A Band of Adventurers (UN, Fantasy, Freeform)

Started by Daril, June 09, 2009, 01:33:30 AM

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Daril

Well, my first group roleplay idea didn't seem to gather a lot of steam, so I figured I'd take a shot at something different.

Basically, I was thinking of seeing if I could assemble a little band for some adventurers in a fantasy setting.  Yeah, I know, it's not the most original thing ever, but I figure that with a good set of (preferably not too stereotypical) characters it could be fun.

Anyhow, if you're interested, just post a bit about the character you'd like to play.  You don't need a detailed profile at this point, since we're just starting all that's needed are basic details.  Ideas for plot, setting, etc. are also welcome, particularly with regards to how the characters initially meet up.  (Given my character's personality, I might be up for something like a bar brawl, but I'm open to ideas.)

Incidentally, characters of all sorts of backgrounds are okay, even relatively 'ordinary' ones.  Although given that this is a party of adventurers there should probably be a pretty good portion of 'tough' characters and the ordinary sorts should probably be willing to learn how to be useful.  Also I'm hoping for a real mix of characters, both gender wise and in terms of background.

Edit: I've got a tentative profile for my character below.  Anyone interested in being one of her adventuring companions?  You might even be able to take a leadership role.

Daril

Hmmm... might be a bit early to say that this isn't working too well, but even so, I don't think having a profile for the character I'd like to play could hurt things.

Incidentally, not all profiles need to be this long, though I think this is a pretty decent template.

Name: Lasha
Age: 21
Species: Human
Appearance: Nearly six feet tall, and lean enough to be described as being in 'fighting trim.'  Despite this, she still has her share of curves and her chest -while certainly not huge -is still fairly ample.  She has long brown hair, which she often braids, and blue eyes.  She is quite strong, a fact that becomes very apparent when she moves.
Attire: Due to her 'barbarian' background, she tends to favour a simple loincloth.  She also tends to wear a band of fabric around her breasts, but this is mainly a concession to the social views of the areas she travels in.  She is smart enough to wear more then this in extreme weather, however.  It should be noted that she isn't really bothered by nudity, and doesn't tend to raise much of a fuss if someone happens to see her naked.
Weapons (if any): A large bastard sword, a long dagger, and a bow.  Despite appearances, she is a very good swordswoman, able to back up her speed and strength with good technique.
History: Lasha was born into one of the barbarian tribes that inhabit some of the more northerly regions of the continent, and spent most of her early life in those regions.  Despite her experiences since that time, this upbringing has still left a considerable mark on her attitudes and general outlook on the world.  Lasha's first real taste of 'civilised' society came when her tribe was conquered and enslaved by an aggressively expansionist Empire to the south.  These events took Lasha to the more central regions of the Empire, where she was sold to a wealthy nobleman who intended to train her to fulfill servant duties.  This arrangement did not last long however, as Lasha's master tried to force himself on her and ended up being hurt quite badly by his not entirely tame new acquisition.  Enraged, he sold her as a gladiator, believing that she would soon die in the arena.  This proved not to be the case however, as Lasha did have some previous experience with weapons due to her upbringing, was strong enough and feisty enough to be a good fighter, and was intelligent enough to pick up on the combat techniques her trainers taught her.  Aided by her reasonably good looks and 'exotic' background, she had a short but quite successful career in the arena and proved popular enough to win her freedom.  Since that time she has been travelling the continent, mostly away from the major centres of civilisation (though rarely leaving the realms of 'civilised' people entirely) and getting herself into trouble (which she seems to be rather fond of).
Personality and Attitudes: Free spirited and boisterous, she likes to have fun and is generally friendly towards anyone who doesn't stick their nose up at her.  She is most definitely a fighter, and is known to enjoy a good brawl when the opportunity presents itself (a fact that sometimes makes her a bit unpopular).  She is somewhat promiscuous, and while she won't sleep with just anybody, she has few objections to having casual sexual relations with people she likes -irregardless of whether they be male or female.

Incidentally, I'm not sure that Lasha would really make a good party leader type of character, so if there's anyone who wants to have a character step into that role, feel free, just as long as you can justify it well.

Nimmy

#2
Hi! I spotted this, and honestly, it's right up my alley. Like you, I'm not sure how many other people will jump in here, but you've at least got one interested party.

Pardon me while I recycle and revise an old character of mine that I haven't used in years. Not sure if he'd be a good candidate for leadership, but hey, I'll put him out there anyways.

Name: Cael
Age: 24
Species: Human
Appearance: Stands at about 5 feet 10 inches, pretty slender, which tends to fool people into underestimating him. He's considerably well-trained in use of weapons, and although slender, he's almost completely made of muscle. Ginger-colored hair kept shoulder length but pulled back out of his face in either a ponytail or a sort of bandana, and gray-green colored eyes.
Attire: He tends to imitate the style of the man who taught him, which was pretty understated and perfect for blending into crowds and pretty much any other environment out there. Typically he wears simple clothing in dark colors like blacks, browns, and greens.
Weapons: a pair of swords, various knives and daggers hidden in his clothing, and yes, he know how to use all of them.
History: He grew up as an only child with an alcoholic father after his mother died giving birth to him. He was kind of adopted by the man who became his teacher after the man had seen his father beating him in public. To Cael, this man became more of a father than his birth father had ever been. He's become a lot stronger, emotionally and mentally, since he started living with his teacher. When he was perhaps 18, he and his teacher parted ways. He's traveled with a few groups for various reasons over the last few years, and finds that he prefers being on the road to thinking about settling down, at least at the present time.
Personality and Attitudes: Despite being the voice of reason in many situations, he's a rather bright, cheerful person. He's a pretty accepting person, even if it does take him a while to get to trust people. Despite his slow-warming of trust, he is a very friendly man.
Skills: knows enough about healing to stitch up wounds and keep them from getting infected, and also how to treat fevers brought about by infected wounds. As a man who's been on the road for a considerable chunk of his life, he knows how to track people and food.

