local crime families, seemed to be strangled to death at night.
  • The crew is transporting several boxes of cargo with explicit instructions to not open. Whether someone bothers to do so or not, a horde of furry creatures with gaping maws manage to break out, trying to eat anything and everything on board the ship.
  • The ship ports at a rather nice seeming town, filled with lovely, happy couples and children. However, it turns out many children have gone missing. Is it coincidence that each child’s house suddenly seems to have rats crawling around?
  • The Moaning Molly takes aboard a rather odd behaving passenger, a middle-aged scholar that seems keen on examining a lake out in the middle of nowhere. He gives only vague descriptions of the artifact he believes to find. There’s something obsessive about the man, however, and the fog that blankets the lake is awfully unsettling.
  • The crew takes a chance to stop on by one of the floating islands, perhaps to find a rare ship-part they need for the Molly, and perhaps to visit or do a favor for a crew member with family there. Upon arriving, the floating port-town seems absolutely deserted. As the crew walks through the empty streets, they begin to find what look like statues of people in a state of fear.




CHARACTERS

Below you will find the code for Character Sheets, including notation from me for filling out specific sections. Please PM your character sheets to me first. This way, if I request modifications be made, we can figure it out in PM and then drop the finalized version in here. Remember that no one character is the main character, but feel free to drop in adventure hooks involving that character's past. No Demigods. And remember, noooo smokin', and nooooo flash photography.

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF WHEN CREATING YOUR CHARACTER!

After having some lengthy conversations and loss of interest in the game with a few folks, I've decided to ask some simple questions that can come before or after you've created your character. Keep these in mind.


  • Why does your character (want to) follow Roderick and/or Molly?
  • Why would Roderick and/or Molly want your character around?
  • Would your character fit the sort of tone you'd expect from a show such as Firefly, or other ensemble shows?

Be sure to take the character personalities into account, rather than just pragmatic reasons (it's not enough that you make money whoring on the boat, or are a good mechanic, etc. etc. What's going to make this ship work is that it is, in some way, family (and yes, even families fight, so it's not a hug box, but there must be compatibility)).

[float=right][img width=200 padding=5]INSERT IMAGE URL HERE[/img][/float]
[b]NAME:[/b]
[b]AGE:[/b]
[b]RACE:[/b]
[b]GENDER:[/b]
[b]ORIENTATION:[/b] Hetero, homo, bi, pan, omni, etc.
[b]ROLE/OCCUPATION:[/b] Note: if your character starts off as a passenger, perhaps, or is looking for work at the start of the game, they may not have a ship role.

[b]PHYSIQUE:[/b] Loose description of physical attributes, particularly unseen in the photo. Not just musculature and curves, but perhaps tattoos, piercings, scars, and quantity of body hair as examples.

[b]PERSONALITY:[/b] General attitudes and behaviors. No background info here, just a rough outline of how they act.

[b]BIO:[/b] About two or three paragraphs explaining their history, and why the came aboard the Moaning Molly. Details as to when and how the character came aboard in relation to others can be worked out with the GMs.

[b]RELATIONSHIPS:[/b] I don't expect these details to be filled out unless two players already planned on their characters being acquainted. This is largely for significantly close characters, romantically interested characters, or which characters act as a friend-with-benefits. If both players agree, this can also include info on which characters do not get along well.

[spoiler=Sample Post]This is a sample post to illustrate your character's personality and the sort of situations you expect them to get into. Standard aim is around 3-5 paragraphs, but if you'd like to write more, feel free. Try to keep this as a part of the character's life from before they came aboard the Moaning Molly, though it could also be from their time on board if that would be easier.[/spoiler]






Thank you for reading and expressing interest! Hopefully you'll join us on our lovely ship for some fun adventures, even if it is just as a spectator. :)

ChicagoOkie

Random PM's welcome.
Available for the right story.
O/Os Updated story ideas. May/9/2021
A/As
RP AD
BDSM Test

LeSane

My interest has been peaked and hopefully this will get enough people who are looking this way.
'Life is an unreasonable game in which winning was impossible from the start. Even so spread your wings and fly straight into the sun! If the world threatens to swallow you whole crush it under your heel.'

Rel Mayer


eBadger

Very interesting concept.  I think it would gain a lot by having a system, frankly, but still interested. 

A Painter

Hello, friend!

I am interested as well!
FANTASY AIR SHIPS AND ADVENTURE!  I'm PUMPED!

Lustful Bride

*Hands move of their own accord and begin typing up my interest on this subject* Oh god I cannot resist the interest! ITs too powerful!

Rel Mayer

Quote from: Lustful Bride on August 31, 2015, 09:18:50 AM
*Hands move of their own accord and begin typing up my interest on this subject* Oh god I cannot resist the interest! ITs too powerful!

...


AIIEEEEE!!! Can we play a pair of sisters, please please please please?

Lustful Bride

Quote from: Rel Mayer on August 31, 2015, 09:26:11 AM
...


AIIEEEEE!!! Can we play a pair of sisters, please please please please?

Mmmmm..... Okay :P

That might be fun.

Rel Mayer

Quote from: Lustful Bride on August 31, 2015, 09:41:55 AM
Mmmmm..... Okay :P

That might be fun.

I'll PM you, but it's fine either way. I may have just got overly excited when I saw you interested. :)

Chreestafer

“The Doctor: This is bad, I don't like this. [kicks console and yells in pain] Never use force, you just embarrass yourself. Unless you're cross, in which case... always use force!
Amy: Shall I run and get the manual?
The Doctor: I threw it in a supernova.
Amy: You threw the manual in a supernova? Why?
The Doctor: Because I disagreed with it! Now stop talking to me when I'm cross!”
Ons and Offs
F-List

Primarch


Kimmy

Totally interested... Airships, adventure & so much freedom! *spins* So what are there any themes for religion in your world? That's a pretty important basis before I start exploring ideas :P
Posting rate: Moderate       Currently Chasing: Playful, Romance & Something Rough.
A&A           RL Issues: Some Insomnia.
Offsite RP's: 2 online + 1 RL. Currently Craving: Romance and just a touch of something darker...

Chreestafer

While we wait for this to get underway, I'm still planing character ideas for this and if anyone wants to work up some history please feel free to pm me :)
“The Doctor: This is bad, I don't like this. [kicks console and yells in pain] Never use force, you just embarrass yourself. Unless you're cross, in which case... always use force!
Amy: Shall I run and get the manual?
The Doctor: I threw it in a supernova.
Amy: You threw the manual in a supernova? Why?
The Doctor: Because I disagreed with it! Now stop talking to me when I'm cross!”
Ons and Offs
F-List

Etherealgirl


Capone

Order Number One: Sooooooo very deep apologies for the two day silence. I ended up having to go to the hospital. I am fine, I actually feel a bit silly about it, but it's definitely a trip I needed to have. If you're genuinely curious I can explain over PM.

Order number Two: I suppose I should rename to "planning/plotting" since the interest is clearly there and we have enough potential players that I don't need to be recruiting. So I'll get on that.

Order Number Three: HOLY CRAP WAS NOT EXPECTING SO MUCH INTEREST! Seriously folks, you're all awesome. I hope to get some time to really dive into additional setting material tonight. To those that PM'ed with interest in Co-DMing, I'll be responding to you tonight.

Order Number Four: I may not get the character sheet templates up until tomorrow, but I'd like to see what sort of general characters you folks are thinking of playing as. That way I have a good concept of what we have and what we might need.

Order Number Five: Direct responses!

Quote from: Kimmy on September 01, 2015, 04:03:29 AM
Totally interested... Airships, adventure & so much freedom! *spins* So what are there any themes for religion in your world? That's a pretty important basis before I start exploring ideas :P

I thought about this for a moment, but then figured it wouldn't be important. Surprise, but it is! I'll have to give it some thought, as I don't want to just rip off the D&D system. It'll take some research, but I figure Elves follow a very Pagan style faith and culture, Humans either the Graeco-Roman pantheon or a monotheistic faith (if you're familiar, I'd likely go in the direction of the Church in Memory, Sorrow and Thorn), Dwarves would worship the spirits of their ancestors a la Dragon Age, and... I suppose it depends on what other races folks create.

Quote from: Lustful Bride on August 31, 2015, 09:41:55 AM
Quote from: Rel Mayer on August 31, 2015, 09:26:11 AM
...


AIIEEEEE!!! Can we play a pair of sisters, please please please please?
Mmmmm..... Okay :P

That might be fun.

This... has me quivering with much anticipation.

Quote from: eBadger on August 31, 2015, 03:23:28 AM
Very interesting concept.  I think it would gain a lot by having a system, frankly, but still interested. 

This is largely a result of my personal preference. For me, while I'm fine calling these "games", I feel like a system is bound to limit possibilities in story-telling. While it certainly helps prohibit the "MY CHARACTER IS A DEMIGOD" style of posts, it also keeps things set to a more rigid rule set. I want players to use common sense in what is and isn't too much, and allow them the possibility of being severely injured or placed in danger, or of doing something potentially bad ass, as their heart desires.

Hopefully this won't hurt your interest, and if you have any concerns over what may happen without a system, I would be glad to discuss with you my plans to address such things. I'll be making my expectations in regards to things like combat very clear.




Thank you all for expressing interest! I'm sorry that you'll have to be patient as I now have quite a bit of catching up after two days absence (and I'm pretty much gonna be gone all day Saturday, too, FYI). I'll do my best to get more details and concepts put together quickly!

Eight88

I'm also interested, got a character that might work here. Though, forgive me if it's too weird. Do you still have spaces open or is recruiting over?

A Painter

Official recruiting is just about to start from what I understand :)

Capone

Quote from: Eight88 on September 01, 2015, 08:57:58 PM
I'm also interested, got a character that might work here. Though, forgive me if it's too weird. Do you still have spaces open or is recruiting over?

Technically recruiting will begin once I post the character sheet templates up. I don't think it'll be an issue considering most of the folks that have posted an interest here, but I will note that there's no guarantee that creating a character sheet means you will be accepted. It might sound awfully pretentious or asshole-ish to say, but I want to make sure that each writer will be able to contribute to the fun spirit in mind while ensuring it's about everyone's experience, not just their own.

Again, though, thus far I don't think it'll be a problem.

Eight88

Quote from: Capone on September 01, 2015, 09:17:33 PM
Technically recruiting will begin once I post the character sheet templates up. I don't think it'll be an issue considering most of the folks that have posted an interest here, but I will note that there's no guarantee that creating a character sheet means you will be accepted. It might sound awfully pretentious or asshole-ish to say, but I want to make sure that each writer will be able to contribute to the fun spirit in mind while ensuring it's about everyone's experience, not just their own.

Again, though, thus far I don't think it'll be a problem.

No problem, well, hope I make the standard then. Will try to get a sheet done ASAP.

Will these be PM'ed or displayed here?

Capone

Still deciding on that.

And don't worry, I gave everyone's posting history a skim. Creepy? Maybe! But it looks like everyone here should be fine.

Etherealgirl


mia h

If found acting like an idiot, apply Gibbs-slap to reboot system.

Chreestafer

*lifts blanket completely*
"Hey! What's going on under here!?!?!?!"
“The Doctor: This is bad, I don't like this. [kicks console and yells in pain] Never use force, you just embarrass yourself. Unless you're cross, in which case... always use force!
Amy: Shall I run and get the manual?
The Doctor: I threw it in a supernova.
Amy: You threw the manual in a supernova? Why?
The Doctor: Because I disagreed with it! Now stop talking to me when I'm cross!”
Ons and Offs
F-List

eBadger

Quote from: Capone on September 01, 2015, 07:51:52 PMOrder Number One: Sooooooo very deep apologies for the two day silence. I ended up having to go to the hospital. I am fine, I actually feel a bit silly about it, but it's definitely a trip I needed to have.

Glad you're okay!  And always best to have stuff checked on, better safe than sorry and all that.   

Quote from: Capone on September 01, 2015, 07:51:52 PMOrder Number Four: I may not get the character sheet templates up until tomorrow, but I'd like to see what sort of general characters you folks are thinking of playing as. That way I have a good concept of what we have and what we might need.

A nest of tiny fey mechanics...a war-veteran madame...a discredited doctor seeking an elusive cure...a burlesque stage magician...I've been going through a few permutations, I'm afraid. 

Quote from: Capone on September 01, 2015, 07:51:52 PMThis is largely a result of my personal preference. For me, while I'm fine calling these "games", I feel like a system is bound to limit possibilities in story-telling.

Fair 'nuff.  What's your notion story-wise?  Is there a plot, or are you intending this to be more of a sandbox?

Quote from: Capone on September 01, 2015, 09:34:54 PMAnd don't worry, I gave everyone's posting history a skim. Creepy? Maybe!

Ah! This is the third time in two weeks someone has said something along those lines...is my netiquette off?  Is perusing posting history creepy now?  I do it all the time!  *Doesn't want to be Creeper*

Etherealgirl


Capone

Quote from: eBadger on September 02, 2015, 09:59:39 AM
A nest of tiny fey mechanics...a war-veteran madame...a discredited doctor seeking an elusive cure...a burlesque stage magician...I've been going through a few permutations, I'm afraid.

The nest of tiny fey mechanics certainly have my curiosity. Wonder how that'd be pulled off?

QuoteFair 'nuff.  What's your notion story-wise?  Is there a plot, or are you intending this to be more of a sandbox?

Sort-of-sandbox. I hope to have the adventures organized in an episodic manner. One of the players already contributed an idea, and for players that have ideas for adventures, we'll likely have them plot the "episode" with the GM for any specifics, and have that player control any significant NPC's or monsters they'd like throughout the duration of it. I'm going to keep a Google Doc filled with these ideas as they come up, and try to keep every player's skills in mind to make sure everyone can in some way have a role to fill without also trying to rail-road everyone.

At the moment, I have no long-term plot goal, but that doesn't mean there won't be one eventually.

QuoteAh! This is the third time in two weeks someone has said something along those lines...is my netiquette off?  Is perusing posting history creepy now?  I do it all the time!  *Doesn't want to be Creeper*

Ha! I don't think it's creepy unless you do it obsessively. I just like to do a bit of research when joining or running a group game. ;)

Quote from: Etherealgirl on September 02, 2015, 10:24:39 AM
*Gasps and is all nakie!!*

A camera suddenly flashes.

Hey, who's taking pictures? You should stop that!

Prepares his camera to take another.

eBadger

Quote from: Capone on September 02, 2015, 10:45:43 AM
The nest of tiny fey mechanics certainly have my curiosity. Wonder how that'd be pulled off?

Pondering that a bit, too.  Either a hive mind or a chorus-like Many Voices or just pick one or two out to have personalities while the rest are background.  The basic notion is something from a novel I'm currently not writing; fairies as near-vermin in mindset - nesting in attics, collecting litter, scrounging scraps - but tolerated as sort of anti-gremlins; instead of delighting in the destruction of machinery, they're naturally drawn to preserve it with magic and savant-like abilities, repairing and maintaining and sometimes enhancing things in odd and unexpected directions. 

Quote from: Capone on September 02, 2015, 10:45:43 AMSort-of-sandbox. I hope to have the adventures organized in an episodic manner.

Adventures are good! 

Capone

MAIN TOPIC UPDATED!

Be sure to reread "Welcome Aboard!" in its entirety.

Mia H will be the Co-GM, so everyone give her a round of applause!

Character sheet code has been added, with the Captain presented as a sample. So feel free to start sending me your character sheets via PM.

Allows himself to finally slump back, sigh, and take a bit of a break.

Oh, almost a break: I have decided that Gnome "kingdoms" are basically small, capitalistic societies. They don't really have whole countries, just cities with surrounding territory that act as city-sized factories and offices. A very greedy and pragmatic race, leaders are determined by financial success. They lack empathy and pray to no Gods. However, they are completely willing to explore dark magic and use it for their own ends. So a gnome "kingdom" could be located within the borders of any race's land. In addition, they don't "war" with each other so much as compete in a typical capitalistic fashion.

bokotousamurai

Interest peaked!

