Hello everyone, and welcome this pseudo-RP thing I came up with! This is basically going to be a hybrid text-based adventure/freeform RP. Like text adventures, you input actions by typing them in, and everyone’s actions get processed once they’re all in. You’re also free to speak/interact with other player characters so long as they’re in close proximity. There might also be light RPG elements as the game goes on, but for the most part it’s based on exploration, questing, and maybe other stuff.

A few notes before we get started.

• Since everyone’s playing their own character, I’d like everyone to say what name they’d like their character to go by.
• Most player characters are assumed to be human, but if you’d like to be something else, mention what it is. Don’t go with anything too out of whack or anything that will give you an unfair advantage over everyone else.
• All player characters can choose one weapon of their choice. Don’t go with anything too heavy or too advanced (stuff you might see in westerns might be fine, but no machine guns, dynamite, modern stuff, etc.).
• Players initially will not have access to magic, but they can get it later.
• Players can only play as one character at a time (though players may take on the role as NPCs when running a quest).
• Standard forum rules and stuff apply.

If you've still got any questions, feel free to ask them.

Now, let the adventure begin!

Far off in the distant lands of Eschall, there is nothing but silence. A great forest, thick as the Amazon, stretches beyond the horizon, and yet there is not a single sound to be heard. Not a squeak, not a chirp, not even the insects sing on this gloomy day. Though the trees still bloom green and the wind still plows its field, the overcast skies above quench whatever life may still remain.

Deep within these woods lies a temple, with only a small ring of grass separating it from the rest of the forest. Built like the great halls of the Mayans and Aztecs, the temple imposes itself over the rest of the landscape. Countless steps ascend from the base to the highest platform, where a large disk carved with ancient glyphs lies in its center. Four square spires rose up from each corner, each one aligned against the four cardinal directions.

Looking from afar, there are no obvious entrances into the structure, so no one is really sure what it is for, or why it is here. Even for those who wish to study its glyphs would find that effort difficult, as the strains of time have taken their toll on the temple’s stone. With vines and roots weaving through its skin, the temple rots like a lonely corpse, with only four mountains to the northeast to keep it company.

Yet, on this very day, the temple seems to have returned to life once more.

A light radiates out of the temple’s disk, snaking through its contours until the circuit is complete. When the magic is done, energy surges into the sky like a beacon.

One by one, visitors from distant lands appear in the disk’s center, before being lowered onto the platform below. This process would continue until there were no more visitors. Upon arrival, the visitors would immediately feel the cold air graze their skin, unless they were accustomed to such conditions.

Where these strangers were from, or why they were here, no one could say for certain. Perhaps some of them had memories of the places they came from beforehand, but now that they were here, only time would tell if any of that would still matter.

And yet, who was to say whether these visitors were not heralds of darker times to come.

Note: Post quality might not be this fluffy as the game goes on.

edited 10th Jun '16 7:46:09 PM by CathariSarad

If we don't have to be human, then I'd like to be a Funny Animal of some sort. Can I be something big, like a bear, if I make myself a Mighty Glacier?

Your character has to be around human size, simply because I want everyone to be on equal footing at the start. You could be a human-sized talking bear or something.

edited 11th Jun '16 8:20:31 AM by CathariSarad

That's a good idea! I think I'm starting to like this character even more than I would a Mighty Glacier bear.

Name: Bamard the Clown Bear

Gender: Male

Species: Bear

Weapon: Natural Weapons

Backstory: Bamard is a sweet, friendly, and optimistic bear who taught himself how to talk. He got a job as a circus clown simply because he loves entertaining people (Though he secretly wishes that he was bigger and more intimidating.) He went to sleep one night and woke up in the temple.

> Look at temple

...Wow... where am I? This certainly isn't the circus! But it's still so... beautiful. Hellooo? Is anyone else here? There's a friendly clown bear who'd like some company please!

Am I doing this right? I'm new to this, so thanks for your patience

edited 11th Jun '16 1:52:58 PM by DrNoPuma

Entry 1

@Dr No Puma: The entry is acceptable, but I would have preferred if you had specified your character's name and weapon in a “sign-up” entry sort of format. Otherwise I'm just gonna assume your character is "you" or what I like to call your "in-game self." Since you didn’t specify a weapon, which you will need at some point, I’m gonna assume your bear claws/strength will do for now.

> Look at temple: The temple is fairly large, so it might be difficult to take in the whole thing without having a look at it from multiple angles. The height from the base to the topmost platform goes up to roughly 100 feet, and the spires extend roughly another thirty feet or so. Each side is roughly 200 feet long. There are about eight major platforms or “levels” comprising the temple in total, each one lined with Mayan/Aztec decorative motifs.