Daril

Well, one's a start at least. :)  Good to have you aboard.

Ixy

I have a couple ideas for a character; I certainly prefer free-form gaming to system, so long as everybody can mutually contribute and play in a reasonably balanced way.

I'll send a couple character ideas your way via PM. 

Thanks :)
______________________
The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.

Cold Heritage

The bar brawl is a classic. But we could also meet to pursue a mutual goal. Say, the classic evil wizard doing evil things. That's enough to pull in adventurers, whether they oppose the evil wizard on moral grounds or whether they figure that they can just stab some face and steal some very nice things.

For setting, I think it might be best to leave it vague but just set up a few basic assumptions. I mean, we don't want to say 'no dragons,' or anything so specific because we might want to fight one later, or something, right? Deciding if we're happy with a Fauxkien kind of world is probably a fair step and we can progressively world-build as we go on to flesh things out.

Name: Teuton
Age: 25
Species: Human

Appearance: Teuton is a moderately tall, extremely muscular man. He stands 6'4" and weighs 339 lbs. He is fair in colouration, with especially pale skin. Diagonal scars from a vampire's talons mar his face, leaving faded pink scars. His left eye is milky and blind from the injury, and Teuton doesn't cover it. There's many scars on his body, and he never was nor ever will be accused of being handsome. Teuton's right eye is a pale blue. His hair is black, accentuating his pallor.

Attire: Black plate mail armour covers Teuton. The plates are made thickly layered steel. Chain covers where plate cannot, and the links are made of the same black metal as the plates. A white tabard with a black marian cross over the sternum is the only decoration.

Weapons: A two-handed executioner's sword.

History: Teuton was born in a small village. It was destroyed by a dragon when he was four years old. A knight errant came, and killed the dragon, but died in the process. Teuton survived alone by wandering and foraging. He was found by a Knight of the Vigil, who raised the boy and eventually brought him to the Dark Tower. Then 14, Teuton was trained by the Sword Brothers, and by twenty invested as a full Initiate of the Knights of the Vigil, a holy order of paladins dedicated to destroying the undead. After killing the Vampire Lord Edevard von Twilichten, Teuton was promoted to the rank of Sword Brother.

Personality and Attitudes: Teuton is a quiet and reserved person. His faith gives him strength to witness great atrocities without breaking down, and to put himself before the forces of darkness to protect the innocent. He carries a deep guilt over those he failed to save. As a paladin, his quest to bring judgement to the unrighteous has made him witness to all manner of evil, and there's little that can make him flinch.
Thank you, fellow Elliquiyan, and have a wonderful day.

Daril

#6
Yeah, we probably do need to establish the setting and plot a little.  Though pinning it down exactly before we have all the characters is a touch difficult.

As far as setting, we know we've got at least one Empire, and some fairly lawless regions up North.  There are probably a number of independent kingdoms on the borders of the Empire as well.  I think one of these kingdoms, or perhaps the outskirts of the Empire, or just an area with weak authority in general would suit Lasha pretty well.  She's a free spirit, so she strikes me as being more comfortable in such an area.  Though I don't know if the rest of you are keen on that -how would it work for your characters?

Plotwise, well, I'd like to have the group join up, then potentially do some sort of quest -perhaps a rescue, perhaps dealing with something that's a threat to the locals, that sort of thing.  It probably shouldn't be anything too drastic, I'd rather not take the approach of having one party of adventurers deal with some huge army of darkness that threatens the whole world and which the might of entire kingdoms couldn't stop.  I don't think things need to be hugely epic to be fun.

Also, I'm just a little worried with the profiles Ixy sent me that we might have a few too many serious warrior types in the group right now (though it may depend a bit what she chooses).  Not meaning offense to anyone, but it might be nice to have a bit more diversity in terms of character types.

Cold Heritage

QuoteThough pinning it down exactly before we have all the characters is a touch difficult.

It's as easy saying, "hey guys, this's your typical fantasy world with the whole kitchen sink of fantasy tropes thrown in. Be an elf, wizard, centaur, whatever, go nuts."

Can I be an elf? Can I be a wizard? Can I be a centaur? Is there even real magic in the world?

I have no idea. I have no answers to any of these questions.

QuoteNot meaning offense to anyone, but it might be nice to have a bit more diversity in terms of character types.

What have you done to enable the kind of diversity you want? What kinds of backgrounds are available? What's "relatively 'ordinary'"? Do you genuinely expect someone to play a fresh-faced farmboy out for adventure after asking for "not too stereotypical" characters?

I don't think it's fair to everyone else to complain about a lack of diversity when we've been left to flail around blind.

Anyway, I'm out.
Thank you, fellow Elliquiyan, and have a wonderful day.

Daril

Sorry, I'm probably handling this badly.  I've been trying to keep things flexible, and that's probably kept me from defining things sufficiently.