I am obligated by fetish to ask if futanari is allowed, if it's not it's cool, I can settle for a male character since that's the rule, but I just want to check.

Also curious, has people's thought of their class/job? I like to be the Jack of all trades personally.
I'm the coolest nerd there is, and I don't care that that isn't an accomplishment.

Etherealgirl


Capone

Quote from: bokotousamurai on September 02, 2015, 01:36:07 PM
Interest peaked!

I am obligated by fetish to ask if futanari is allowed, if it's not it's cool, I can settle for a male character since that's the rule, but I just want to check.

Also curious, has people's thought of their class/job? I like to be the Jack of all trades personally.

If there's another player with an interest in Futanari's then by all means. I only recommend that you make sure you'll have a potential play partner for such occasions.

Quote from: Etherealgirl on September 02, 2015, 01:39:21 PM
I think I would like to try for 2nd in command, or navigator.

I'd say navigator for the time being. I'd rather see through the character concepts and pick a 2nd in Command from there.

It does suddenly come to mind: does anyone actually have a plan to play a brothel worker?

Eight88

Question, what is the level of technology and magic in this setting?

Was hoping to play a gunslinger type of fellow, with revolvers and magic items from Pathfinder. Like I sort of need a few magic items to make my character work.

Like if gnomes have factories does that mean mass production exists? Are there rail roads? Do the crew get rings of feather fall in case of airship emergency?

Also do we pm gm and co-gm together?

I am hoping to play a Magnum PI sort of arrangement. Where my character pays rent and tries to pay it off through service time to time. Or might try for a actual position. Should have a sheet done tonight. Or asap.

Edit; I have a idea about that, being a brothel worker I mean. Though let me get the sheet done before I run it by you.

Etherealgirl


Capone

Quote from: Eight88 on September 02, 2015, 01:49:11 PM
Question, what is the level of technology and magic in this setting?

Was hoping to play a gunslinger type of fellow, with revolvers and magic items from Pathfinder. Like I sort of need a few magic items to make my character work.

Like if gnomes have factories does that mean mass production exists? Are there rail roads? Do the crew get rings of feather fall in case of airship emergency?

Magical artifacts will be uncommon, and none of your characters will be in possession of any. This is largely fantasy with mild steampunk. Think something along the lines of the original Final Fantasy without the WarMech, or Final Fantasy IV minus the Tower of Babel, Walking Giant, and Whale Ship. Most magic will be of a more subtle nature. Not as subtle as Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones, but for the most part, you're not going to see fireballs being slung willy-nilly. A magician would be more of an illusionist or alchemist, with real magic often being ritualistic ceremonies and/or requiring envgravings in ancient tongues.

I would say pistols are rare and single shot, requiring a ball to reload. No on rifles.

QuoteAlso do we pm gm and co-gm together?

I'll let Mia H answer that. I didn't want to burden her with perusing character sheets unless I felt I could use her input or perspective on something.

mia h

Quote from: Capone on September 02, 2015, 02:11:09 PM

Quote
Also do we pm gm and co-gm together?

I'll let Mia H answer that. I didn't want to burden her with perusing character sheets unless I felt I could use her input or perspective on something.
It's not really a burden, so feel free to pass them along. Also a second pair of eyes can't do that much damage.  ;D
If found acting like an idiot, apply Gibbs-slap to reboot system.

Capone

Quote from: Etherealgirl on September 02, 2015, 01:52:53 PM
I might play a brothel worker. Just not sure yet.

By the way, in case anyone is waffling, I'm completely fine with characters being a brothel worker that is also some other job on the ship. Nothing is mutually exclusive.

Eight88

Righto, will send in that sheet in a few hours...probably around five. Got class in half a hour. Will be back ASAP.

Though hmm, by no rifles do you mean no rifling? As in the firearms technology is right now purely muzzleloading and smoothbore? So muskets and the like? What about other technologies? Do we have running water and plumbing? What's mild steampunk in this case?  ;D

Also about magical artifacts, right. No magical artifacts for PCs...I am going to need to rethink on how to do a core aspect of the character. I will run what I hope to do by you two ASAP.

Excuse me, off to school for me.

mia h

Quote from: Capone on September 02, 2015, 03:17:38 PM
By the way, in case anyone is waffling, I'm completely fine with characters being a brothel worker that is also some other job on the ship. Nothing is mutually exclusive.
... cause being a prostitute is fine when the ship is docked but what you gonna do with the rest of your time ?  ;D
If found acting like an idiot, apply Gibbs-slap to reboot system.

Capone

Quote from: Eight88 on September 02, 2015, 03:20:40 PM
Though hmm, by no rifles do you mean no rifling? As in the firearms technology is right now purely muzzleloading and smoothbore? So muskets and the like?

Only cannons and pistols. :P

QuoteWhat about other technologies? Do we have running water and plumbing? What's mild steampunk in this case?  ;D

So difficult! :P

Closer in time period to Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings than Pirates of the Caribbean. So think more general fantasy setting with a bit of cog-and-wheel assisted by steam technology.

Note I'm not adhering religiously to any one time period, and am more considering aesthetic than anything. However, I want it to be more about magic than technology, but even then, magic should be something of wonderment still. Hence one of many reasons the Moaning Molly as a sentient ship is a secret, as the nature of it might otherwise drive most people into fear (and those that are aware of how it was made would seek to destroy it as something evil). And no, this doesn't mean that anything resembling magic is to be burned for witchcraft. :P

QuoteAlso about magical artifacts, right. No magical artifacts for PCs...I am going to need to rethink on how to do a core aspect of the character. I will run what I hope to do by you two ASAP.

I'll give a look at what you got and will let you know from there.

Also: updating the character sheet template with a spot for sexual orientation, as I had forgotten about that.

eBadger

Quote from: bokotousamurai on September 02, 2015, 01:36:07 PMAlso curious, has people's thought of their class/job?

I'm going with the fairy idea, so mechanic-ish; although there's room for another there, as my fey will be more symbiotic infestation than responsible crew. 

It would make sense for the, ah, 'workers' to have actual crew roles as well, considering the nature of the brothel. 

Edit:

Quote from: Capone on September 02, 2015, 03:34:11 PMCloser in time period to Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings

Erm...neither of those are even remotely steampunk...but I think I get you.  Are my tinkerer-fairies going to work in this, though?

Capone

Quote from: eBadger on September 02, 2015, 03:35:26 PM
Erm...neither of those are even remotely steampunk...but I think I get you.  Are my tinkerer-fairies going to work in this, though?

Perhaps I'm misusing "Steampunk" in regards to a primitive technology seeming advanced for its time period. Wouldn't be surprising. Most of what's referred to as Steampunk barely seems to even involve Steam!

I'll see if I can come up with details as to the technological advancement. I've got the D&D 3.5 Eberron book that I can perhaps use as a reference point that others may be more familiar with.

As for the Tinkerer Fairies, it's still possible for them to work. The airship works as a sort of fusion of magic and engineering, which could actually be what draws these particular fey to airships at all. Do be sure to include Mia H on that particular PM, however, due to the nature it will have in interacting with the ship.

mia h

It's probably worth mentioning that sentient ships have a really, really bad reputation, to the point where most people wouldn't get aboard one even if you paid them. So characters might not know about the ship being being sentient or know what Molly is; if people knew it'd be bad for business amongst other things.
If found acting like an idiot, apply Gibbs-slap to reboot system.

Chulanowa

Have to say, I'm rather interested as well. And bokotousamurai, I can tell you there's at least one person here who has no problem whatsoever with futanari characters  ;D

Speaking of,

Capone, how dedicated are you to the "lords play males, ladies play females" thing?

Ghostraven

This looks like it could be fun. I'll see if I can think of a suitable character. :-)

TTYL

Ghostraven

Chreestafer

Still interested, probably gonna go the mercenary for hire to protect the ship.
“The Doctor: This is bad, I don't like this. [kicks console and yells in pain] Never use force, you just embarrass yourself. Unless you're cross, in which case... always use force!
Amy: Shall I run and get the manual?
The Doctor: I threw it in a supernova.
Amy: You threw the manual in a supernova? Why?
The Doctor: Because I disagreed with it! Now stop talking to me when I'm cross!”
Ons and Offs
F-List

Eight88

Quote from: Capone on September 02, 2015, 03:34:11 PM
Only cannons and pistols. :P

So difficult! :P

Closer in time period to Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings than Pirates of the Caribbean. So think more general fantasy setting with a bit of cog-and-wheel assisted by steam technology.

Note I'm not adhering religiously to any one time period, and am more considering aesthetic than anything. However, I want it to be more about magic than technology, but even then, magic should be something of wonderment still. Hence one of many reasons the Moaning Molly as a sentient ship is a secret, as the nature of it might otherwise drive most people into fear (and those that are aware of how it was made would seek to destroy it as something evil). And no, this doesn't mean that anything resembling magic is to be burned for witchcraft. :P

I'll give a look at what you got and will let you know from there.

Also: updating the character sheet template with a spot for sexual orientation, as I had forgotten about that.

On phone. Just got out of class. Right...but that makes no sense that cannon and pistols exist, but muskets do not...like do you mean only pistols and cannon will be available or are you saying those things do not exist?

Just saying. If there were such a thing, pistols would not exist of muskets do not...I think?

As for the steampunk thing. I think the term you want is dungeon punk. Steam punk would need steam and the cusp of a industrial revolution. And even then by the way you phrase things, even Eberron might not be a right fit? Because Games of Thrones is very very much more primative a astheics. Just saying.

Apologies for the curt tone. Hard to post in cellphone.

Capone

No problem, they're very good questions. I play it by ear, basically, a sort of "rule of cool" if you will. I wrote up a whole bunch of stuff in a Google Doc that I have shared with Mia H, and after getting feedback I'll be including it here detailing technology and magic in the setting.

However, you've actually got my mind going, and I think potential plot concepts for an on-going story are beginning to form. So, for now, please believe in the rule of cool, and I'll have more in-depth information on the setting throughout the week.

I'm sorry for causing confusion with a vague sense of "this sort of fantasy". I'll be correcting the original post to replace steamwork with terms like "Clockwork Tech", as it's primarily based on cogs and gears similarly to how a clock functions. As for the whole guns, I have an explanation for it, but unfortunately I cannot give the full explanation without giving away some story concepts. So forgive me.

Eight88

Quote from: Capone on September 02, 2015, 07:24:55 PM
I'm sorry for causing confusion with a vague sense of "this sort of fantasy". I'll be correcting the original post to replace steamwork with terms like "Clockwork Tech", as it's primarily based on cogs and gears similarly to how a clock functions. As for the whole guns, I have an explanation for it, but unfortunately I cannot give the full explanation without giving away some story concepts. So forgive me.

Okay. Clockwork tech, so springs, gears, weights, and tension...though hmm...do you still mean Games of Thrones and Lord of the Rings though? Those in themselves are two different aesthetics, and not really a fit for what is suggested so far in my opinion. Sorry to say.

Like, for the sort of adventures that include airship swashbuckling and brothel escapades, I would think something closer to Pirates of the Caribbean would be appropriate, if only because the culture was moving towards a industrial revolution in someway. Like that was set in the early 1700s if I recall. If only because a larger part of the population has access to the disposable income to go to the traveling brothel.

I mean, Game of Thrones is a much more brutish harsher primitive edge, most common people live with thatch roofs and dirt floors and there's no such thing as basic knowledge of sanitation or things like that. And not a lot of people would have the disposable income to peruse a brothel.

Apologies for picking at that thread, I will stop now.

Capone

No, it's perfectly understandable. It's largely why I'd much rather refer to Final Fantasy I or IV, as when I think "airships" I think the aesthetic of those games, which is somewhere around that medieval era. Then there's Final Fantasy IX, which is more Renaissance I believe in its appearance.

I intentionally wanted to step away from references to pirating best I could, because when I think airships, I don't think of pirates or navy or anything of the sort. My first introduction to the airship was pure Tolkien-esque fantasy (as imagined by Japanese), and so that's the setting's primary inspiration. I also grew up with the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit cartoons, so essentially, my default mentality on "fantasy" is LotR and early Final Fantasy.

In other words, it's inspired by false worlds first, then grabs from more realistic equivalents.

I say Game of Thrones because it is medieval and has a lot of the same appearance, just closer to real life than the other influences.

If it helps, think something along this line, only the option for much less stylized armor and absolutely no whale ship heading for the moon. Or, in a lot of ways I'm envisioning something along these lines, where it straddles between eras (seriously I bet you any Historian could look at that video and point out all kinds of things that are decades or even a century or more apart).

Chulanowa

So basically, early Renaissance-level stuff, but with magic and elves and whatnot, then? Marco Polo meets Da Vinci?

Capone

The complete historical inaccuracy and inconsistency of a Renaissance Faire would be fitting, yes.

Eight88

Quote from: Capone on September 02, 2015, 08:01:26 PM
1.No, it's perfectly understandable. It's largely why I'd much rather refer to Final Fantasy I or IV, as when I think "airships" I think the aesthetic of those games, which is somewhere around that medieval era. Then there's Final Fantasy IX, which is more Renaissance I believe in its appearance.

2.I intentionally wanted to step away from references to pirating best I could, because when I think airships, I don't think of pirates or navy or anything of the sort. My first introduction to the airship was pure Tolkien-esque fantasy (as imagined by Japanese), and so that's the setting's primary inspiration. I also grew up with the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit cartoons, so essentially, my default mentality on "fantasy" is LotR and early Final Fantasy.

3.In other words, it's inspired by false worlds first, then grabs from more realistic equivalents.

4.I say Game of Thrones because it is medieval and has a lot of the same appearance, just closer to real life than the other influences.

5.If it helps, think something along this line, only the option for much less stylized armor and absolutely no whale ship heading for the moon. Or, in a lot of ways I'm envisioning something along these lines, where it straddles between eras (seriously I bet you any Historian could look at that video and point out all kinds of things that are decades or even a century or more apart).

1. Yeah, Final Fantasy IX is definitely the threshold for this sort of adventure I think. Though medieval, I don't think that's a good place to have it at, just because of the aesthetic and context.

2. Fair enough, cool...though Tolkien probably would not have liked the idea of airships in his world, if I recall my english teacher, he said something about his fantasy being colored by his experiences in WW1, which did sour him on many things.

3. ...I would not want to inject any sort of realistic equivalent into this sort of game, or use the two false worlds presented. Game of Thrones more so than Lord of the Rings, like LotR might be more viable, but GoT, that's too hardcore I think. Also the existence of clockwork requires precision I don't think a medieval setting could produce.

4. Yeah, but the details are what I am worried about. This is dirt farming peasants, a near total illiterate population, and the diseases...like this statement is worrying me. "just closer to real life than the other influences" is very scary. I mean the medieval era lasted a 1000 years, and from the 5th to 15th century. Like, medieval London? It's well...watch Filthy Cities Medieval London, a documentary the BBC put out. >.>

5. I would label all that post medieval in flavor, like definitely more Renaissance than medieval. And straight fantasy. Though, yeah, apologies for getting a bit too into the minutia, but seems a bit worrying. Like if we're going for a straight up closer to FF9 feeling, that's going to be much better than Medieval stuff. Or straight up dungeon punk+clockwork punk amalgamation.

Capone

Ahh, I think I'm starting to see some of the issue and why you're very much against the comparison between LotR and GoT. One implies Dennis the Peasant farming some lovely filth over here, and the other is much cleaner and pleasant to look at.

So disregard the GoT comparison then. We're goin' light and fluffy, where we can pretend people piss off the side of the ship and it doesn't land in anyone's eye on the ground.