As you wander around the temple, there doesn’t seem to be any differences among each of the temple’s sides. Even though the signs of decay are there, the steps aren’t damaged to the point where you might accidentally slip over and fall, though they are fairly steep. A lot of the facades engraved on the outward surfaces of the major platforms seemed to have been chipped away with time. For those figures you can make out, you see a number of spear-wielding warrior-like figures accompanied by the occasional priest of shaman. Many of them seem to be in the middle of a march or dance like movement, with one leg raised up. All of these figures seem to be oriented away from the main staircases, towards each of the four corners. Occasionally pressing into the carvings doesn’t seem to yield any results; you cannot seem to find any secret buttons or switches.

When viewed from afar, the temple is highly symmetrical. The only exception to this symmetry is the carvings embedded on the uppermost platform and the disk. When you examine the disk, it contains a number of zodiac-like figures. The four spires each seem to have a rather basic Mayan-Aztec zig-zag pattern, but they don’t carry much further embellishment than that. The spire is very thin, you can easily wrap both your palms around it. You aren’t quite sure how these things have stood up for so long. Should you try tugging or breaking the spires, you will find them unusually sturdy.

As you call out into the wilderness, you hear nothing but the near silent winds and rustling of leaves. This land, for whatever reason, seems entirely deserted save for yourself.

Player List/Status

edited 11th Jun '16 9:32:07 PM by CathariSarad

Name: Nathan Kelly

Gender: Male

Species: Human

Weapon: Six-shot revolver

Backstory: Born into a family of gunsmiths, Nathan's life was boring until this day, when he was transported here from his shop by the strange light. (will likely add more to this later as time goes on and I figure out the character better)

The second visitor arrives, a tall man with curly light brown hair and blue eyes.

>Take in the surroundings

"Where... am I? The last thing I remember is a light, and..."

"AAH!"

> Turn around

"Oh, thank goodness I'm not alone!"

> Talk to Nathan

'I'm Bamard, the Clown Bear! Who are you? Do you know what's going on here?"

I'm afraid I d you. Also, in my character's description, claws and strength are natural weapons.

edited 11th Jun '16 1:36:09 PM by DrNoPuma

Note: Feel free to roleplay conversations among yourselves. Only when you have to do something like interacting with the environment or doing something that may have significant repercussions (like wandering into a new area or attacking someone or something) will you have to wait for me to process stuff.

Entry 2

@4maskwolf: No need to make a backstory but you can if you want.

> Take in the surroundings

As the light fades out, you now find yourself atop this strange Mayan temple. The area around you for the most part seems abandoned. Should you wish to explore the area more thoroughly, you may do so. The cold wind lightly washes over your skin. Aside from yourself and the bear around you, there seems to be no signs of animal life. All you can see are the vast forest, the mountains to the far northeast, and the temple and its features. The sky above seems lifeless and overcast, a mixture of white and gray.

> Talk to Nathan

As you are exploring the temple, you see the area above the disk light up, and a human figure materializes from it. As a side note, actions like simple movement and talking to each other are automatically accepted unless there’s something hindering your efforts.

Player List/Status

edited 11th Jun '16 1:33:07 PM by CathariSarad

Well, this is off to a wonderful start. I'm sorry!

"Hello? Who are you? What's happening?!"

edited 11th Jun '16 1:45:24 PM by DrNoPuma

@Dr No Puma: I think that was me that was described as appearing.

@DrNoPuma: Yes, that is basically the case.

@4maskwolf: You are free to have your character respond to his statement, however.

@Cathari: Yeah I know, just wanted to get that cleared up before I responded.

Nathan starts when Bernard speaks.

"Oh uh... hi. I'm Nathan. Do you happen to know what's going on here?"

Here's my character!

Name: Sanjay

Gender: Male

Species: Human

Weapon: Bayonet rifle .

>Look for any treasures in the forest, as well as any food.

edited 11th Jun '16 2:01:10 PM by hamza678

Just as a note, I’ll be busy with stuff later tonight, so it might be difficult for me to respond to stuff right away during that time. I might be able to do another post or two later tonight, but it isn’t a guarantee.

Entry 3

@DrNoPuma: & @4maskwolf: As you begin to converse, you see a third figure appear from the strange disk. He begins to wander off on his own, muttering stuff of finding riches and treasure. Eventually, he seems to head in a northwesterly direction.

>Look for any treasures in the forest, as well as any food.

Seeing as you probably won’t have much luck here, you proceed in a northwesterly direction in search of treasure. You honestly have no idea whether you will find anything by going this way, but looking around seems better than doing nothing.