Yes, there is magic, though I'd prefer to keep is somewhat limited in scope, so that those who can use it are powerful but not god like.  Species wise, I'd prefer to keep things relatively close to humans, though species like elves work.  Human-like, pretty much.

In terms of backgrounds, I think there's room for characters from all sorts of segments of society -from warriors to magic users to ordinary people who just happened to be caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and got dragged along for the ride (or who the band might be helping out).  My concern is just that we may be getting a few too many serious warrior types at this point.  It's probably not a problem yet, but it potentially could be if it continues.  Then again, maybe that's what most of you want in a band, and it's just me who's worried about things.

Anyway, all that being said, it might be best to leave the established party somewhat as is and rely on newcomers to even out any imbalances in terms of characters types.  It gives people a clear idea of what their characters will be adding to.

The Greater Cause

Name: Krin Sactor
Age: 22
Species: half elf
Class: Bard
Appearance: Krin has short spikey blonde hair with a thin braided peice of hair on the left side of his head reaching down to his shoulder. He is 5 ft. 10 in. and weighs 145 lbs with an athletic build. light blue eyes and juicey lips
Attire: Krin wears a blue linnen longsleeve shirt with a thin layer of chainmail in between the second layer of it. He also wears slightly baggy black leather pants and brown travelers boots with brown leather gloves. Krin has golden silk headband that he wears as a belt that hangs almost to his knees.
Weapons:  Shortsword, ocarina, lute, and dirk in his boot.
History: Krin was raised an average boy in the Empire. His father was a blacksmith so he learned a small bit of swordplay but not enough to be considered a warrior. His mother ion the other hand always taught him songs on his most prized possession, his ocarina. It was given to his father by an old king as a gift of thanks for a weapon crafted for him. It was given to Krin cause his father wasn't really a music guy. So Krin being the adventurer that he was asked for his parents blessing and they agreed aslong as he waited a year.

So during the whole year his father crafted him a shortsword that would never break and taught him all the tales he knew. Krin was off and on his own that day. He promised his parents that whenever he was the age of 30 and would share all his adventures and songs with them. And that at the age of 40 he would return with a wife and start a family of his own in the very town he was raised. He left when he was 18 and has yet to find an adventure that was worthwhile. He has never made sexual relations with a female in any way other than a kiss and gets nervous around nude women.

Daril

#10
Well, given what I see and what I've heard from Ixpy in her update, we're actually starting to have a pretty good group form up now.  Maybe just a magic user like a Sorceress or a Priest or something (stoic protector optional) and we're close to good to go.  After that I think it'll just largely be a matter of figuring out how to get everyone together -maybe one group members is in trouble and gets saved by another member of the group, then they meet up with the rest at some Inn later... (wonder if we'll get to use that brawl idea...)

(Just as a note, a female character might be preferable for the next character so that we have a relatively equal balance in the party.)

The Greater Cause

#11
My character is an adventurer so I mean he could technically start anywhere yall want me to. I don't mind any start is cool with me as long as we start :D....

If yall want I could change my character to a chick..... I mean I'd rather be a guy but its whatever with me I dont mind all that much..... I'd prefer to stay a guy though.....

Ixy

#12
Name: Azhouri (Ash)

Age:  21

Species:  Human (diabolic heritage)

Appearance:  Though she's not an imposing figure, her dusky, coppery skin and raven hair, make her hard to overlook.  She's of moderate height, compact and lithe with long, sinewy muscles-- particularly in her legs.  Her generous bust and hips are emphasized by her narrow waist, slender neck, and elongated legs.  Her uptilted eyes are a blue that is striking and almost unnatural, and her fine features look always to be in a state of distracted amusement.  Her fingers, which she hides in gloves, are tipped with talon-like nails, and her mouth bears slightly pronounced canines.  Overall-- she is beautiful, but with a combination of features that, under careful scrutiny, she seems unnatural or unsettling to those who don't know and trust her.

Attire: Her vestment is a combination of highly durable leathers tailored to her body for maximum mobility, though she must sacrifice highly valuable protection to maintain her dexterity; under a simple gray tunic and skirt of threadbare muslin for obfuscation, the bodice, sleeves, gloves, leggings, and boots are cinched with laces and small buckles along the sides, inseams, and the back of her neck.  She tends to travel in hood to avoid drawing attention.

Weapons: Azhouri carries weapons of stealth and finesse:
wire-loop garrote at her belt that doubles as a rabbit snare-- belt.
skeletonized-blade that totals the length of her forearm, tough enough to turn a blade, but meant for speed, not punishment-- sheathed at her lower back.
a short, hooked "leaf" knife, highly concealable and difficult to see in her (especially if weilded pommel-up)-- belt sheath.
a horned, Eastern cavalry bow of black wood and quiver.