And yes, airships in LotR would go against a lot of Tolkien's ideas, as the work of Saruman and the Orcs tearing down Fanghorn Forest was partially inspired by his thoughts towards industrialization and the damage done to nature (it was also partially inspired by the end of Macbeth, where he believes the trees are attacking because the besieging army chopped down trees and carried them forward as cover).

So if I basically stick to the Final Fantasy videos as "Rough aesthetic that we aim for", would that be fine?

Eight88

Quote from: Capone on September 02, 2015, 08:49:09 PM
Ahh, I think I'm starting to see some of the issue and why you're very much against the comparison between LotR and GoT. One implies Dennis the Peasant farming some lovely filth over here, and the other is much cleaner and pleasant to look at.

So disregard the GoT comparison then. We're goin' light and fluffy, where we can pretend people piss off the side of the ship and it doesn't land in anyone's eye on the ground.

And yes, airships in LotR would go against a lot of Tolkien's ideas, as the work of Saruman and the Orcs tearing down Fanghorn Forest was partially inspired by his thoughts towards industrialization and the damage done to nature (it was also partially inspired by the end of Macbeth, where he believes the trees are attacking because the besieging army chopped down trees and carried them forward as cover).

So if I basically stick to the Final Fantasy videos as "Rough aesthetic that we aim for", would that be fine?

Yep, like so much so. As that means there are massive sewer systems we can adventure in, and the streets aren't covered in foot thick muck that we'd need shoes for our shoes for...and going to the tannery district won't straight up murder someone...and we can have hot baths in which we entertain some guests. That is what more or less I am worried about, yep.  ;D

Like if you say that, we might one day find ourselves fighting in some extra dimensional space that is the whirling gears of some monstrous alien contraption who's gears slowly tick down to our doom. The other...less so.

Chulanowa

Quote from: Capone on September 02, 2015, 08:22:47 PM
The complete historical inaccuracy and inconsistency of a Renaissance Faire would be fitting, yes.

Xena sharign a turkey leg with Ser Loras and Friar Tuck while a pair of steampunk orcs look on. Gotcha.

Did ya see my prior question, about how set you are on players playing same-gender characters? NBD if so, I just have trouble finding fantasy-themed males that suit my aesthetic.

Capone

Sorry for the confusion then. My brother was the Historian and I fell in love with video games and film. He learned pragmatic and important information, I learned about game design and cinematography.

I shall better do my research when next coming up with a setting like this for the sake of clarity and understanding for players.

High fives and butt pats, everyone. High fives and butt pats.

Quote from: Chulanowa on September 02, 2015, 08:59:31 PM
Xena sharign a turkey leg with Ser Loras and Friar Tuck while a pair of steampunk orcs look on. Gotcha.

Did ya see my prior question, about how set you are on players playing same-gender characters? NBD if so, I just have trouble finding fantasy-themed males that suit my aesthetic.

Oh shit, sorry dude, totally missed that. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting much interest at first, but with the way things are I don't think I'll have to be worrying about keeping the scales from tipping (actually females may outnumber males in regards to interest expressed, but not many character sheets yet). Either way, I think we'll be good if you play a non-male.

Eight88

Quote from: Capone on September 02, 2015, 09:04:02 PM
Sorry for the confusion then. My brother was the Historian and I fell in love with video games and film. He learned pragmatic and important information, I learned about game design and cinematography.

No problem. Sent in my character, apologies if it's a bit too out there. It's probably a bit too spread out, probably should maybe trim some things down.

Eudoxia

If it's not too late to toss my hat in the ring, consider me interested! I'll get to dreaming up a character right away!

Roketto

I just stumbled upon this lovely, lovely, thread of the most amazing sort... right when I'm struggling to stay awake.

I shall return to this when consciousness ceases to elude me, but I have some character concepts that could be fun provided they fit with the setting.

Chulanowa

Quote from: Capone on September 02, 2015, 09:04:02 PM
Oh shit, sorry dude, totally missed that. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting much interest at first, but with the way things are I don't think I'll have to be worrying about keeping the scales from tipping (actually females may outnumber males in regards to interest expressed, but not many character sheets yet). Either way, I think we'll be good if you play a non-male.

Alright. I'll see what I can come up with. So far the ideas rolling in my head revolve around four occupations; engineer, Morale officer, security, or embarked scholar. Definitely need to narrow the field a bit :)

Capone

It's no military boat, so I think "muscle" would be a more suitable title than "security". I also don't think they'd have something along the lines of "morale officer", either. Embarked scholar sounds interesting, and Engineer could cooperate with eBadger's Fey Mechanics I think.

A Painter

I'm thinking of making a scout/brothel girl >.>
Might get her in tomorrow

Rel Mayer

Sorry about the delay. Going to brainstorm with Lust today and hopefully have something completed soon after!

mia h

Quote from: Capone on September 03, 2015, 06:54:39 AM
I also don't think they'd have something along the lines of "morale officer", either.
Oh there are plenty of those, they all work in the brothel  ;D
If found acting like an idiot, apply Gibbs-slap to reboot system.

Capone

Quote from: mia h on September 03, 2015, 09:15:04 AM
Oh there are plenty of those, they all work in the brothel  ;D

Now, see, I didn't want to be the one to go there...

;)

Currently at work but found myself brainstorming adventure hooks that I'll be adding to the original post to give folks an idea of what sort of shenanigans to expect.

Darwishi

Color me interested, but I really don't understand why Lords have to create male characters and Ladies have to create female characters.  It seems to me that if you're looking to strike a balance between males and females that you could do that as a GM.  If you're getting too many women on board then you could change the recruitment to male characters only or vice versa. 

Mostly, I want to create a female character. ;)

A Painter

Quote from: Darwishi on September 03, 2015, 11:08:57 AM
Color me interested, but I really don't understand why Lords have to create male characters and Ladies have to create female characters.  It seems to me that if you're looking to strike a balance between males and females that you could do that as a GM.  If you're getting too many women on board then you could change the recruitment to male characters only or vice versa. 

Mostly, I want to create a female character. ;)

Quote from: Capone on September 02, 2015, 09:04:02 PM
Oh shit, sorry dude, totally missed that. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting much interest at first, but with the way things are I don't think I'll have to be worrying about keeping the scales from tipping (actually females may outnumber males in regards to interest expressed, but not many character sheets yet). Either way, I think we'll be good if you play a non-male.

A Painter

I think you need to edit that first post, Capone.

ALSO I have my own question, am I allowed to make a 17 year old character?  I wanna play someone who is like crazy energetic and has the [stupid] optimism that usually comes with youthful characters.

Darwishi

That youthful optimism lasts for a while for most people. =P  What's the difference between 17 or 18 or 19?  Just my two cents.

Also, thanks for quoting that post. I was skimming posts looking for something addressing it, but I gave up after a while. XDD 

Chreestafer

“The Doctor: This is bad, I don't like this. [kicks console and yells in pain] Never use force, you just embarrass yourself. Unless you're cross, in which case... always use force!
Amy: Shall I run and get the manual?
The Doctor: I threw it in a supernova.
Amy: You threw the manual in a supernova? Why?
The Doctor: Because I disagreed with it! Now stop talking to me when I'm cross!”
Ons and Offs
F-List

Capone

Thanks for handling the question, Painter. Yes, I'll be editing the first post.

Thus far I haven't seen many character sheets, so I imagine most folks are still brainstorming. I'm gonna try and bang some information out in the next hour or two that should be able to help folks out.

Roketto

Ok, so I've got a couple different character ideas for characters, so I think I'll toss them at the wall and see what sticks.

First off, as this seems to be a fantasy-ish/sorta-steampunk-ish type setting, I've got an idea for the ship's cat.  Well, that wouldn't technically be their position - more of a joke among the crew, really - as their actual job would be the ship's mage/maybe navigator type character.  The character could either be a very effeminate pretty boy/androgynous guy, or a very androgynous intersex character.  Probably something along the lines of a kemonomimi/catboy species that's somewhere between the sort you would see in anime/manga and a little more anthro, but not full on furry.  Very uptight sort of personality, prim and proper, and had no idea what they were getting themselves into when they first signed onto the crew.

Well, either that or they're a passenger that may (will) end up a permanent member of the crew.

Then I've got a sorta middle-aged, cynical, deadpan snarker of a necromancer/healer.  He's human, kind of a jerk-with-a-heart-of-gold, and an exiled nobleman.  He's apparently asexual (he hasn't met the right person yet), though there is speculation that he may be a necrophiliac (he's not, but he seems immune to the wiles of the brothel workers). 

He's very protective of those he considers to be under his care or part of his "group", though he typically shows this by being rather cross with them when they do something stupid or getting themselves sick/injured.

Any thoughts or opinions?

Capone

Some notes added to the original post, including the freedom to play whatever gender character you wish, and the Final Fantasy videos as reference for tech/aesthetic (can be viewed here and here).

Also added sample adventure hooks. Don't worry, I've got plenty more in the works, and even some of the obvious seeming ones may have an unexpected twist.

Quote
SAMPLE ADVENTURE HOOKS

These are the sort of hooks I look to explore in this game.


  • The crew arrives at a floating island’s looking to drop off a delivery, but it turns out the intended recipient is deceased. They, and other key members of local crime families, seemed to be strangled to death at night.
  • The crew is transporting several boxes of cargo with explicit instructions to not open. Whether someone bothers to do so or not, a horde of furry creatures with gaping maws manage to break out, trying to eat anything and everything on board the ship.
  • The ship ports at a rather nice seeming town, filled with lovely, happy couples and children. However, it turns out many children have gone missing. Is it coincidence that each child’s house suddenly seems to have rats crawling around?
  • The Moaning Molly takes aboard a rather odd behaving passenger, a middle-aged scholar that seems keen on examining a lake out in the middle of nowhere. He gives only vague descriptions of the artifact he believes to find. There’s something obsessive about the man, however, and the fog that blankets the lake is awfully unsettling.
  • The crew takes a chance to stop on by one of the floating islands, perhaps to find a rare ship-part they need for the Molly, and perhaps to visit or do a favor for a crew member with family there. Upon arriving, the floating port-town seems absolutely deserted. As the crew walks through the empty streets, they begin to find what look like statues of people in a state of fear.

In-progress: finalizing setting details for magic and tech to give an idea of how it works in this world (mostly focused on magic), and maybe tonight I'll get into the general layout of the world and the religions of different cultures (though that's more for flavor, it will not be a requirement for players to care or think about their own character's faith).

Capone

Quote from: Roketto on September 03, 2015, 06:17:18 PM
Any thoughts or opinions?

Catboy would likely work better than Necromancer. I'll explain once I've gotten more of my notes sufficiently written.

Darwishi

I was planning on a sky pirate that's somehow lost her ship, potentially to corrupt authorities or some such.  I haven't fleshed everything out, but I've used the character before.  I was thinking she was the captain of a band of notorious pirates/thieves.  Just a small group.  I'll flesh out more when I get the time.  I'm not sure where that falls on the usefulness scale.  Perhaps a right-hand to the captain or muscle or some such?  I'll submit a sheet soon!

EDIT: Those plot hooks sound amazing!

A Painter

Quote from: Darwishi on September 03, 2015, 07:12:52 PM


I also wanted to make her annoying, childish and immature still trying to define herself from (and between?) her projected identity and the culture she was raised in so 17 made more sense than 19 xD
But I'm still working on her.  I figured that 17 might be too young for some people.

Darwishi

That's interesting that none of my post managed to get into the quote itself. =P

It's not even remotely up to me on the age of the character so I shall keep my mouth shut. 

A Painter

I got lazy to correct myself.  rushing to get out of the house for errands and whatnot xD Bye guys

Roketto

Ok, so cat-thingie it is.  Ok, some questions for the GM(s).

Is there legal slavery anywhere in what would be considered the "civilized" world (IE Human lands, Dwarven lands, etc)?

I'm a little confused with the described magic level as I'm not familiar with those particular Final Fantasy games.  Would magic along the lines of what's seen in other FF games be appropriate?  I was thinking along the lines of a red, blue, or black mage type character.

Roketto

Or, to put a different game example out there, something like a witch, magus, or wizard from Pathfinder/DnD.

Capone

Working on that! Just.... keep getting pulled away from the keyboard... >_<

Roketto

Quote from: Capone on September 03, 2015, 08:57:26 PM
Working on that! Just.... keep getting pulled away from the keyboard... >_<

Ah, no worries.  Gonna keep thinking on background stuff.

Chreestafer

“The Doctor: This is bad, I don't like this. [kicks console and yells in pain] Never use force, you just embarrass yourself. Unless you're cross, in which case... always use force!
Amy: Shall I run and get the manual?
The Doctor: I threw it in a supernova.
Amy: You threw the manual in a supernova? Why?
The Doctor: Because I disagreed with it! Now stop talking to me when I'm cross!”
Ons and Offs
F-List

Capone

Yes, Chreestafer, all characters to me.

Technology and Magic description is done! I hope this doesn't put anyone off the game based on the sorts of characters they want to play. It does get rid of the traditional wizard type, largely. However, I'm hoping there's enough there that will get folks curious.

You can find all the info in a spoiler tag on the original post, but I'm including it here for quick finding. Tomorrow, I'll begin working on races, the world map (very simple, not too detailed), and religions. However, I'm considering scrapping religion altogether, truth told. I'll let you guys decide on that, however.

Technology and Magic
Tech

As discussed frequently, think Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy IX. Thoroughly fantasy with some miraculous (for the time) technological advancements, mostly involving cogs, gears, and clever implementation of copper wire and springs. Less “steampunk”, more “clockwork”. A castle with shifting parts throughout would be a technological marvel that, to some, would almost come off as magic in itself.

There is knowledge of gunpowder, which has largely been used for canons. Pistols are a recent gnomish invention that have failed to find a market amongst the major kingdoms due to their limited firing capacity and time required to reload. They are single-shot, requiring powder and ball to be loaded in before firing another shot. Crossbows are cheaper, take less or as much time to reload and can be built to also act as a melee weapon. In addition, soldiers are already trained to use crossbows. The flintlock and wheellock pistols gnomes came up with would also fail and misfire without proper maintenance, which was more complex to teach than that of other weaponry.

As such, gnomes have begun to introduce pistols to the black market, primarily from Western cities and factions. There are gnomes that have been working with the Eastern lands on rockets, but those have not made their way to the territory in which the game currently takes place.

Pistols should be uncommon. Very few adventurers should have one, and it will rarely be a primary weapon. They are largely short-range weapons, and if they get wet then they are pretty much useless until they can properly be cleaned. Gnomes do not often teach proper pistol maintenance, preferring to make a profit off of repairs, as well as ball and powder sales. However, some enterprising or clever individuals have managed to figure the maintenance of many models of pistol out.

There are rumors that gnomes also have rifle weaponry, but that is all it remains. Rumor.

Magic

Magic does not exist as it does in many other fantasy settings. No one throws fireballs from their bare hands, heal gaping wounds with soft-spoken words, or summon meteors to crush the planet. Magic is literally supernatural, often a mysterious and inexplicable force naturally occuring within nature or drawn from creatures or environments of a magical nature. The hover stones for the airships are an example of naturally occurring magic.

As such, “technology” is typically enhanced by magic. The energy from the hover stone collected to reroute throughout an airship so that it may more effectively float, hover, and soar into the sky is a result of combining magic and technology. Certain effects can be amplified by a skilled magician that enscribes runes across the stone itself (a risky endeavor that could destroy the stone and/or the magician performing the inscription), or upon portions of the ship (much less risky, but a less powerful amplification).

There are many objects which can gain similar enchantment based on the magician’s inscriptions. An inscription can be placed upon a door that, without saying the keyword inscribed into the doorway, leaves any who cross the threshold paralyzed or slumbering. An inscription can be writ upon a blade so that, when dipped within fire, will burn bright until doused in water or within a proper sheath. A properly formed inscription might even keep that blade burning beneath the water, or only doused while in a sheath with matching inscription.

There are libraries and organizations dedicated to mastering The Old Tongue, the ancient language in which runes and glyphs are written. No one is absolutely certain of its origins, as it is shared across all races, has a very complex linguistic structure, and the words themselves are of great power to make ideas real. Some believe it was created by ancient Gods, or beings that have either died or left this world. No one knows for certain, as documents have yet to be interpreted in a sensical manner.

This means a magician’s power is limited to their understanding of the language and knowledge of words. So the eternal flaming sword described above is based purely on how knowledgeable and skilled a magician is with the language. Note that the Old Tongue is only written, as there is no guideline as to how it is spoken. This additionally makes interpreting and translating texts difficult, as various schools and even cultures apply different names to different runes and symbols, creating an inconsistent alphabet between those working with the language. It is only recently that scholars from Dwarven, Human, and Elven nations have agreed to begin working on a unified interpretation of the Old Tongue. Naturally, more time is spent arguing over whose interpretation is correct.

It is believed that gnomes understand the power more than anyone else, yet keep its secrets to themselves so as not to give away any secrets. Many of their darker projects do not see the light of day, and usually they only use the magic to help improve their own factories and assemblies. They do not, after all, want to share too much of their technology and sacred arts with other races, and supposedly this is where the most important secrets are kept between gnomish cities and clans.

So magic is either naturally occurring, or placed upon objects via inscription. Inscription can focus or draw out a magical object’s powers, though at a risk, or it can imbue a normal object with supernatural properties. Alchemy is a third type of magic built upon naturally occurring magical objects. For example, legends say that a unicorn horn, when ground up and mixed with water into an edible liquid, is capable of curing any illness or disease, no matter how fatal. Fairy or Pixie Dust, the dusting collected off of their wings or pollinations, is used for medicinal powders that accelerate healing (but only along the lines of a wound that might heal within five days healing within two). Most of this powder is sold and distributed by Elves, many of whom have whole “Pixie Farms” within their communities and cities. This is believed to be due to Pixie Speak, a language that, for whatever reason, only Elves can understand.

Alchemy is practiced by all races, and typically results in medicines, poisons, bombs, and such creations as the Tanglefoot Bag found in a game like Dungeons and Dragons. These, however, are very uncommon due to the expertise, time, and cost to create, and thus time to purchase, typically used by successful bounty hunters and only sparingly.

The final form of magic are Rituals. These are related to religions and cults. Religious rituals will be detailed in the Religion section. They often involve animal sacrifice, and/or the burning of specific ingredients as incense, in addition to hand gestures. Religious rituals either result in very, very subtle results, or they are an offering to nothing. Naturally, debates rage over the “one true faith”.

Cults, or other such organizations, typically practice blood rituals using the Old Tongue, but only selectively. Part of the mystery to the Old Tongue is that blood rituals only work with a human or elven sacrifice. Any other creature’s blood, even gnome or elf, do nothing. Blood rituals also only work for certain purposes. In the case of our earlier eternal blade example, inscribing runes upon the blade with blood would have no impact.

Most often, blood rituals are used for acts that many would consider heresy. Necromancy is one such act, and requires one life to be given so that another may rise. Unfortunately, there is still little known about what is often called Blood Magic, as few scholars insist on, or are even capable, of studying it. To properly study it would require murder, and thus one can only study the aftermath of such activities. What is known is that Blood Magic rarely leaves the inscriber sane. Such dark magicians often become feral, twisted, schizophrenic, paranoid, and a multitude of other side effects. Occults are often short-lived, and have a tendency to destroy themselves.

Many scholars have drawn a correlation to types of magical abilities or properties and the creatures associated with them. For example, the magic of Pixies and Fairies is passive, or incidental. They use no magic on others, their dust just happens to be magical. Same goes with the Unicorn, a creature that has not been sighted for centuries, if it had ever existed at all. These creatures are peaceful, and their magical properties are all passive.

Yet the song of the Siren, the hypnotic stare of the Naga, the petrifying gaze of the Cockatrice, the bite of the Werewolf, these are all aggressive creatures that use their magical powers for harm. Between this and the nature of blood magic, many scholars are beginning to theorize two potential sources for magic, one good and one evil. Again, however, there are arguments over whether such supernatural forces would follow mundane concepts such as ethics and morality.

This, on the whole, is the nature of magic within the game world.

Roketto

Actually... I love the inscription based magic concept.  Kinda reminds me of the alchemy from Full Metal Alchemist, which could work even better than a spell slinger for my as-of-yet unnamed catlike critter.

Darwishi

90% of the profile awaaaay.  Let me know what you think.  I have a few ideas for the character but I want to get an idea from you on some of the aspects before going further with it.

Capone

Quote from: Roketto on September 03, 2015, 10:12:19 PM
Actually... I love the inscription based magic concept.  Kinda reminds me of the alchemy from Full Metal Alchemist, which could work even better than a spell slinger for my as-of-yet unnamed catlike critter.

Well, nothing quite as over-powered, naturally. :P

Got a few character sheets so far, and I'm largely quite pleased with the ideas coming along. Hopefully I don't come off as being too strict with some of the setting specifics. Hopefully we'll have some approvals soon and can start a Character Sheet thread.

Roketto

Quote from: Capone on September 03, 2015, 11:08:45 PM
Well, nothing quite as over-powered, naturally. :P

Naturally.  I'll start working on the character then.

Chulanowa

Work rolled me into a ball and dribbled me up and down the court today, so... kinda... didn't do much character thinking.  :'( Should be good for solid brainstormery tomorrow though.

Any insight into what sort of characters are already out there?

Capone

Quote from: Chulanowa on September 04, 2015, 02:16:38 AM
Work rolled me into a ball and dribbled me up and down the court today, so... kinda... didn't do much character thinking.  :'( Should be good for solid brainstormery tomorrow though.

Any insight into what sort of characters are already out there?

None approved yet, but character sheets I've received include:
- One pirating adventurer (rogue/warrior type)
- One engineer type
- One muscle type
- One brothel worker, male

This is in addition to the Captain and the Madame. There are also a couple messages in my inbox where things are being worked out, or are in a state of "maybe not for me".

Note that there's no problem doubling up some of these professions.

Capone

So I hope many of you have patience as this is the first game, especially of this size, I've GM-ed. I've been building the setting as we progress to answer questions, and there's been a lot of discussion with those that have been sending character sheets in. I want to thank Mia H for helping me out in this regard in particular.

If you're still working on a character sheet or just started, be sure to ask these questions, added into the first post:

Quote
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF WHEN CREATING YOUR CHARACTER!

After having some lengthy conversations and loss of interest in the game with a few folks, I've decided to ask some simple questions that can come before or after you've created your character. Keep these in mind.


  • Why does your character (want to) follow Roderick and/or Molly?
  • Why would Roderick and/or Molly want your character around?
  • Would your character fit the sort of tone you'd expect from a show such as Firefly, or other ensemble shows?

Be sure to take the character personalities into account, rather than just pragmatic reasons (it's not enough that you make money whoring on the boat, or are a good mechanic, etc. etc. What's going to make this ship work is that it is, in some way, family (and yes, even families fight, so it's not a hug box, but there must be compatibility)).

While not always the case, this seems to be part of what is making things difficult. In addition, I'd say your character's bio should basically be enough to answer the first two questions.

Also: Molly's character sheet has been added to the first post! Go and meet your Madame/Ship!

CarnivalOfTheGoat

I'm rather tempted to apply for the ship's medic/cathouse doc (how does alchemy/alchymystry/what have you work in this setting, hm? Is it just applied herbology interacting with primitive chemistry or is it semi-magical in its own right?).

Someone has to keep the fevers down, keep the appropriate medications going so that the company doesn't have issues in the biblical sense, and make sure no one starts passing around bedbugs. She might well be an on-again-off-again participant in the bordello activities in a more non-medical sense as well, given the irregularity of pay that one might expect as a crewmember in a Firefly-esque situation.

Let me assure you that you don't really need to fuss yourself terribly about historical (or as some of my friends label it due to how rarely it really is accurate, "hysterical") accuraccy. As a history professor, I could shred to pieces 99% of any non-documentary you've ever seen which purported to be happening in some particular time period...And no small number of documentaries which cut corners because accuraccy was expensive, too.

But I usually don't bother unless it's particularly egregious and bad...Nitpicking ruins the enjoyment of life.

I will say that I find a bit peculiar to posit a technological progression in which rifles (as in long-arms, not rifled-bore weapons) aren't around while cannon and pistols are common to be, frankly, a bit weird...That particular technology ran bells -> cannon -> long arms of the matchlock variety -> pistols once they learned to make a small enough lock. Pistols were fairly rare devices through most of the history of firearms, as opposed to muskets and fowling-pieces. Just a bit strange. No more strange than the constant portrayal of Arthur & Co. wearing plate, mind you...

Oh, and btw, Clockpunk is a legitimate genre. Well, inasmuch as any of the offshoots of Gibson & Co's neuromantic group that got slapped with labels like *****-punk are legitimate...

My O/Os. My A/As.
Games I seek:
Savage Worlds of My Little Pony <- Just what it says. Free supplement for SW. (Or any other MLP RP!!! :D)
Eclipse Phase <- Posthuman grit SF, open source, downloadable from their web site. VERY deep worldbuilding.
Cold City <- Espionage meets the Lovecraftian supernatural. Allies in post-war Berlin chasing down the results of secret Nazi experiments
a|state <- Post-apocalyptic sort-of-steampunk, sort-of-high tech roleplay in a massive, decaying, broken-down city-state.

Capone

Quote from: CarnivalOfTheGoat on September 04, 2015, 07:48:29 PM
I'm rather tempted to apply for the ship's medic/cathouse doc (how does alchemy/alchymystry/what have you work in this setting, hm? Is it just applied herbology interacting with primitive chemistry or is it semi-magical in its own right?).

Do you mean outside of what's been outlined? Generally, it's powdered or liquid medicines that accelerate the healing process, but nothing incredibly out there. It allows them to do more than what medicine at the time could, but you're not regenerating a hand, you've still got that leprosy, and they don't have the technology to remove that cancerous growth.

QuoteLet me assure you that you don't really need to fuss yourself terribly about historical (or as some of my friends label it due to how rarely it really is accurate, "hysterical") accuraccy. As a history professor, I could shred to pieces 99% of any non-documentary you've ever seen which purported to be happening in some particular time period...And no small number of documentaries which cut corners because accuraccy was expensive, too.

You and my brother would get along great. It's something that he's learned to deal with himself.

QuoteI will say that I find a bit peculiar to posit a technological progression in which rifles (as in long-arms, not rifled-bore weapons) aren't around while cannon and pistols are common to be, frankly, a bit weird...That particular technology ran bells -> cannon -> long arms of the matchlock variety -> pistols once they learned to make a small enough lock. Pistols were fairly rare devices through most of the history of firearms, as opposed to muskets and fowling-pieces. Just a bit strange. No more strange than the constant portrayal of Arthur & Co. wearing plate, mind you...

Pistols were sort of a last-minute concession, realizing people would want to play pirates and seeing as pirates + pistols is typically a thing. Otherwise, cannons would be the furthest it has gone. The way I'm trying to logic it "behind the DM's screen" is that rifles and pistols have basically been developed at a faster rate than they normally might have, and that ... things are happening that people aren't privy to. I know it's a shit explanation, and it's basically always going to be "rule of cool" bullshit, but... Shrugs.

Capone

Updated original post with some setting information. Note that I'm not typically not a world builder like this, and I also kind of make it up as I go along. So while I thought of some of this before tonight, most of it was made up off the cuff.

Remember that this is supposed to be a game of random fun adventure and hijinks. This is for flavor. This is not necessarily important. if anything, I will be keeping this around in case I want to develop a different sort of game within this setting (kind of like how I'm implementing an early setting of Griffinport within this one). This means any details outlined here could change.

I may or may not go over different races at this point, and have decided that, for this setting, religions just aren't very important. So you will have scholars, occultists, and philosophers, but no clerics or clergy.

In any event, without further delay:

The World

When viewing this map and reading this information, you might think to yourself “That’s not how things work” or “could that truly happen?” You may begin to question the logic. When you begin doing that, ask yourself “What does a Tauntaun eat?” Sure, you can probably find some answer from the Star Wars extended universe, but don’t. Don’t, because whenever you watch Empire Strikes Back, you don’t care. You just buy into it. Which is all I’m asking here.

Note: most of this game will take place between the lands of Treyanor, the United Kingdoms of the North, and the Flying Isles.

The United Kingdoms of the North

Outlined in red are the United Kingdoms of the North. For centuries the North was a hotbed of conflict and never-ending feuds. However, three Kingdoms soon began to conquer the surrounding territories, until just the trio stood. The three weary kings chose instead to form a treaty. Oddly enough, rather than the successors seeking to undo all the progress of their sires, they chose to take the treaty further and form a single unified Kingdom. Technically the three Kingdoms still exist, but their laws and economy are intertwined.

For almost a century this union has surprisingly lasted, though it hasn’t necessarily been as peaceful for those outside of their borders. As they witnessed the expansion of the Dorelian Empire, they attacked and absorbed one of the Kingdoms of Seheisla. That was roughly 33 years ago. Currently, the successor to that conquered Kingdom is insisting on becoming one of the United, so that it can gain some level of benefit and prestige. He can often be found appearing in court, at least, when he’s not trying to suppress the growing rebellion within his Kingdom’s borders.

While the United Kingdoms are largely currently at peace, there are occasional skirmishes along their borders with Seheisla and the Dorelian Empire. Times are good within the nation that folks hardly ever think of it. Politically, however, war is all but inevitable.

While the Kingdoms are mostly human, there are plenty of dwarves that roam about the countryside, many of which are merchants or seeking to make a living as smithies. Gnome settlements and cities pepper the landscape, and some Elves have established their own communities in the lush forests of the region. Each port of the United Kingdoms is bound to be a colorful place.

Dorelian Empire

Originally just a small strip of land to the South of the continent, an uprising in the capital city of Dorel led to the death of many politicians and nobles, with a new militaristic institution taking its place. Over the last two hundred years the Empire has slowly expanded its reach, primarily grasping at the various territories of the Seheisla borders and pushing as close to the Northern Kingdoms as possible. The militaristic government has proved to be surprisingly effective, ensuring prosperity within its borders by following a set of guidelines inspired by old Elvish warfare. The mentality is that the Dorelian Empire’s glory will come, even if it takes a millennium.

Currently seeing a stalemate at its borders, the Dorelian Empire has begun to explore South, towards the Southern Wastes and the Savage Lands. They’ve already established a connection with some of the dark-skinned tribes, using the southern continents’ slave trade to try and develop a unique brand of soldier, one the other nations will be unprepared to fight.

The Dorelian Empire is largely made up of humans, with many non-humans being merchants of a sort. There are a surplus of gnome settlements within the territories, as a war-hungry country is bound to be good profit.

Kingdoms of Seheisla

Once a massive empire itself, the old Kingdom shattered centuries ago, crumbling into a series of smaller kingdoms that have been constantly at war. It is only within the past few decades that uneasy treaties have been established, as the entire region is beset by all sides. It is likely that, within the next century, “Seheisla”, which in Elvish means “Land Beside the Sea”, will truly be a thing of the history books.

Many of the kingdoms have tried to unite as those in the North have, but the grudges run too deep and the bickering too hot for any sort of union to take place.

As a result, many of the peasants within the borders are uneasy. Their ruling body could change at any time, and their fields and homes could be burned to the ground at any hour. It is not unheard of for citizens to just up and travel across the borders to a neighboring country to find a better, safer, life.