History: Raised in a brothel in a sprawling shipyard city, Azhouri's mother never spoke of the girl's father to her, though somehow she suspected for years that the opium-addicted woman knew more than she let on about the man, but when pressed to recall any details about her life before prostitution, she would either weep or rage.  She died rather young.
Fed as much by shame and abuse as food and water, the girl was in her youth thought to be skinny, boyish, and petulent... assuming she took after her mother, she'd fetch a decent price someday, but early on she was good for little more than labor and the occasional sport.
Her natural intelligence and proclivity for physical activity provided her the opportunity to escape her surroundings: it wasn't easy, but the clever girl hoarded stolen books, found coins, abandoned adventurer's ruined maps or broken equipment.  Gathering sufficient information and having honed sufficient raw skill, she demonstrated her potential to a small guild of thieves and was elevated from the brothel to be apprenticed.
For years, she learned what they would teach her and earned her keep, but it was always begrudgingly; she'd been demeaned for her whole life-- called a devilish brat, a vicious little monster, a whore's spawn-- until she somehow believed she couldn't aspire to be more than a thief.  But she would learn hope from an unlikely source-- one of her guild's intended marks. 
When a heist at an outskirts temple of the redeemer went bad, she was captured, but rather than being turned over to the authorities she was offered the opportunity to serve a penance through the temple itself-- cleaning floors, tending the sick, scrubbing pots and the like.  Though she could have fled and returned to the guild, something kept her rooted, and after a year of penance she felt her calling: she could use her honed talents to thwart the wicked intentions of ambitious and evil men.
Currently, she's on the road... traveling with pilgrim caravans, seeking a cause.

Personality and Attitudes:  Azhouri has the casual grace of a high-society dance instructor but the sultry smile and wit of a courtesan.  She possesses a dry wit, a love of music and art (though she can produce neither), and is fiercely loyal to her friends.  Despite her attractive exterior, she seems self-conscious if complimented and tends to deflect affection or praise with a joke.  She has no qualms about breaking the law to do what's "right", although she hates unnecessary suffering.  If faced with temptations, however, she still feels the strong pull of dark desires.  Wealth, violence, lusts-- she struggles with powerful, often overwhelming urges.  In such instances, she usually has to find some way to refocus that desire by focusing on a distraction or some kind of acceptable indulgence.

Skills: An exceptionally talented thief, she can tumble, dance, climb, pick locks, and identify objects of worth-- be it monetarily or functionally.  She's acquired other practical knowledges-- the ability to read and speak more languages, even though some require time and reference materials for her to translate.  And she can fight-- though her build, stamina, and speed are far better suited to getting her through a fight than driving competent enemies to defeat.
______________________
The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.

Daril

Well, it looks like we have a mixed group of about four to five characters now.  There are still perhaps a gap or two to fill in, but I think we've got a big enough group to at least start the RPG, and maybe we can have another character or two join later.

Anyway, given the current composition of the band, I'm thinking a common room at some inn might be a good place for them to meet each other.  TGC's character can perhaps be entertaining the audience, and the others can perhaps be guests.  Ixy, I imagine your character is pretty capable of taking care of herself, but I'm wondering if she might not necessarily look the part to someone who doesn't know her.  See, I'm thinking of having a few local men who use the common room as a drinking spot start to bother her, and then I'm figuring maybe Lasha can get herself involved before your character has much of a chance to deal with the situation herself.  Things'll probably dissolve into a brawl after that, and I'm hoping we can somehow use that to bring the character's together.

Everyone okay with that?

And I just realised, we also better figure out what the content rating on this RPG is... what are people comfortable with there?

Ixy

That setup sounds perfectly fine :)

Azhouri could have been drawn in by the bard's performance to this particular tavern and, in hopes of turning a little extra coin, might meet with the bard to try to arrange a dance accompaniment for the performance (thereby establishing a superficial familiarity with TGC's character). 

Then the peanut gallery gets grabby, etc.

It might help us to have some goal, maybe one of the other characters is in town to investigate a rumor, a disappearance, or the like?  This way, he/she can approach his/her new aquaintances after the dust has settled to see if they're willing to help out.

Regarding the content rating: I'm most comfortable in the range up to and including D/S, and willing to go to NC if the scene warrants it.
______________________
The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.

Nimmy

Have we decided upon a sort of "leader" for the group yet? It's kind of obvious that the leader would be the one to approach the others once s/he has the information about the rumor/disappearance/etc they were investigating in order to see if they could do something about it.

Does the group have someone that can pass as a healer? If not, I would be willing to go tweak my character a bit so he could fill that role if people want.

Also for content rating, I'm pretty similar to what Ixy mentioned.

Daril

You mind if I nominate your character for the 'leader' roll?

I was thinking the first event might just be something that brought the group together as travelling companions, then they might run into something after leaving town.  But having some sort of rumour that your character has heard about (maybe a village that's being harassed by brigands, or something) might help justify bringing the group together.

As for the healer thing -no need to go changing your character too much.  I'm not sure we need a healer right off the bat, and leaving some of the positions like 'healer' and 'magic user' gives people who might want to join in later a roll to fill.  That being said, it's not like your character having some level of healing skills might not be useful either.  Perhaps he has some limited knowledge in the area?

Nimmy

Nominate my character for the leadership position? I'm flattered by that, but I don't want to insult anyone by jumping in and going "YES I'LL TAKE IT!" We'll see what anyone else has to say.

And yeah, by healer I was thinking that my character knows how to cure simple things like stitch up some wounds, make sure they don't get infected, and how to handle fever. And a number of plants that stop infection and cure fever. I wasn't actually talking full-fledged healer, just kind of... apprentice level to put it in perspective. Useful to a band of travelers. I'm just gonna pop down to the character I posted and add a "Skills" section and pop that and a few others in there. It's not really changing my character, it's improving him. :P

Darkforged Dove

#18
I've got a reluctant Paladin/Cleric character that I could pull out of storage. He does however break most people's expectations of what a paladin (or cleric) is, mostly because it's not a role that he wanted to be. He was chosen by his patroness, and her clergy were adamant that he fulfill his role.