Only Elves are plentiful within Seheisla, though not nearly so numerous as they once were. Many have sailed away, tired of the fighting between human kingdoms. However, there is one Elvish kingdom which still stands, and yearns desperately to unite the remaining kingdoms… even if they must do so by force.

Kingdoms of Treyanor

The many Kingdoms of Treyanor want nothing more than to each be independent from one another. It is the only thing that unites them in any sense. The border Kingdoms are typically the strongest in a military fashion, though in many cases not strong enough to protect against the United Kingdoms. Their borderlines have been pushed back, and the many smaller nations are working on putting together a combined military force to defend.

Treyanor has a healthy population of Elves and Dwarves, as well as other creatures as well. Due to the more free, independent nature of most of the Kingdoms, many of the minority races choose to settle and form communities in this region. There are several dwarven kingdoms that have been working on building new equipment for the different militaries as well. Essentially, Treyanor is a land that is unintentionally becoming a diverse and unified nation.

What keeps many kingdoms at bay for the time being is the control of trade Treyanor has. Be it Elvenhome or the Flying Isles, Treyanor are either responsible for selling the goods or retrieving them. As a result, few nations want to launch an all-out war on any of the nations there, as it would severely harm trade flow, particularly of medicines.

Northern and Southern Dwarven Kingdoms

The borderlines are more of an estimation, as these kingdoms exist within pockets typically connected by a long, vast network of tunnels within the Earth. There are other creatures with an affinity for rock and mountain that share many of these territories, but largely the dividing line is just a separation between what is ultimately lineage. The northern and southern kingdoms are able to trace their lines back far enough that they believe to know their original Father, and draw the divide there.

The dwarves have tried many times to cross the Eastern wastes and open trading routes, but there has yet to be a regular relationship successfully established. There are too many storms in the wastes and they stretch too far out. Occasionally, however, merchants and scholars from the Far East will travel to this continent, and there are rumors of dwarves, gnomes, and even humans that have made it to the exotic land across the desert.

As such, if something comes from the Far East, it likely passed through the Dwarven Kingdoms.

Other Dwarven Kingdoms

In light brown on the map are other Dwarven kingdoms. These are not really too different from the Northern and Southern kingdoms, they are just smaller, more isolated, and not conveniently located to a giant desert.

Elvenhome

Misnamed by human adventurers long ago, Elvenhome is actually a large island that the Elves had settled to centuries ago. It is the origin of the subterranean Dark Elf, which is frequently warring with the dwarves in the mountain range.

It is a lush island filled with forest and beautiful lakes. Much of the medicinal trade comes from this island. The majority of the population are Elves, Dark Elves and Dwarves, but there are a variety of other smaller races both indigenous and migrant, including a few humans.

North of Elvenhome is a peninsula that extends from the true origin of the Elves. However, not much else is known of it.

The Flying Isles

While there are floating continents scattered throughout the world, the Flying Isles are unusual as dozens of smaller islands float over the sea, at a good proximity to one another. Many of the smaller floating continents become port towns, while the larger floating continents are slowly and carefully being mined for hover stone, the theoretical cause for their floating. No official or reliable measurements have been made, but two of the islands with the oldest mines are believed to be closer to the sea than ever before.

Each port is largely independent of any one country, however, and many are even run by gnomes. Think of it along the lines of a coal town run by a company (see the film October Sky for such an example). Some ports, such as Griffinport, are simply a place for sky pirate scum and smugglers to escape “civilized society” for a while.

World’s End

While the fringes of World’s End have grass tundra, it quickly becomes nothing but snow and ice. No one has ventured into the snowy white wastes and returned. It is believed that the world ends here, and that once you’ve crossed the threshold there is no coming back.

Eastern Wastes

Very few settlements of any creature live out in the Eastern Wastes. It is a desert plagued by monstrously sized sand storms, very little water, less to eat, and horrific creatures that possess the absolute fury of a beast that doesn’t get the opportunity to feed often. Very rarely are airships capable of making the trip through or around due to the length of the journey. On rare occasion, however, a merchant manages to come West, bringing with them exotic potions, scrolls, and other products.

Dragon’s Mouth and Dragon’s Gullet

These locations are largely uninhabited, primarily due to the plentify presence of dragons. Those living along the surrounding shores are often keeping watch for winged beasts soaring through the sky, as it means any creature without cover is likely to be on the menu.

Dragon’s Gullet is less populated by dragon’s, but also houses a massive and active volcano.

The only adventurers that come near these territories are those with a death wish.

The Savage Lands

Horrific monsters dwell in those jungles and deserts, as do a dark-skinned people hardened against a harsh environment. No one is completely certain what happens across the sea, but based on the slave trade it seems that much war has been happening.

Only the Dorelian Empire really has much regular contact with the tribes of the Savage Lands, and very rarely purchases slaves. Oddly enough, gnomes are active buyers of slaves, though no one has ever seen a slave working in gnome communities.

CarnivalOfTheGoat

Quote from: Capone on September 04, 2015, 08:01:28 PM
Do you mean outside of what's been outlined? Generally, it's powdered or liquid medicines that accelerate the healing process, but nothing incredibly out there. It allows them to do more than what medicine at the time could, but you're not regenerating a hand, you've still got that leprosy, and they don't have the technology to remove that cancerous growth.

Got it. That's roughly how I saw it. If anyone is out there playing Herbert West, it's probably some cross-over with Blood Magic rather than 'proper' alchemistry.

Quote from: Capone on September 04, 2015, 08:01:28 PMPistols were sort of a last-minute concession, realizing people would want to play pirates and seeing as pirates + pistols is typically a thing. Otherwise, cannons would be the furthest it has gone. The way I'm trying to logic it "behind the DM's screen" is that rifles and pistols have basically been developed at a faster rate than they normally might have, and that ... things are happening that people aren't privy to. I know it's a shit explanation, and it's basically always going to be "rule of cool" bullshit, but... Shrugs.

Rule of cool is always a valid argument in world-design.

I'll see about cooking up a character sheet tomorrow.

EDIT: It is all but impossible to find images of non-nasty harpies, much less ones with Victorian/Georgian/Edwardian/steampunkish couture.

My O/Os. My A/As.
Games I seek:
Savage Worlds of My Little Pony <- Just what it says. Free supplement for SW. (Or any other MLP RP!!! :D)
Eclipse Phase <- Posthuman grit SF, open source, downloadable from their web site. VERY deep worldbuilding.
Cold City <- Espionage meets the Lovecraftian supernatural. Allies in post-war Berlin chasing down the results of secret Nazi experiments
a|state <- Post-apocalyptic sort-of-steampunk, sort-of-high tech roleplay in a massive, decaying, broken-down city-state.

mia h

Quote from: CarnivalOfTheGoat on September 05, 2015, 02:01:14 AM
EDIT: It is all but impossible to find images of non-nasty harpies, much less ones with Victorian/Georgian/Edwardian/steampunkish couture.

How about this?

Oh HARPIES
If found acting like an idiot, apply Gibbs-slap to reboot system.

Darwishi

*facepalm*

EDIT: So the closest thing I could find to non-nasty harpies were the Yugioh ones.  Like this!


Capone

Whelp, I basically hit the character limit on the original post. No more setting material until we create a thread specifically for it. :P

So, after today's exercise of writing up different races and creatures, I realized that I'm better at detailing a setting from a more micro-level, covering broad traits of a race and their sociology. As such, consider the race and creature details I've added to the first post (and will be including here) as pretty set in stone. However, the borders of kingdoms/empires and all that stuff written yesterday? Consider that on the fence. I might wipe it out and simplify it for now, since the vast majority of that information is unnecessary.

I do feel like a deceitful liar, in that this went from a blank canvas of everyone contributing creatively, to developing a much more rigid setting. I realized as people were asking me questions that I wanted a specific feel and tone for the game, and some things threatened to change that. So apologies on my end for that, as people that expressed initial interest may or will find themselves less free than originally planned. That's my failing as a GM. However, at the same time, I'm hoping to create a setting that can be recycled for other games, be they group or one-on-one, in E in the future. It started as jokingly including Griffinport, an earlier creation of mine on here, into the setting. However, I keep coming up with ideas for creatures and story possibilities that I think I'd like to keep this setting to potentially explore more ideas later.

With all of that said, I'm willing to work with others on the political situation and the borders and all of that stuff, but it is mostly not necessary as it is beyond the scope of this game.

Just... try to think of a catalyst for your character's adventures aside from a war, or leave it very vague, like "the war", so it makes character histories easier to sync together. :P

Now then, as for the newly added setting details:

The Races
Humans:

Humans make up the majority of the denizens of the continent, and who you will most likely run into. There’s nothing truly different about them in this setting compared to others. The only difference is it’s not certain whether there are human races beyond the continent, or at least not like the commonly caucasian sort found within the Kingdoms. From the savage lands are dark skinned men and women, some of which escape the slave trade, others which come to explore a new land. They are often viewed with a curious eye, and it is not uncommon for people to speak to them slowly even if they can speak the common tongue perfectly well. It is rare, but there are second or third generation citizens whose parents or grandparents came from the Savage Lands. Many refer to them as savages or barbarians, largely out of complete ignorance. However, there is no hatred for the people, just an assumption that they are “a bit slower”. They refer to themselves as Kin-Quo. The continent, in their tongue, is Kin-Soo.

To the East lies a land not unlike our China. However, very few manage to make it across the wastes. Some are merchants, some are adventurers, and some, still, are refugees of war or fugitives seeking to find a new home, should they survive the desert. These are very, very rare sorts of folk to find and meet, but they do exist within the continent, and are very quick to learn the common tongue. Their homeland is referred to as Xing Tsu, though that is evidently a more broad name for the entire region. Many progeny of what are called the Xing tend to be half-breeds, and it is not uncommon for the daughters to be sold or persuaded into the sex trade due to their exotic appearance.

Elves:

It would seem the Western lands consist of Elves, or similarly evolved fae on the family tree (such as the Dark Elf). Not a dwarf, gnome, or human among them. As such, the long-lived Elves find the “Eastern Continent”, as they call it, a curiosity. Those that live on Elvenhome or along the shoreline, trading and meeting with these “exotic races”, often travel inland to become a sort of celebrity, telling tales of the men from across the sea.

The common elves are much less industrial in their approach to the world, however. They tend to build settlements within and around the trees, rather than clearing a region and building a whole home. Thus their cities are something to behold, and it is said they have mastered an art for growing things. Thus they have networks of trees as large as castles, and they inhabit the interiors as insects might crawl within and throughout a normal sized tree.

However, not all Elves are so common. Beyond the shores there are still plenty of warring factions, and one such community chose to break off and conquer some of the human lands within Seheisla. That was centuries ago, and now that Elven Kingdom seems more human than a reflection of their culture of origin.

Dwarves:

They are born of the Earth, work of the Earth, and return to the Earth. It is believed that the Dwarves were masters of the continent before Humans even existed, and that they had to dig deep into the Earth to flee a cataclysm. This is the most their own scholars can gather, as the writings on the walls are worn and smoothed over, and the parchments found crumble and turn to dust. This has led to dwarves seeking a more permanent solution to recording their history, as there are several gaps and much forgotten lore.

Dwarves essentially pray to and worship their ancestors. Lineage is very important to them, and likely the only thing that has survived the many centuries. It helps that dwarves live long lives. It does not help that they have difficulties breeding. Many dwarven babies are stillborn, and some in the population are sterile. This has kept their numbers few, and many that are unable to continue their line leave their mountain homes and wander the surface world.

Dwarves are masters of digging and architecture, and often sell their services to other kingdoms and cultures seeking to build fortresses, castles, or even whole settlements. However, they are in constant competition with gnomes, despite the frequent trade. Dwarves know about digging and rock, masters of such physical labor, but they are not engineers like their subterranean cousins.

If there are Dwarven wars, they occur within and beneath the mountains. The different Dwarven kingdoms have largely been at peace for centuries, cooperating to build a network of tunnels that expedite travel within the mountain ranges.

Gnomes:

Slightly shorter than dwarves in stature and certainly thinner, what the face of a gnome looks like has long been forgotten, aside from typically large snouts. Their eyes are beady and yellow and masks and kerchiefs are always covering from the nose down. It is to the belief of gnome society that there is no foe of progress greater than individuality. All gnomes are gnomes, all other races are not. Masks are worn in order to crush any concepts of being different from the gnome beside you.

However, some differences are inescapable, most typically in physical and mental prowess. Female gnomes are rare, and thus kept safe within the center of communities, saved for the most exceptional of gnomes. If by the age of 25 a gnome has failed to contribute exceptionally to society, then he is castrated, killing his sex drive and thus allowing him to focus purely on his work.

What is perhaps most peculiar about this society is that, even though there is no unified kingdom or system of government, no unified lands, just a collection of communities large and small, they all adhere to the same philosophy. Any scholars that have tried to discuss this matter have simply been dismissed. There is nothing profitable or beneficial in such talk.

This lack of empathy does cause much concern to scholars of the land, but there is no doubt that all races and citizens benefit from the productivity and ingenuity of the gnomes.

Players are not permitted to play as gnomes. There are no exceptions.

Other Races:

Halflings? Nekomimi? Kitsune? Other fae? There’s a possibility such characters exist! However, they are far less numerous and tend to exist in small, more rural communities if they are grouped together at all. If you would like to play such a race, speak with me and I’ll see if I feel the race fits properly into the game.
-

Fantastic Creatures
Kobolds: A furry little creature no more than three feet tall. Though appearing like a mammal, the kobold has scaled flesh, suggesting that it is part of the reptilian family tree. The creatures often form small tribes within forests, living in trees and burrowing into the ground. They rarely interact with humans, and at most tend to sneak into a camp at night to steal food and belongings of resting adventurers or merchants. They have been known to steal babies.

It is rare that kobolds venture into human settlements, and more rare that they are enough of an infestation to become a serious problem to the population.

Kobolds are a peculiar kind of intelligence. Smarter than monkeys, they tend to wear items as “clothing” and even learn through imitation of humans. However, they are not inventive, communicate only through grunts, shouts, and purrs, and have no method of establishing a real society.

Orcs: In terms of physical appearance, think the Orcs from Lord of the Rings (specifically not the Uruk-Hai, but the smaller ones). No one is certain what the origin of the Orc is, though the assumption is that they were once a race of fae that fell victim to dark magic. The very sight of runes can drive them to such levels of fear that it is believed they are somehow tied with the speakers of the Old Tongue, yet it has been impossible to learn what they know. Orcs speak no language but their own, and are completely uninterested in interacting with the other races.

Orcs tend to prefer swamp lands and marshes for homes, places that are wet and surrounded by vegetation. They are surprisingly adept at building shelters, often disguised to look like part of the surroundings. Yet there is little sign of civilization within these homes. A roof and a floor to sleep on is the extent, and each shelter is crowded at night when they rest. Orcs will attack unaware merchant caravans and travelers nearby for their belongings.

Large enough cities with subterranean sewer systems are likely to have a small tribe of Orcs living beneath their streets. These Orcs will often have scouts that scavenge at night, finding whatever food is left in the rubbish of the citizenry and, on occasion, breaking into a butcher’s shop for the latest kill. It is not surprising to see homeless or drunkards passed out in alleys kidnapped and taken into the sewers for food. It is at this point that the authorities typically stage a hunt to exterminate what they can of the Orcs, but even the most thorough hunt is temporary. Be it a completely different tribe or the remnants of the previous, they always return. They never, however, number more than two dozen.

The only race that Orcs actively hunt down are gnomes, though no one knows why. No one knows if they are a part of a larger clan or if it is merely ingrained in their “culture”, if it can even be called such, but it is not uncommon to see Orcs with war paint laying siege upon gnomish settlements. They never seem to have a real strategy or goal other than to kill as many gnomes as possible before they are all wiped out. Suicide squads, essentially.