He could easily supply 'healing' if needed.

Right now I'm seeing a fairly straight range of fantasy characters (Rogue, Bard, Armoured Pally, Ranger, Barbarian), although one or two things raise some questions for me.

-Penitent Rogue going for redemption, this can be very interesting. This character seems to finally be doing something for themselves, instead of others. Also... very professional is the impression that I get from her list of equipment.

-A Bard... heavily influenced by a video game character (Don't worry, I'm sure that I'm not the only one who recognizes it  ;) ); an interesting mix of abilities marks this as a definite Bard.

-A Heavily armoured two-handed sword using Paladin (I'm not sure what is meant by an 'executioners' sword though; the heavy, straight, non-pointed things? Or are you describing something else?)[In order those are Eastern European, German, German again, and then a mix. English Executioner's swords were very similar, except that some had an angled back blade (not sure why though, it weakens the sword)]

-A lightly armoured two weapon fighter; smells like a Ranger at first glance, knowledge of actual medical techniques, tracking and wilderness survival cinches it though.

-A 'barbarian' that doesn't like wearing armour and packs a large sword (I have some questions about this, do you mind if I PM them to you? or is Lasha unarmoured b/c the 'fur loinclothed' barbarian is a trope that you want to pursue?)

I should note that pretty much in every group that I've been in, I tend to suggest plans, or actions for other characters. I actually prefer that someone else actually takes responsibility for the safety of the rest of the group, but often I don't see that in many of the gaming groups or forum RPs that I've been in. As a result my love for success, scheming, planning and safety tends to get me off of my butt.

Of course in an RP thread where there is no non-player GM will probably be very relaxed in terms of PC safety. It's been a while since I've played freeform forum RP, but I remember how it goes.
Pretendy fun time games is good, but I tend to want as much of the real, original and undiluted as possible. A paradox, I know.

Daril

I'm a little unsure as to whether you're criticizing the group for being too stereotypical, or just making observations...  if it's the former I just want to say that while I encourage people to have some quirks (I think a noble Knight Errant who happens to be something of a womanizer could be a hoot) this is largely meant as a 'fun' RPG, so some fantasy archtypes are bound to show up.  So it just comes down to the players needing to be good at playing their characters and having a party that has a good overall balance.

Regarding Lasha, she's a bit of an odd case.  Most civilised people would basically view her as being a barbarian, yet she actually has picked up some influences from them, so she'd probably be considered kind of an oddity among actual barbarians as well.  She travels light and I don't think she has a lot of experience with armour, given the sources of her training.  As for her weapon -she's strong, and has a somewhat boisterous personality, but she's not a beserker.  She actually know how to handle her weapon pretty well, which can be a bit of a surprise to people who just expect her to swing her weapon around wildly.

Tevan


Daril

#21
Okay, I'm really sorry about this, but...

Is there someone among you who could take over the leadership role with regards to implementing this RPG?

See, I've really wanted to do an RPG like this, but I've been thinking about how things are going right now, and I've come to the realisation that continuing with this is going to be problematic for me.  I'm having trouble keeping up with everything I've got going on right now, when I have (relatively speaking) a lot of free time, and in a few months I'm probably going to have not only much less free time, but likely won't even be in a position to access this site much of the time.  So as much as I may have just gotten started with this RPG... I think it would be best if I backed out now, since I'm not in a good position to make a long term commitment to it.

Yet obviously there are people here who have shared my enthusiasm for this idea, and I don't want them to be disappointed.  So is there someone here who thinks they'd be able to handle the roll of making this RPG into a reality?  I'm really sorry to be asking so much of you people, but I was overenthusiastic and made a mistake here.

Again, my apologies.

The Greater Cause

my character was influenced from a video game? The outfit was influenced from Ramza from final fantasy tactics but thats about all I can think of lol

Ixy

Ah.  The old 'bait and switch,' eh?  I see how it is... ;)

I can offer to act as narrator/referree if no one else is interested in doing so.  I would need a commitment from people to: post at least 2 or 3 times a week unless notified otherwise, to make a concerted effort to write coherent and detailed posts, and to make an effort to collaborate/not step on each other's toes. 

Anybody else, please let us know if you're interested in running this.  Otherwise, if you're still still in should I narrate, please say so.
______________________
The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.

Darkforged Dove

Actually, it's more of a summary of the PCs that I'm making for my own benefit. Having to go back and forth every time I want a basic idea of one of them is a bit of a hassle, so spending some time writing down important notes for each helps me in the long run.

I've had gaming groups where every single melee-centred character was a fighter/barbarian. It was a 3.5 D&D game that ran from levels 1-7 over the course of 3-4 years of weekly sessions. It had two wizards, that exchanged spells; a cleric (whose boots would heal, so he kicked many a character up off the ground, literally and figuratively); a human rogue; a 1/2 elf bard/marshall; a human ranger/scout; and 3 fighter-barbarians (one was the leader of the original group of PCs, who started as a fighter; one was a barbarian that took levels in Bear Warrior; the other was a fighter/barbarian/bard mix). Nothing really unusual, but all of them were decent at their roles.

Greater Cause,

Krin sounds an awful lot like Link, that's all. Indestructible short sword, spikey blond hair, being vaguely elf, but also vaguely human. His musical instrument. Just things that I noticed.