Mermaids: Mermaids are very curious about humans, but fearful of large groups of them. It is rare that a whole ship of crew out on the seas will witness even a single Mermaid, but a single unfortunate soul thrown overboard may find themselves rescued. They do not speak any known tongue, and in fact don’t seem to speak much at all. Yet they certainly have voices, as they often giggle when closely observing humans, dwarves, elves, or other races.

Interactions with Mermaids are always brief, and sometimes a person rescued from drowning may not even be aware that they were saved by a Mermaid. The creatures are fascinated by genitalia, male or female, but will often behave sheepishly if presented with a “live sample”. On rare occasion will they experiment, but only if absolutely certain the land dweller can be trusted and are alone. This experimentation and examination can be cold and purely intellectual, or it can be erotic.

There are occasions where a Mermaid becomes enamoured with a land dweller, pulling them beneath the waves to try and take them “home”, wherever that may be. Unfortunately, no one has survived to find out. This suggests that Mermaids merely understand that land dwellers belong on land, but do not understand that land dwellers cannot survive under water.

Many have sought to capture Mermaids, but even if kept in water they never survive more than a few hours. It is uncertain as to why, though there are theories that there is some connection between the Mermaids and the Sea that is vital to their prolonged survival.

There are those who hunt Mermaids for their scales. When ground up, the scales make for a sort of “glitter” that not only draws the eye, but acts as a sort of light visual hypnosis. A man that sees a woman adorned with such “make-up” will develop enhanced feelings of attraction to her. This is not the same as a love potion, however. Typically only nobles can afford it, and many who are aware where the glitter comes from look unfavorably upon its use. However, there’s still enough of a demand for it in higher class society that it is a frequently traded good, and deals are often struck with brothels to give a limited supply.

As Roderick owes his life to Mermaids, he is against the use and transportation of Mermaid scales.

Fairies and Pixies: These small creatures, at most seven or eight inches tall, have a natural glow about them that makes them shine at night. However, they also have tendency to be quite elusive. The only race they trust implicitly are the elves. However, there are ways to coax them out of hiding as long as you know where they are settled. Typically deep in the forest, by a lake, where the trees are large and filled with empty holes and nooks to hide or slumber in.

Fairies and Pixies have a curious love for incense and scented candles, curiously enough. A standard ritual is to slowly enter a known Fairy “nest” holding a candle aloft, placing it down upon a stump, boulder, or similar natural pedestal, and then lighting the candle. Afterwards, it is best to step away, and after several minutes fairies and pixies will come and surround the candle.

Types of “dust hunters” will thus respond differently. More aggressive ones may use nets to capture a fairy or pixie, using a knife to scrape dust from the wings. Some simply wait and collect whatever dust has dropped upon the ground. Others still manage to establish some form of communication, indicating that the candle is a trade for dust. This strategy is known to fail at times.

Elves have a tendency to grow “pixie farms”, entire gardens populated by fairies and pixies that willingly offer their dust. This is a result of Elves understanding the Pixie Speak, a language no other race can even begin deciphering, nor do the Elves know how to decipher it themselves. It is a natural connection of some sort. This means, while not all medicines are made and distributed by elves, most medicine is.

Dragons: Dragons tend to be sighted where there are large peaks of mountains. This makes them a common foe to Dwarves, as well as a potential problem for Floating Islands or airships that roam too close to what they consider their territory. They actually do not roam much, but instead create a perimeter that they treat as “their home”. Those who enter are slain.

This typically means that a dragon established in less habitable regions will be a problem to nothing but the local mountain goats. However, when an adolescent dragon first flies to discover its own territory, it razes and attacks many in its path. Once it has found a fitting spot to nest, it goes about razing all land within its desired perimeter. This means towns or villages that just so happen to be within that perimeter get attacked.

These attacks are largely uncommon, however, as dragons do not often breed. There are maybe one, two adolescents a year, and most often they soar right for the mountains or attack the nest of another dragon.

They are very uncommon and spread out in the northern lands and along the mountain ranges, but the Dragon’s Mouth is a collection of islands completely littered with the beasts. No one is quite certain why the congregate so closely together, and it seems they are often fighting with each other. They are the greatest danger to trade and travel between the main continent and the savage lands, as they’ll fly for miles in search of food or potential trespassers. Needless to say, the Dragon’s Mouth has no settlements.

Legendary Beasts: Within this game players will run into creatures such as Naga, ghoul, minotaur, banshee, cockatrice, and various other monsters of legend and lore. These creatures are not numerous, and often times are only spoken of in old wives’ tales. You might hear of a crazy old man that swore he saw such a beast when he was younger, spinning the same old yarn in the corner of the tavern every night. Maybe he’s just crazy. Maybe he saw something. Maybe, he happens to be telling the truth.

Other smugglers and sailors will certainly have their own stories to tell, and sometimes a sailor will encounter such a creature twice, maybe thrice in their lifetime. It all depends on the creature. However, these beasts are not crawling all over the world (or flying). They are rare, and your average peasant will likely never run into one (and if they do, it’s doubtful they’d live to tell the tale).

CarnivalOfTheGoat

Just an aside, dealing with a kidney stone, having the devil of a time even sitting up with a laptop to type this. Probably be a few days, sad to say.

My O/Os. My A/As.
Games I seek:
Savage Worlds of My Little Pony <- Just what it says. Free supplement for SW. (Or any other MLP RP!!! :D)
Eclipse Phase <- Posthuman grit SF, open source, downloadable from their web site. VERY deep worldbuilding.
Cold City <- Espionage meets the Lovecraftian supernatural. Allies in post-war Berlin chasing down the results of secret Nazi experiments
a|state <- Post-apocalyptic sort-of-steampunk, sort-of-high tech roleplay in a massive, decaying, broken-down city-state.

ChaoticSky

Did... did you make a clockpunk setting? :o

Gotta toss my hat in for this!

Capone

Quote from: CarnivalOfTheGoat on September 06, 2015, 08:05:21 AM
Just an aside, dealing with a kidney stone, having the devil of a time even sitting up with a laptop to type this. Probably be a few days, sad to say.

Oof! Gah, good luck with that. Hopefully you get to sleep through much of it or something. I wish you a speedy recovery!

Quote from: ChaoticSky on September 06, 2015, 08:08:33 AM
Did... did you make a clockpunk setting? :o

Evidently!

QuoteGotta toss my hat in for this!

Sweet!




I think we'll have some approved character sheets pretty soon. That way folks can see what's already on board and where they might be able to fill in.

Note that you don't have to start as part of the crew! Remember, technically Simon and Shepard began as paying passengers on the Firefly. Similar thing can happen here.

Darwishi

Ironically, this will be my first time trying to start my character off as someone that's already in the know.  Normally, if I come to a new setting, then I play someone that's new to the setting so they get the gist of the setting as I do. XDD  I tried for something a bit different this time. ;)

I shall eventually get those edits done to Savannah.  Maybe tonight-ish.

EDIT:  EW, kidney stone? Are you able to have that sound-wave treatment thing or are you having to pass it? Bleh!

CarnivalOfTheGoat

Quote from: Darwishi on September 06, 2015, 09:14:38 AM
EDIT:  EW, kidney stone? Are you able to have that sound-wave treatment thing or are you having to pass it? Bleh!

Too small for my insurance to cover that treatment. Never mind it feels like a ()&*@#$@#$ boulder.

My O/Os. My A/As.
Games I seek:
Savage Worlds of My Little Pony <- Just what it says. Free supplement for SW. (Or any other MLP RP!!! :D)
Eclipse Phase <- Posthuman grit SF, open source, downloadable from their web site. VERY deep worldbuilding.
Cold City <- Espionage meets the Lovecraftian supernatural. Allies in post-war Berlin chasing down the results of secret Nazi experiments
a|state <- Post-apocalyptic sort-of-steampunk, sort-of-high tech roleplay in a massive, decaying, broken-down city-state.

Eudoxia

Quote from: Capone on September 06, 2015, 08:59:10 AM

Note that you don't have to start as part of the crew! Remember, technically Simon and Shepard began as paying passengers on the Firefly. Similar thing can happen here.

This is a good reminder. It actually has me reconsidering many things about my own character. *runs off to red-ink the hell out of old character sheet!!*

Darwishi

Quote from: CarnivalOfTheGoat on September 06, 2015, 12:55:31 PM
Too small for my insurance to cover that treatment. Never mind it feels like a ()&*@#$@#$ boulder.

Yeaaah, that's what I've heard.  It's less a stone and more of a sand-spur.  Basically a prickly little thing that stabs you ever five seconds and feels about as great as it sounds.  Which is why if they're big enough that insurance will pay to have them broken apart.  Big ones can do physical damage...like really bad damage, as opposed to "only" OMG THIS THING FUCKING HURTS!!!

Level of pain of a kidney stone.
I also had a guy describe it to me as getting your dick slammed in a car door...if anyone cares to know the level of pain kidney stones can cause.

I hope they're at least letting you have drugs for the pain?

Rel Mayer

Just a question:

Would this image be too Sci-fi for the game? I was reading the rulings on guns and I could do something of a musket with one shot. I wasn't sure if that would be allowed, so no worries if not! I just found this image and really liked it.

Let me know if it's too Sci fi:



Capone

Quote from: Rel Mayer on September 06, 2015, 07:18:43 PM
Just a question:

Would this image be too Sci-fi for the game? I was reading the rulings on guns and I could do something of a musket with one shot. I wasn't sure if that would be allowed, so no worries if not! I just found this image and really liked it.

Let me know if it's too Sci fi:



Is that a cosplay photo of Quiet from MGSV?

Does a Google image search...

I think it is! (And God bless Hideo Kojima)

Characters will not have muskets, and we currently are looking at one with a pistol so I'm wary of adding more guns. However, having a sharpshooting (or sharploosing, as it were) archer adept with long, short, and/or crossbows would be fine.

Eye make-up is fine, and I'm sure we can come up with old-fashioned equivalents for torn-stockings and bikini+thong.

Rel Mayer

Quote from: Capone on September 06, 2015, 07:25:34 PM
Is that a cosplay photo of Quiet from MGSV?

Does a Google image search...

I think it is! (And God bless Hideo Kojima)

Characters will not have muskets, and we currently are looking at one with a pistol so I'm wary of adding more guns. However, having a sharpshooting (or sharploosing, as it were) archer adept with long, short, and/or crossbows would be fine.

Eye make-up is fine, and I'm sure we can come up with old-fashioned equivalents for torn-stockings and bikini+thong.

I can totally work with anything being replaced with arrows rather than bullets!

And yes... it is cosplay, but shhhh... such a pretty picture.

Is the image alright though? It's really alright if not, because deviantart.com has a many beautiful images for me to pick from. This one just caught my eye and I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask!

Capone

There's a pervert in me that wants to say "Yes, yes, dear God yes".

And this is why


UUUUUUUNNNNNFFFFFFF
-

However, it's really up to you. Again, mia and I can basically think of ways to bring the concept of the outfit down to being made of materials of the era. The only other concern would be the practicality of it, but we are on a brothel ship and I was expecting there to be stylized outfits and such. So if you're unsure, then find a few options and pick which one you like best. Otherwise, unless other players have an issue, I don't see a problem.

Chulanowa

Quote from: Capone on September 06, 2015, 07:41:00 PM
There's a pervert in me that wants to say "Yes, yes, dear God yes".

And this is why


UUUUUUUNNNNNFFFFFFF
-

It's things like that that make a man find religion.


Lustful Bride

Quote from: Chulanowa on September 07, 2015, 01:22:28 AM
It's things like that that make a man find religion.



As it has been said. "Sex is the purest evidence that God loves humanity".  8-)

Capone

Alright folks, doing a Robot Roll Call*. Listing out folks that have submitted character sheets, character type, and what phase it is in. This is largely to 1) help me keep track of who has what idea and will be having what role, and 2) to help keep track of what we have and what we might need.

SUBMITTED CHARACTER SHEETS
Ethereal Girl - Human, Navigator/Scoundrel -- Awaiting Bio/Final Draft
Darwishi - Human, Right Hand (Wo)man -- Awaiting Final Draft
Eudoxia - Human, Passenger/Cat Burglar -- Awaiting Final Draft
MiscMrE - Human, Passenger/Muscle -- Awaiting Final Draft
CarnivalOfTheGoat - Harpy, Chirurgeon (Doctor) --Awaiting a healthy recovery, fuck kidney stones, Final Draft

-

SUBMITTED CHARACTER CONCEPTS
Lustful Bride - Halfling, Alchemist -- Awaiting Character Sheet
Rel Mayer - Human?, Archer -- Awaiting Character Sheet
Chulanowa - Chronicler/Scholar? -- Awaiting Character Sheet
A Painter - Sylph, Deckhand -- Awaiting Character Sheet

-

The tallies below include both Roderick and Molly:

Total Approved Characters: 2
Total Characters: 9

Total Males: 2
Total Females: 6
Total Trans or Other: 0
Undecided: 1

-

I did not list eBadger under concepts as he has been silent for a while. At this stage, it should be worth noting we have no dedicated brothel workers aside from Molly, though at least one is willing to spend some time in one of the spare rooms earning bonus coin. Due to the number of characters, I'm thinking we might want to have brothel workers as NPC's or allow players to have minor secondary characters, but I'm not sure what to think of either option. At this stage I would prefer more male characters.

eBadger, considering the state of things, I might want to rework your character concept so you play a humanoid male engineer that keeps the Gear Pixies as pets or some such. If you're willing to go forward with this idea, PM me and we can work out the details.

Now then.... I don't think I missed anyone?

*Cambot! Gypsy! Tom Servo! Croooooooooow!

Alias

Hi! This looks like a lot of fun. I'm catching up on the board, and reading things over. Just wanted to state my interest now, while I read. :)


Etherealgirl



Capone

We have an approved characters thread!

I'll try and get an OOC up soon, as well as a thread for setting materials. Tonight I'm a bit distracted upgrading my PS4's hard drive (and by upgrading I mean the easy process of swapping out followed by holy crap how do I have so much to redownload and reinstall).

Greenwoodtree

It looks like you are not in need of anymore female characters :)
"Sometimes your nearness takes my breath away; and all the things I want to say can find no voice.  Then, in silence, I can only hope my eyes will speak my heart."

Let's only say what our Hearts desire.
~Rumi


My Requests:  https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=243061.0
My Apologies: https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=224775.0
My Preferences:  https://elliquiy.com/forums/onsoffs.php?u=56044

Darwishi

My work week is almost over! I'll try to work on the profile again on Thursday.  Most of the time my work weeks are actually just the weekends for everyone else. =P  This is kind of a special week so I shall be less busy very soon! 

Then again, more busy means more moolah. =P

mia h

Quote from: JsHLDantes on September 09, 2015, 12:15:11 AM
It looks like you are not in need of anymore female characters :)
We're not going to say no to a character just because of their gender but more male characters would help with the gender balance.
If found acting like an idiot, apply Gibbs-slap to reboot system.

TheScarletBlade

“I fight for the men I have held in my arms, dying on foreign soil. I fight for their wives and children, whose names I heard whispered in their last breath. I fight for we few who did come home, only to find our country full of strangers wearing familiar faces. I fight so that all the fighting I've already done hasn't been for nothing, I fight: because I must.”

TheScarletBlade aka TSB

Leodouble08

I'll state my interest as well, should be able to get a vague concept out in a couple of days.

Capone

Quote from: mia h on September 09, 2015, 02:39:47 AM
We're not going to say no to a character just because of their gender but more male characters would help with the gender balance.

In addition, while those that have submitted character concepts have shown quite a bit of enthusiasm, there's always the possibility that someone will have to drop before the game even begins or they're even approved.