Ixy, if you want to run it, go right ahead, if the dungeon crusade game that I started a thread for gets going, I wouldn't have time to run this game.
Pretendy fun time games is good, but I tend to want as much of the real, original and undiluted as possible. A paradox, I know.

Nimmy


Daril

I'll give my approval for Ixy as my replacement, since she was one of the first people to express interest in this idea.

Thanks for being so understanding, everyone.

The Greater Cause

lol Wow I didn't even notice my character resembled Link! Thats funney thanks for pointing that out :D. And I have no problem with who runs the this place it really doesn't make a difference to me :D

Drake Valentine

Hum, I was wondering same thing Tevan was; whether or not slots are still accepting or have now been limited.

"When I'm Done With You, You'll Be a:
Raped, Bloody, And Humiliated, Little Alice in Wonderland."

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Pale Eclipse - Group Game Project{Paused} 

The Greater Cause


Ixy

Ok then-- Thanks to you all who have expressed confidence, and I'll work this together and kick us off for in-character interaction to begin this weekend.

Quote from: Drake Valentine on June 11, 2009, 04:00:44 PM
Hum, I was wondering same thing Tevan was; whether or not slots are still accepting or have now been limited.

Drake, Tevan-- for now, go ahead and send me your concept.  But bear in mind that big groups can be too cumbersome for pbp so I might have to split up the group-- I'll decide that later.

I hope it's not terribly disappointing for you guys if I don't have an elaborate history planned out, but I'll try to summarize the setting for you briefly at this point, then elaborate later on.

The world will be pseudo-medieval, with primary industries being agriculture, herding, mining, and fishing.   Technological breakthroughs like steampower have been made and are starting to spread, but efforts to implement them on a wider scale frequently encounter inexplicable setbacks.  Gunpowder exists, but its forumlation is so secretly kept that, NO, you can't get some and probably won't see any.  There are some cities with up to 20,000 inhabitants. 

The tavern where you meet is in a small, but rural, city called Kavitzdon-- existing at the crossroads of a trade route, this city is a trading node for the entire region and, while small by comparison to the capitol cities and port cities, it has a militia, a jail, a city council, and hosts a major festival for the region every summer in honor of... er, some goddess or something.  Haven't gotten that far.

The region of the world where we'll be located to start is going to be geographically much like the agrarian areas of the Shenandoah or Catskill mountain regions... good for farming and ranching, with rolling hills, moderate climate but subject to some difficult winters and the occasional summer heatwave.  Lakes, rivers, quarries, salt and iron and copper mines, etc. Lush, deep forests.  Some swamps.

Magic exists in about 1% of the population; there are some natural casters who need no tutelage and some "learned" casters, who display the potential but can only learn through careful study.  Clerics are considered casters, but their talents are focused through a relationship with a deity.  60% of mages, sorcerors, etc. are never powerful enough to be of significant harm.  So, in a town of 1,000 people, only 4 will have the potential to be a truly dangerous caster-- some will live their entire life without learning it.

There are monsters and gods in the world; this is an accepted fact for most of society.  What most DON'T know is how much is folklore or myth, and how much is reality.  The world's faiths are diverse, and most deities are perceived in a rather Roman or Egyptian sense that they're imperfect, exceptionally powerful, and they dick around in human's lives all the time.  There are still some who don't believe in the most gods, some gods, or all gods... but they're rare.  The monsters most people have seen are rare, dangerous, and stupid creatures that threaten livestock.  Other species of "mythical" origin-- good and evil-- in OUR world are believed to exist somewhere in this fictional world, but it's difficult to separate fact from fiction because of regional isolation and ignorance.

What I'll need from those of you participating is a brief character summary that we can use for quick-reference and that I can use to help me shape events. 

Please PM me these details... sorry if some of it's redundant from your earlier posts, but it will help me to have this consolidated. 
FYI: People in this pseudo-medieval era are somehow comparable in stature to most of the western world in 2009.  Amazing, isn't it?  So tall for a guy is 6' or 2m and up, etc.  There are region-specific languages, but we'll have one 'common' tongue for the sake of argument (for now).  And I'll ask you questions that, yes, may seem like they make me dirty-minded, I guess, but I rather expect aspects of story to somehow involve sex at some point and by god, it'd best be done well enough to be enjoyable.

Oh, and on that note-- unless it's central to the plot, such things might get relegated to a side-thread.  We'll all still WATCH of course, but we'll keep the plot rolling too.

Also, you may notice the "2 exceptional things" part... For example, choose "is of secretly noble birth", "is sexy as hell", "posesses a '6th sense' of sorts", "is hard as hell to kill or wear out".  One should be related to combat.

CHARACTER NAME:
AGE, EYE/HAIR COLOR, SKIN TONE:
HEIGHT/WEIGHT, BUILD:
MANNER OF DRESS:
TALENTS AND SKILLS:
2 EXCEPTIONAL THINGS:
PERSONALITY:
WEAPONS/EQUIPMENT: note- I'm not the kind of GM who'll dick you over because you don't have a flint and steel or a fishing hook on your equipment list.  Just list the exceptional stuff here.  If I say "you don't have that item" it's for the sake of the story, okay?  :)
PLACE S/HE CALLS "HOME":
WEAKNESSES/FLAWS:
STRONGEST DESIRE/DESTINY:
SEXUAL DESIRES/FETISHES: Please just be frank here, from a player's perspective.  I CANNOT PROMISE ANYTHING, but I'll try to work something in for everyone.

Ok.  If I think of something more, I'll let you know.  Hope this isn't too overwhelming-- thanks for your interest :)
______________________
The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.

The Greater Cause


Marlow

I DO NOT CARE ABOUT OOC GENDER!!! NONE OF MY IDEA THREADS ARE FIRST-COME FIRST-SERVE!!!


The Greater Cause


Ixy

Quote from: Marlow on June 11, 2009, 06:46:19 PM
Is this still open?

see 2 posts prior: yes, fill out and email.

Quote from: The Greater Cause on June 11, 2009, 07:38:45 PM
Ixy are you alive???? :o

Yes, now why exactly are you asking?
______________________
The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.

The Greater Cause

just wonderin. I sent you my profile by the way.... Don't know if you noticed or not.

Ixy

One more reminder: I need the quick-reference questions I posted earlier answered and sent via PM please-- I hope to start this scenario over the weekend.

And I do have a stipulation that I failed to mention earlier: while I do appreciate that it's feasible somebody in the party might be EVIL, I would like to request that, at least until this gets going, you refrain from making your character CE or NE.  It just won't bloody work right now.  If you've submitted a CE concept, please consider revising to CN or (gasp!) CG with evil urges from time to time.

THANK YOU!
______________________
The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.

Nimmy

Pardon my ignorance, but what do CE, NE, CN and CG stand for?

Ixy

Sorry-- I tossed out those abbreviations for those who knw what they mean-- old D&D "allignments" referenced how good/evil or lawful/chaotic your character is... with good and evil are pretty clear, but chaotic and lawful are the tricky ones; a CG (chaotic good) character might cause a LOT of trouble, but does so with the best intentions and generally means to protect others' life/safety, whereas a CE character has no scruples and lives only to hurt or destroy.

It's not exactly realistic to polarize morality like this, but hey... it's fantasy, right? :)
______________________
The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.

Nimmy


iridum248

I'd love to play in this, as a steampunkish sorceress who has a strange affinity for encounters of the monstrous kind- Orcs, goblins, minotaurs, et cetra...With a little bit of both seductress and mad scientist. ^_^

Ixy

Very well-- the technology you're describing would be very, very rare and the sorceress aspects will be necessary to keep the technology working.  I hope you noted the post earlier where I request a quick character sketch by PM-- thanks :)
______________________
The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.

Darkforged Dove

Iridian,

Just so you know, uhm.... I'm not so sure if your character flavour fits into this game at all.

Most of the characters are well... not even one of them uses a gun, of any kind. Telescopes are likewise missing, as are clocks, or steam power.

Right now most of the characters are more Lord of the Rings or late Middle Ages levels of technology type characters; with full plate and swords; or crossbows being the "peak" of military technology (even then, the crossbow is an ancient weapon that the Chinese were using well before Alexander the Great conquered much of the known world).

The character 'concept' can work, but not with a steam-punk 'flavour'. The sorceress with a marble statue as her body guard, or a living carriage that can speak, or a bunch of cutlery that walks around and fights (animated silver cutlery killing werewolves would be... interesting) are all possible.

I love the idea of Steam-Punk and Victorian age looking clothing and equipment; I read every issue of Phil Foglio's Girl Genius Online webcomic, and have designed, modelled, and textured a mechanical elephant-tank for my 3D animation courses.

However, the steam-punk Madgirl in mideval psuedo-Europe is too much of a flavour clash, and actually wrecks the established setting. Using a character that has "science" as their special power won't really work in a setting that pretty much does not have "science" as something that anyone uses. The ability to manufacture things, like machines, means that there is an economy and infrastructure that supports the creation of brass gears, iron treads, wooden panelling and high-potency "phlebotium" fuel to power said machines.

Of course, I'm not saying that such a character is impossible. They are possible, but only with very specific limitations. Such as being from not only a different country, but possibly from a different continent.

If your character was the equivalent of a person who crashed their airplane in the middle of the African Savannah and still had their hunting rifle, binoculars, "civilized" clothing, and the like, and then interected with the various native tribes or nomads; then your character would be plausible. Your character could have higher than average technology, but they would not however be able to do proper repairs to their equipment, and replacing it would be impossible. Simply because the 'natives' that she has landed amongst do not have the infrastructure that would support a steam-punk society.

There would also be many roleplaying concerns that would have to be looked at, such as being able to have a character that acts, and feels as if they had gone back in time, and backwards in term of technology and societal advances. Your character could probably not understand why our characters don't have firearms, or steam-levels of technology. The idea of riding by horse, instead of train or airship, could seem completely ludicrous, even stone-age, to your character.

Of course, that's based on my experience, and how I would allow such an anachronistic character into a "developed iron-age" technology setting like this game.

Books such as A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court would be a good starting point for roleplaying such a character in this setting.
Pretendy fun time games is good, but I tend to want as much of the real, original and undiluted as possible. A paradox, I know.

iridum248

Ah, well. I think I'd just stick with vanilla sorceress, instead; I'm not *too* familiar with the scenario's tech-level, so it's better if I stay with what I know. ^_^

Alternatively, I have an idea for a female Paladin (Paladiness) who can't help falling afoul of monsters...Particularly because, while she *is* right and good and all things that make her what she is, she does have a certain weakness...