Quote from: Leodouble08 on September 09, 2015, 04:11:16 AM
I'll state my interest as well, should be able to get a vague concept out in a couple of days.

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

Quote from: TheScarletBlade on September 09, 2015, 03:07:29 AM
Males needed?  That seems strange. Interesting story setting.

I know right? Typically it feels like the gender ratio swings the other direction.

As for the setting, thank you. I'm looking to expand it so it's my go-to fantasy setting on E.

Alias

working on my character sheet now. It'll be a female, I'm sort of limited that way. hopefully it all works out! :)

Quote from: Chulanowa on September 07, 2015, 01:22:28 AM
It's things like that that make a man find religion.



I love your avatar so much!

eightxinfinity

Ons/Offs and my poorly maintained idea thread

Rel Mayer


Chulanowa

I know what I want, I just can't find a picture for it! It's impossible to find "soft"-looking fantasy males that aren't bishi anime crap. -flails-

Capone

Quote from: eightxinfinity on September 09, 2015, 11:36:01 AM
Males needed eh? How about a surly half-orc ship's cook?

I'll have to think on the orc half of that since they aren't like standard D&D orcs in this setting. However, I hadn't even considered having a cook on board. Technically I'm not sure you would have a cook, but I love the idea of a typically tough character type being something so different. I'll PM you when I'm done work to bounce some ideas around.
Quote from: Chulanowa on September 09, 2015, 12:44:22 PM
I know what I want, I just can't find a picture for it! It's impossible to find "soft"-looking fantasy males that aren't bishi anime crap. -flails-

I know this feel. If need be, feel free to use a non-fantasy face claim. This goes for everyone. We can always describe outfits or link images to clothing.

TheScarletBlade

So just to clear up a personal confusion of mine, Gnomes are the primary experts in technology, not the dwarves?
“I fight for the men I have held in my arms, dying on foreign soil. I fight for their wives and children, whose names I heard whispered in their last breath. I fight for we few who did come home, only to find our country full of strangers wearing familiar faces. I fight so that all the fighting I've already done hasn't been for nothing, I fight: because I must.”

TheScarletBlade aka TSB

Capone

Yes. They are on the cutting edge. However, Dwarves still excel at things like architecture, and are likely crafting more "commercial" items used day to day. Think of gnomes as a larger contractor such as Lockheed Martin, or the company that makes all the equipment all the other companies use. Unless it's being sold onto the black market, your average person is likely not touching anything crafted by gnomes in their day to day activities.

TheScarletBlade

Well I was curious about maybe filling the role of the person who like tinkers on the ship. Thought a mad dwarven engineer and blacksmith would fit the role but maybe a gnome would be better, though never really liked gnomes.
“I fight for the men I have held in my arms, dying on foreign soil. I fight for their wives and children, whose names I heard whispered in their last breath. I fight for we few who did come home, only to find our country full of strangers wearing familiar faces. I fight so that all the fighting I've already done hasn't been for nothing, I fight: because I must.”

TheScarletBlade aka TSB

Capone

Dwarf would be fine. Remember, there are always exceptions to rules. Also, gnomes are not a playable race for reasons that shall remain seeeeeecret.

EDIT: Let this tonally suitable music fuel your character creation processes*!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU4rXB1I2PY

*Let's completely ignore the fact that the song's actual meaning doesn't fit the game at all!

TheScarletBlade

“I fight for the men I have held in my arms, dying on foreign soil. I fight for their wives and children, whose names I heard whispered in their last breath. I fight for we few who did come home, only to find our country full of strangers wearing familiar faces. I fight so that all the fighting I've already done hasn't been for nothing, I fight: because I must.”

TheScarletBlade aka TSB


Alias

took  a while to find the right picture. I think I got it though. :)
*considers switching to a face-claim for more options when posting, decides to go with what she found, it took two days*

edit: Does Roderick's Captain duty include piloting? or does the moaning molly not need a real "pilot" because it's sentient. And! If there is no pilot... What kind of role on the ship would replace that role...?

Rel Mayer

I'm claiming the linguistics/old language girl!!!

Now that I actually have an idea of my character. I'm just setting that down now and refusing to drop it... even if it's hot!

mia h

Quote from: Alias on September 10, 2015, 10:50:41 AM
took  a while to find the right picture. I think I got it though. :)
*considers switching to a face-claim for more options when posting, decides to go with what she found, it took two days*

edit: Does Roderick's Captain duty include piloting? or does the moaning molly not need a real "pilot" because it's sentient. And! If there is no pilot... What kind of role on the ship would replace that role...?

There is definitely a pilot\helmsman\navigator onboard; even if they are there partly for show. If people knew Molly was sentient than she'd never get any business, so paying someone to do the job might seem unnecessary but it does mean Molly and the crew get paid. For the most part Molly would leave a competent pilot\helmsman to get on with things but still keep an eye out and step in if necessary, or occasionally the pilot might find flying a little bit easier than it should be as Molly is helping out.

Quote from: Alias on September 10, 2015, 10:50:41 AM
does the moaning molly not need a real "pilot" because it's sentient.
Calling Molly an "it" is a quick way to find yourself overboard  :P
If found acting like an idiot, apply Gibbs-slap to reboot system.

Capone

Currently EtherealGirl is covering role of Navigation, which would be done on an old fashioned wheel with additional levers for y-axis manueverability.

She and Roderick would likely swap places on occasion.

If EtherealGirl chooses another role to take, then Navigator would open up.

Etherealgirl


Alias

Quote from: mia h on September 10, 2015, 11:51:45 AM
There is definitely a pilot\helmsman\navigator onboard; even if they are there partly for show. If people knew Molly was sentient than she'd never get any business, so paying someone to do the job might seem unnecessary but it does mean Molly and the crew get paid. For the most part Molly would leave a competent pilot\helmsman to get on with things but still keep an eye out and step in if necessary, or occasionally the pilot might find flying a little bit easier than it should be as Molly is helping out.
Calling Molly an "it" is a quick way to find yourself overboard  :P
good call. Still adjusting to the idea of a living ship. :)
Quote from: Capone on September 10, 2015, 01:35:50 PM
Currently EtherealGirl is covering role of Navigation, which would be done on an old fashioned wheel with additional levers for y-axis manueverability.

She and Roderick would likely swap places on occasion.

If EtherealGirl chooses another role to take, then Navigator would open up.
Quote from: Etherealgirl on September 10, 2015, 01:36:36 PM
Pachooooow! Levers and knobs and wheels! WHOOO!
Navigator is taken, got it. I have back up plans.

xx
loves, Alias

Capone


Crash

Quote from: CarnivalOfTheGoat on September 05, 2015, 02:01:14 AM

EDIT: It is all but impossible to find images of non-nasty harpies, much less ones with Victorian/Georgian/Edwardian/steampunkish couture.

I think this one is pretty good.


"Sorry, you must survive at least 3 games with me before we can chat like this."
Congratulations, you've unlocked Flirtatious Crash! - Envious


Alias

I'm having trouble thinking of a role on the ship. My back-up plans weren't as good as I thought they were. Just noting, taking some time to put together a CS that I'm happy with.

Chreestafer

I am still holding interest in this, just haven't had the time to write something up.  I'm going to do some mercenary for hire / muscle at the moment.  Deciding either human or dragonborn though.
“The Doctor: This is bad, I don't like this. [kicks console and yells in pain] Never use force, you just embarrass yourself. Unless you're cross, in which case... always use force!
Amy: Shall I run and get the manual?
The Doctor: I threw it in a supernova.
Amy: You threw the manual in a supernova? Why?
The Doctor: Because I disagreed with it! Now stop talking to me when I'm cross!”
Ons and Offs
F-List

eightxinfinity

Quote from: Capone on September 09, 2015, 01:16:29 PM
I'll have to think on the orc half of that since they aren't like standard D&D orcs in this setting. However, I hadn't even considered having a cook on board. Technically I'm not sure you would have a cook, but I love the idea of a typically tough character type being something so different. I'll PM you when I'm done work to bounce some ideas around.

So sounds like maybe not a half orc? I'm fine with changing to a human or something different as need be, but I'd still love the opportunity to be the ship's cook if possible.
Ons/Offs and my poorly maintained idea thread

mia h

If found acting like an idiot, apply Gibbs-slap to reboot system.

Capone

Alias, feel free to PM your ideas to me and Mia H. We could always help you brainstorm.

Chreestafer, you may need to PM me to specify dragonborn and see if we can come up with something fitting.

Eightxinfinity, shoot, I meant to PM you. Ship's cook will be fine. I'm planning on putting together a layout of the airship this weekend and will be including a kitchen. No idea how a kitchen on a boat works but then again a sentient airship h is a bit out of my logic zone as well. Gnomes did it. Problem solved.

I'll provide much better answers tonight when I'm at my keyboard proper.

Etherealgirl

*wants to play!* If anyone wants to brain storm connections, or RP ideas with my character, let me know! :D

Chreestafer

Not sure if it's come up, but in D and D specific's the airships harnessed and encased elementals to fly. Either air or fire elementals were contained in crystals or tubes along the ship and controlled by a thought crystal instead of a wheel.  Not sure if it's been brought up or discussed yet.

And I'll pm you soon. 
“The Doctor: This is bad, I don't like this. [kicks console and yells in pain] Never use force, you just embarrass yourself. Unless you're cross, in which case... always use force!
Amy: Shall I run and get the manual?
The Doctor: I threw it in a supernova.
Amy: You threw the manual in a supernova? Why?
The Doctor: Because I disagreed with it! Now stop talking to me when I'm cross!”
Ons and Offs
F-List

CarnivalOfTheGoat

Howdy all, I'm back. Kidney surgery isn't fun, but kidney stones that get stuck and start putting down roots are even LESS fun, and I have a pain threshold of 'Are you serious?!' (Back before I decided I liked the other end of the leash better, I was an infamous iron-butt sub in local Scene circles.)

I have a bunch of things to catch up on, but just to fill in some things that might help folks:

Hell yes, ships had cooks. Long John Silver, of Treasure Island fame, was the ship's cook. The cooking fire was usually built carefully in a pot of sand which rested on bricks and had bricks above it on the ceiling as well. They didn't eat canned goods on those 2-3 month voyages between continents, back in the day!

A list of positions that every ship had:

The Captain or Master,
A series of Mates, with varying responsibility (more on larger ships to divide the larger quantity of crew responsibilities),
A Boatswain or Bosun, sometimes called "Boats," responsible for stores and maintenance and supplies (including the small boats which most vessels had for shore parties or towing), as well as all deck activities (lowering and weighing anchor, trimming sails, etc.). While Boats was responsible for all of this being done properly, much of it was usually delegated to the Mates, who were frequently understudies to other officers. On an Admiralty ship, this role might be called "Purser," and have more to do with accounting than procurement,
The Ship's Carpenter, "Nails," who was responsible for mending items of wood and maintaining the ships hull. Aboard a sufficiently large vessel there might be a specialist assistant known as the Cooper who primarily mended barrels, casks, etc. The carpenter also did surgical duty and amputations in the age before more scientific approaches to medicine,
The Quarter-Master, usually chief of any marines/boarding parties, because these generally assaulted a ship alongside from the quarter-deck.
The Sailing-Master, Sea-Artist, or "Sails," responsible for navigation of the vessel under the Captain's orders,
Pilot or Steersman, responsible for actually working the rudder, particularly in dangerous waters, and turning Sails' designs into actual motion and direction, in some later eras these two positions were merged,
The Ship's Chirurgeon (Surgeon) or Physicker, who performed amputations and dispensed medicaments in the age after more scientific approaches to medicine resulted in the awareness that you needed someone with skills beyond being able to saw,
The Ship's Cook, who was responsible for the feeding of the crew and maintenance of the cooking fire,
The Ship's Chaplain, who was responsible for the souls while the cook and physicker maintained the bodies (probably not on the Molly, but there's bound to be at least one nun costume somewhere...Or maybe a vicar's robes, for that matter),
Riggers, responsible for the operation and upkeep of topsails and rigging, an extremely dangerous job that involved a lot of climbing and doing difficult things up in the rigging (no safety net)
Able-Bodied Seamen (or women) - Everybody else!

A naval vessel or a privateer that mounted weapons had these additional roles:
Master Gunner, "Guns," responsible for the maintenance and laying of all of the ship's cannon,
Captain of Marines, if there were marines...replaces the Quarter-Master for boarding and away-party purposes,
Marines, where applicable (Marines are always applicable, sometimes you just need more glue than others)

A really large Admiralty vessel might have these roles as well:
Steward, either the head cook OR something of a butler to the officers...On the Molly, might be responsible for seeing to the comfort of passengers/Johns/Janes,
Caulker, responsible for the seaworthiness of the hull,
Armourer, responsible for the maintenance of all small arms aboard ship,
Ropemaker, the only person on board who ever uses the word "rope," to everyone else, that's NOT a rope, it's a LINE,
Sailmaker, in charge of mending damaged sails and fabricating replacements from available canvas,
Master-at-Arms, instead of Captain of Marines, particularly on vessels where your boarding party weren't actual Marines, or during eras when the term "Captain" referred to only ONE person aboard, and no confusion was tolerated,

I am totally not a historian with a love for the Golden Age of Sail. Honest.

My O/Os. My A/As.
Games I seek:
Savage Worlds of My Little Pony <- Just what it says. Free supplement for SW. (Or any other MLP RP!!! :D)
Eclipse Phase <- Posthuman grit SF, open source, downloadable from their web site. VERY deep worldbuilding.
Cold City <- Espionage meets the Lovecraftian supernatural. Allies in post-war Berlin chasing down the results of secret Nazi experiments
a|state <- Post-apocalyptic sort-of-steampunk, sort-of-high tech roleplay in a massive, decaying, broken-down city-state.

Capone

Quote from: Chreestafer on September 11, 2015, 01:50:24 PM
Not sure if it's come up, but in D and D specific's the airships harnessed and encased elementals to fly. Either air or fire elementals were contained in crystals or tubes along the ship and controlled by a thought crystal instead of a wheel.  Not sure if it's been brought up or discussed yet.

And I'll pm you soon.

I wouldn't use D&D as a template for how this universe works. Check the new setting material in the first post for a general lowdown of how things operate.

Quote from: CarnivalOfTheGoat on September 11, 2015, 02:44:55 PM
Howdy all, I'm back. Kidney surgery isn't fun, but kidney stones that get stuck and start putting down roots are even LESS fun, and I have a pain threshold of 'Are you serious?!' (Back before I decided I liked the other end of the leash better, I was an infamous iron-butt sub in local Scene circles.)

OOF! Man, I'm really glad that my gallbladder infection was nothing more than just that: an infection. Hoping for a speedy recovery!

As for all the other excellent information, that will hopefully give folks some ideas!

Alias

Quote from: CarnivalOfTheGoat on September 11, 2015, 02:44:55 PM
Howdy all, I'm back. Kidney surgery isn't fun, but kidney stones that get stuck and start putting down roots are even LESS fun, and I have a pain threshold of 'Are you serious?!' (Back before I decided I liked the other end of the leash better, I was an infamous iron-butt sub in local Scene circles.)

I have a bunch of things to catch up on, but just to fill in some things that might help folks:

Hell yes, ships had cooks. Long John Silver, of Treasure Island fame, was the ship's cook. The cooking fire was usually built carefully in a pot of sand which rested on bricks and had bricks above it on the ceiling as well. They didn't eat canned goods on those 2-3 month voyages between continents, back in the day!