Ixy

#44
Current List of Approved Characters

I truncated the information provided in some cases for quick-reference, but I am keeping original information for my reference later.  In essence, this section is what everybody can basically TELL from aquaintance.  Everything else you can share at your leisure.

If I left anyone off, please let me know.  I'll start the game thread within the next day or two and allow people to start posting their set-up.  Additionally, the brief synopsis I put for each one is a combination of the players' emails and my own summary, so I hope no one's offended.

It looks to be a larger group than I'd expected, but I think we can work with it if you guys give me patience. 

CAEL
Player: Nimeneth
Physical Details
Male
Age: 24.
Build: 5'10, Wiry
Complexion: Fair
Hair: Ginger, shoulder-length
Eye: Gray-green
Manner of Dress: Understated clothes perfect for blending into crowds or forest surroundings: dark pants, shirts in dark colors, typically green, dark cloak. Hair is at shoulder length, generally pulled back out of his face in either a simple ponytail or tucked under a bandana.
Personality: He is often the voice of reason in many situations. He's a bright, cheerful person, and very accepting. Pretty street smart.

AZHOURI
Player:  Ixy (NPC)
Physical Details:
Female
Age: 21
Build: 5'2, Lithe, dancer's phsyique
Complexion: Coppery-tan
Hair: Cropped, ebony-black.
Eye: Slightly tilted, bright blue
Manner of Dress: Acombination of highly durable leathers tailored to her, under a simple gray tunic and skirt of threadbare muslin.  Bodice, sleeves, gloves, leggings, and boots are cinched with laces and small buckles along the sides, inseams, and the back of her neck.  She tends to travel in hood. 
Dancing: pares down the protective aspects of the garment, adds white silk scarves looped over her arms and around her torso to emphasize movements; not completely indecent, but more revealing.
Personality: Quiet, subtly flirtatious, possessing a dry wit.  She tries to avoid trouble, but it tends to find her.  Her skin and hair smells like incense and burnt cedar.

GLAIS NEREUS
Player Darkforged Dove
Physical Details
Male
Apparent Age: 30
Complexion:  Light tan
Hair: Coppery-brown, moderate length (tied back)
Eyes: Gray
Build:  6', strong, broad shouldered
Manner of Dress: Blue jacket, grey shirt, loose patched green pants tucked into knee high boots.
Personality: Usually pretty relaxed, prefers to not have to fight, and has on occasion asked even undead to share a drink with him as a joke.  Unrelenting when battle's started.  Hates pirates.

KATARZYNA MIRADAR
Player Marlow
Physical Details
Female
App. age: late 20s.
Build: 5'10, Athletic, powerful, supple and graceful.
Complexion: Grey/White
Eye: White
Hair: Silver
Manner of Dress black plate-mail armour, barren of decoration, purely functional, with velvet cloak. For special occasions, minimalist one-piece items, cut shear around her neck and low down her back.
Personality  Katarzyna, whlle displaying the usual regal bearing of her people, is clearly a troubled soul.  She seems compelled to wander, and though she is known as a fierce warrior, she relishes the moments of liberty in-between.

KRIN SACTOR
Player The Greater Cause
Physical Details
Male
Age: 21
Complexion: Mid tan
Hair: Light Brown, mid-length
Eyes:  Hazel
Build: Compact, wiry, sexy as hell.
Manner of Dress: Dresses like a noble. Often wears a red silk shirt with a layer of chainmail sewn into it and black slightly baggy pants brown padded adventurers gloves and boots. And a black leather belt with his sword on it.
Personality: Outgoing and spunky. He loves talking and socializing which is why he does what he does. Party person but can be a little shy around women.  If he's the bard that's been rumored to be traveling the region, he's evidently VERY good.

LADY LUCILLE VAN EDEFELT
Player: Iridum248
Physical Details:
Female
Age 21
Complexion: Fair
Hair: Long, flowing blonde
Eyes: Bright blue
Build: 5'6, hourglass figure, lovely.
Manner of Dress  The light armor of her Order, beneath a white surplice- Blue and white are the colors of the Radiant Heart (this marks her as a paladin, everyone).  Off-duty: fancy and fashionable.
Personality: Soft-spoken and almost meek-- Which makes her seem a trifle shorter, especially in the presence of particularly assertive people-- she's more like a traveling noble than a paladin, though she's competent enough in martial matters, it seems.

OZ
Player: RandomNumber
Physical Details:
Male
Age 27
Complexion: Mod. Fair
Hair: Unkept, dark brown.  Mid-length for a male, extremely light facial hair which he shaves when he gets the chance (not very often)
Eyes: Pale Blue
Build: 130 pounds, 5' 10", not quite athletic (might be if he took better care of himself)
Manner of Dress  Low class, functional, simple.
Personality:  He's a people person with no great direction in life that enjoys a good conversation, a mug of ale, and flirting.  However, flirting is more of a game than anything to him, his ultimate objective at most is a single night of enjoyment.  He seems to have no interest in any longterm commitments, friendship or otherwise.  Alignment: he's on the border between chaotic good and chaotic neutral.
______________________
The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.

iridum248

Hmmm, we might need to split into two groups for this, to avoid the whole 'waiting for everyone else to post' problem. Ah, well.  :-)

Ixy

Alright, ladies and gentlemen-- we are on:

Game Thread

OOC Thread

Please add these to your bookmarks, if you don't mind.
______________________
The big print giveth, the small print taketh away.