A list of positions that every ship had:

The Captain or Master,
A series of Mates, with varying responsibility (more on larger ships to divide the larger quantity of crew responsibilities),
A Boatswain or Bosun, sometimes called "Boats," responsible for stores and maintenance and supplies (including the small boats which most vessels had for shore parties or towing), as well as all deck activities (lowering and weighing anchor, trimming sails, etc.). While Boats was responsible for all of this being done properly, much of it was usually delegated to the Mates, who were frequently understudies to other officers. On an Admiralty ship, this role might be called "Purser," and have more to do with accounting than procurement,
The Ship's Carpenter, "Nails," who was responsible for mending items of wood and maintaining the ships hull. Aboard a sufficiently large vessel there might be a specialist assistant known as the Cooper who primarily mended barrels, casks, etc. The carpenter also did surgical duty and amputations in the age before more scientific approaches to medicine,
The Quarter-Master, usually chief of any marines/boarding parties, because these generally assaulted a ship alongside from the quarter-deck.
The Sailing-Master, Sea-Artist, or "Sails," responsible for navigation of the vessel under the Captain's orders,
Pilot or Steersman, responsible for actually working the rudder, particularly in dangerous waters, and turning Sails' designs into actual motion and direction, in some later eras these two positions were merged,
The Ship's Chirurgeon (Surgeon) or Physicker, who performed amputations and dispensed medicaments in the age after more scientific approaches to medicine resulted in the awareness that you needed someone with skills beyond being able to saw,
The Ship's Cook, who was responsible for the feeding of the crew and maintenance of the cooking fire,
The Ship's Chaplain, who was responsible for the souls while the cook and physicker maintained the bodies (probably not on the Molly, but there's bound to be at least one nun costume somewhere...Or maybe a vicar's robes, for that matter),
Riggers, responsible for the operation and upkeep of topsails and rigging, an extremely dangerous job that involved a lot of climbing and doing difficult things up in the rigging (no safety net)
Able-Bodied Seamen (or women) - Everybody else!

A naval vessel or a privateer that mounted weapons had these additional roles:
Master Gunner, "Guns," responsible for the maintenance and laying of all of the ship's cannon,
Captain of Marines, if there were marines...replaces the Quarter-Master for boarding and away-party purposes,
Marines, where applicable (Marines are always applicable, sometimes you just need more glue than others)

A really large Admiralty vessel might have these roles as well:
Steward, either the head cook OR something of a butler to the officers...On the Molly, might be responsible for seeing to the comfort of passengers/Johns/Janes,
Caulker, responsible for the seaworthiness of the hull,
Armourer, responsible for the maintenance of all small arms aboard ship,
Ropemaker, the only person on board who ever uses the word "rope," to everyone else, that's NOT a rope, it's a LINE,
Sailmaker, in charge of mending damaged sails and fabricating replacements from available canvas,
Master-at-Arms, instead of Captain of Marines, particularly on vessels where your boarding party weren't actual Marines, or during eras when the term "Captain" referred to only ONE person aboard, and no confusion was tolerated,

I am totally not a historian with a love for the Golden Age of Sail. Honest.

oh my...
thank you.

kckolbe

Sorry if this has been asked, but would a male engineer be needed/desired?
Ons/Offs  A/A  Oath of the Drake
(From the Penis Game) Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Penis
I love a wet nymph.  "Letting some guy have [her] just to have another woman is a losing trade"

Buffy: The Vampire Slayer(IC#2)
Intro Thread

Capone

Multiple folks have brought it up but none have submitted a character sheet.

kckolbe

Yeah, I noticed it wasn't listed in the "recap" if what was claimed on page 5.  In that case, I'll start working a human male from the Flying Isles.
Ons/Offs  A/A  Oath of the Drake
(From the Penis Game) Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Penis
I love a wet nymph.  "Letting some guy have [her] just to have another woman is a losing trade"

Buffy: The Vampire Slayer(IC#2)
Intro Thread

TheScarletBlade

I just need the finish the sample post and submit my character sheet for my dwarf.
“I fight for the men I have held in my arms, dying on foreign soil. I fight for their wives and children, whose names I heard whispered in their last breath. I fight for we few who did come home, only to find our country full of strangers wearing familiar faces. I fight so that all the fighting I've already done hasn't been for nothing, I fight: because I must.”

TheScarletBlade aka TSB

kckolbe

Scarlet, was thinking of having my char focus on the crystals that transfer the energy throughout the ship.  Maybe your char focuses more on the structural aspects?
Ons/Offs  A/A  Oath of the Drake
(From the Penis Game) Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Penis
I love a wet nymph.  "Letting some guy have [her] just to have another woman is a losing trade"

Buffy: The Vampire Slayer(IC#2)
Intro Thread

TheScarletBlade

My character is sort of a mad dwarven engineer and blacksmith, pays his way on the crew by maintaining weapons and armor. Also invents things and sometimes catches himself on fire playing with gunpowder. You know, normal dwarven stuff. If your character is focused on like engineering for the ship, thats totally not my realm and perfect for you to pursue. My character is more like the gadget guy if you think of shows like firefly or stuff like that.
“I fight for the men I have held in my arms, dying on foreign soil. I fight for their wives and children, whose names I heard whispered in their last breath. I fight for we few who did come home, only to find our country full of strangers wearing familiar faces. I fight so that all the fighting I've already done hasn't been for nothing, I fight: because I must.”

TheScarletBlade aka TSB

kckolbe

I think that works well, though I'll defer on engineering regarding the ship to your char.  I'll stick to crystals and diodes (not sure how well-known diodes would be).
Ons/Offs  A/A  Oath of the Drake
(From the Penis Game) Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Penis
I love a wet nymph.  "Letting some guy have [her] just to have another woman is a losing trade"

Buffy: The Vampire Slayer(IC#2)
Intro Thread

kckolbe

Actually, just noticed the post expectations, and I don't feel I could consistently meet that.  Best of luck.
Ons/Offs  A/A  Oath of the Drake
(From the Penis Game) Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Penis
I love a wet nymph.  "Letting some guy have [her] just to have another woman is a losing trade"

Buffy: The Vampire Slayer(IC#2)
Intro Thread

Capone

Quote from: kckolbe on September 12, 2015, 01:11:42 AM
Actually, just noticed the post expectations, and I don't feel I could consistently meet that.  Best of luck.

Sorry to hear that. Thanks for your interest!

Quote from: TheScarletBlade on September 12, 2015, 01:01:13 AM
My character is sort of a mad dwarven engineer and blacksmith, pays his way on the crew by maintaining weapons and armor. Also invents things and sometimes catches himself on fire playing with gunpowder. You know, normal dwarven stuff. If your character is focused on like engineering for the ship, thats totally not my realm and perfect for you to pursue. My character is more like the gadget guy if you think of shows like firefly or stuff like that.

I know Alias was looking into something similar, though Carnival's post had her considering other things as well. Perhaps the two of you could hash something out.

Seriously, someone needs to be an engineer (though I did actually start to think along the same lines as kckolbe before I even saw his response, where one engineer focuses more on conduits, copper wiring, crystals and diodes, while the other focuses on gears and cogs).

---

The setting thread has been started. Only some minor additions from what is already in the first post for now, will be adding more detail as time progresses.

Alias

I'm going to go with a rigger, and sailmaster character. It fits better with my original plan. She'll be the girl swinging around in the top-sails, and climbing around all over Molly's rigging. In a pinch, she'll be able to help the navigator and steersman with emergency repairs, and emergency maneuvers.

changing jobs so so often is tough for the development, but i think this is a winning decision. With this rigging job, she doesn't HAVE to be a deep thinker. She's more of an athlete and a risk-taker than an intellectual. So, I can get what I want out of the character much better.... translation: I won't feel like I'm mary-suing if she knows how to fight a little bit, it would only come naturally to some one that daring and athletic. Right!?

yay.

CarnivalOfTheGoat

Quote from: Capone on September 12, 2015, 09:23:14 AMI know Alias was looking into something similar, though Carnival's post had her considering other things as well. Perhaps the two of you could hash something out.

I think there's some confusion...I was pretty well set on the ship's chirurgeon? Wasn't considering anything engineer-ish.

And actually I just scrolled back through the first few pages, did a search for 'day' and 'week'...I don't see where this post requirement is that folks are talking about? I usually post a couple-three times a week...If that's not enough, let me know?

My O/Os. My A/As.
Games I seek:
Savage Worlds of My Little Pony <- Just what it says. Free supplement for SW. (Or any other MLP RP!!! :D)
Eclipse Phase <- Posthuman grit SF, open source, downloadable from their web site. VERY deep worldbuilding.
Cold City <- Espionage meets the Lovecraftian supernatural. Allies in post-war Berlin chasing down the results of secret Nazi experiments
a|state <- Post-apocalyptic sort-of-steampunk, sort-of-high tech roleplay in a massive, decaying, broken-down city-state.

kckolbe

I was referring to the 3-5 paragraphs per post.  My posts are getting longer, but I don't consistently hit 3 paragraphs, much less more.
Ons/Offs  A/A  Oath of the Drake
(From the Penis Game) Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Penis
I love a wet nymph.  "Letting some guy have [her] just to have another woman is a losing trade"

Buffy: The Vampire Slayer(IC#2)
Intro Thread

Capone

Quote from: CarnivalOfTheGoat on September 13, 2015, 02:21:03 AM
I think there's some confusion...I was pretty well set on the ship's chirurgeon? Wasn't considering anything engineer-ish.

And actually I just scrolled back through the first few pages, did a search for 'day' and 'week'...I don't see where this post requirement is that folks are talking about? I usually post a couple-three times a week...If that's not enough, let me know?

Ah, the confusion is in my poor use of pronouns. I didn't mean you were considering anything new at all, but Alias was after reading your post.

Sorry about that!

Alias

First draft of character sheet is in for the rigging prostitute, Providence!

CarnivalOfTheGoat

I should have more cycles for activity available on Thursday, currently working my way through a large pile of longer-than-expected and more problematic-than-expected essays.

My O/Os. My A/As.
Games I seek:
Savage Worlds of My Little Pony <- Just what it says. Free supplement for SW. (Or any other MLP RP!!! :D)
Eclipse Phase <- Posthuman grit SF, open source, downloadable from their web site. VERY deep worldbuilding.
Cold City <- Espionage meets the Lovecraftian supernatural. Allies in post-war Berlin chasing down the results of secret Nazi experiments
a|state <- Post-apocalyptic sort-of-steampunk, sort-of-high tech roleplay in a massive, decaying, broken-down city-state.

Capone

Good luck! Be careful to grade before you've had anything to drink.

-

I'm looking to try and put the IC together next week some time, so folks on the fence and working on character sheets should try and get them in before the weekend (I'm going to have limited E access Friday night through Sunday night, if any at all).

Capone

Alright folks! So I'll be scarce this weekend, but I'll try and respond to any character sheet PMs either early in the mornings or late in the evenings, while seeing what I can manage with remaining setting material.

I'm aiming for roughly Wednesday, September 23rd for the IC to start, probably in the evening US East Coast time.

In regards to characters and crew, here's the status:

Approved Characters:
Roderick - Captain - Played by Capone (that's me!)
Molly - Sentient Airship, Madam - Played by mia h
Lina - Passenger, Thief - Played by Eudoxia
Beth - Navigator - Played by Etherealgirl
Huroz Tunk - Cook - Played by eightxinfinity
Providence - Rigger, Brothel-Girl - Played by Alias
Kal - Passenger, Warrior - Played by MiscMrE

Character Sheets Submitted:
Rel Mayer - Half-Elf Brothel Girl, Linguistics Scholar, Enchanter in Training
cuchulainn - In Progress, Silver-Tongued-Devil?
Darwishi - Right-Hand (Wo)man, Muscle
CarnivalOfTheGoat - Harpy, Chirurgeon (Doctor)

Submitted Concepts:
Lustful Bride - Halfling Alchemist
Chulanowa - Scholar/Chronicler
A Painter - Sylph, Deckhand

-

If everyone above submits a character sheet and gets approved, then we'll have more players than I was honestly expecting. Technically there is a lack of balance (we could still use an engineer, more brothel workers), but we can always add characters later and just say they were below deck or whatever, or add them between adventures. Either way, we're looking at a total of 14, which is a healthy sized group.

Capone

Right. So Wednesday start time is not gonna happen. Due to a busy looking week, I'm thinking Sunday will be when I start the game. That should allot me bonus setting building time, give stragglers a bit of extra space to get characters in, and a start on a much less busy week.

Rish


Capone


Rish

Quote from: Capone on September 22, 2015, 06:04:10 PM
Is it an engineer? We really need an engineer. :P

I was going to go with Carpenter, but an Engineer would work just as well! Made if I make him a Qunari from Dragon age?

Capone

Don't have such a race in the setting, but it doesn't mean one can't exist!

Rish

Quote from: Capone on September 22, 2015, 06:28:34 PM
Don't have such a race in the setting, but it doesn't mean one can't exist!

In the back story I'm writing they come from the 'Dead Lands'. Or worlds end. Knowing how tough and naturally resist the Qunari bodies are it seems fitting that they exist in the worst environment possible. Currently working on my character now, but I thought I'd ask while I'm still writing it out for you to approve.

Capone


Rish

Quote from: Capone on September 22, 2015, 06:37:22 PM
Ttttttthhhhhhhhat........  hrmm...... I'll PM you in a bit.

Alright, I may be finished working this out before then so you can take a look over it.
Annnnd, I had a thought for his relationship. I was thinking that the Captain could be seen as something of a older Brother/Father figure for my guy. While Molly/Madame would be seen as a Older Sister/Secret Crush. Not sure if Mia looks over here, but would you be alright with that connection to my fellow?

((Back story is having him join the vessel as a teen. But will start 'playing' at the age of 25))

Darwishi

I don't think the Moaning Molly and crew have been around for that long, but I could be wrong, it's happened before. =P

Capone

Yeah, been discussing his character stuff in PM, and we've only been flying 2-3 years.

Wheeeeeee whiskey is fun!

Rish

Quote from: Darwishi on September 22, 2015, 08:22:08 PM
I don't think the Moaning Molly and crew have been around for that long, but I could be wrong, it's happened before. =P

Yep got that corrected. And ello Darwishi! Didn't know you were playing this as well.

Quote from: Capone on September 22, 2015, 08:35:26 PM
Yeah, been discussing his character stuff in PM, and we've only been flying 2-3 years.

Wheeeeeee whiskey is fun!

Drunk Capone sounds fun. Remember to drink your water to ease the hangover in the morning a little mate!

Darwishi

They say you should drink as much water as you do alcohol. 

And yup, I'm in this one.  I'm also in GPaW and the Nightwood Falls game... hmm, are you following me around? =P

Rish

Oh my, if only! *Playfully lets his eyes trail.* Hehe.

Seems the same games just drew my attention~ I had originally planned to see if I could join this game first. But then I found GPaW. I wasn't entirely sure if I could keep up with the games if they were too fast paced so I waited a little bit to see the speed of the two I was already in. And then checked back here to see if it was still possible for me to join. Seems I got lucky! 

Darwishi

Actually there are several common players between the games. I think Capone is in all three, Rel Mayer (as she's a GM in two of them)... I'm sure I'm missing some!

EDIT: We should probably move this conversation over to the OOC. =P

Capone

I'm not in GPaW, but Etherealgirl is in this and Nightwood (not certain about GPaW).

Darwishi


Rish

Quote from: Darwishi on September 22, 2015, 08:51:05 PM
Actually there are several common players between the games. I think Capone is in all three, Rel Mayer (as she's a GM in two of them)... I'm sure I'm missing some!

EDIT: We should probably move this conversation over to the OOC. =P

I hadn't realized there was an ooc for this game! Would you do me the honour of gracing me with its location? *Gives a graceful bow with a silly smile.*


Bibliophilia

-peeks.-  I've been dying to play a pretty, omnisexual, switchy elf boy.  Would there still be an opening for a male brothel worker?

-might have been reading an abundance of Buttsmithy lately...mmm...Alduin.-

Capone

Send mia h and I a character sheet via PM and we'll see. I think that would make us about even on gender ratio for brothel employees (ignoring that some are only part-time)?