Along the way, you decide to uproot some dandelions and clovers, and you acquire a variety of berries and weeds you are reasonably sure are edible.

After some time, you stumble across a rising mound in the terrain, with a small entrance leading underground and a mossy stone pillar standing to its right side. From what you can see, the inner walls of this tunnel are lined with stone brick, and you see some stone jutting out through the dirt above.

A small brook goes across the front side of this mound, but for some strange reason, the water doesn’t seem to be flowing. You see a small path of stones leading into the mound. A small wooden bridge crosses the brook, but you’re not really sure why anyone would build this when you can just easily step across the bridge. The bridge also shows noticeable signs of rot and decay.

Player List/Status

>Attempt to make a fire to see the insides of the tunnel.

Entry 4

@Hamza678: > Attempt to make a fire to see the insides of the tunnel.

Using what little you know about fire-starting techniques, you begin collecting some wood and attempt to start a spark. Despite your lack of fire-starting tools and the humid air, you somehow manage to create fire, though you aren’t sure how long it will last.

As you gather more materials to maintain your flame, which doesn’t seem to be spreading into the nearby foliage all that much, you see a shimmer of light deep down into the tunnel. Far inside, you see glimmers of purplish light line the walls and edges, illuminating some of the features inside. The tunnel eventually gives way to a larger room, where you see a more natural, yellowish glow of light radiating from within. You also see a few sconces along the sides, though the torches in them seem to be unlit for now.

Player List/Status

edited 11th Jun '16 4:26:56 PM by CathariSarad

(Idly looking around)

> Look at smoke trail

"Hey... Nathan, see that smoke coming from over there? Think we should investigate?"

edited 11th Jun '16 5:18:39 PM by DrNoPuma

>Investigate the source of light.

Here goes...

Name: Toki

Gender: Male

Species: Kitsune (for the purposes of this, a human, except with fox ears and a fox tail)

Weapon: Flintlock pistol

Backstory: Toki was just taking a nice, relaxing walk when the strange light brought him here.

>look around

"Where am I?"

"I uh... yeah, yeah we probably should."

>Investigate smoke

Entry 5

@DrNoPuma & @4maskwolf: > Look at smoke trail

> Investigate smoke

The two of you begin proceeding in the general direction of the smoke, wandering through the forest. After some time, you eventually find a small mound with the entrance to some stone structure embedded in the dirt. A small brook crosses the path leading into the site, with a small, crumbling bridge straddling across it. A small stone pillar stands to the right, or east side, of the entrance. The walls lining the inside of this descending hall are lined with some purplish, laser-like light, and you can see another glow further in. You can also hear footsteps coming from within, and a shadow of the man you met earlier.

You also see a small campfire setup on the mound side of the brook. Despite the foliage gathered around it, the fire doesn’t seem to be spreading beyond its initial radius.

Taking your burning stick/improvise torch in hand, you begin descending into this new area. When you reach the main room, you see a large flame ensconced in a shining, goblet-like bowl, sitting on a small raised platform. A few feet past this, you see two rope bridges going far off into the distance, where you can see a gleam of purplish light. As you look around, you also see two hallways going off to your left and right, though it’s not clear where each one leads to.

From what you can tell, you appear to be standing on some sort of Aztec/Mayan pyramid, though you won’t find much that is different from what the others have discovered. Aside from the temple itself and the small, almost perfectly circular field around it, you see nothing else but the vast, thick forest and a few mountains looming in the northeast. What lies in the other directions is hard to tell without exploring things first-hand.

Before anyone can answer your question, you see what appears to be a talking clown bear and a cowboy or gunsmith of some sort descend from the temple and head in a northwesterly direction, where there appears to be a faint stream of smoke rising up.

Player List/Status

Locations, Descriptions, and Links

• Abandoned Temple
• Brook Mound, NW of Temple
  • Torchlit Mound

edited 11th Jun '16 9:31:39 PM by CathariSarad

>Go right

"What is he..."

>Follow the man

Note: Had to change the format for the stats due to the folders acting all wonky.

Entry 6

@Hamza 678: >Go right

Not wanting to risk the bridges, you begin heading down the hallway to the right. Shortly after you head in, the hall turns left, and then quickly turns back right. After a few hundred feet more, you find yourself in another large room, lit up by several torches embedded into the walls. For whatever reason, about a quarter way through the room, the floor gives way to a large pool of some unknown liquid. You think it’s water, but you cannot know for sure without interacting with it. From where you’re standing, you cannot see much below a few feet of the liquid’s surface.

About halfway into the room, you see three circular pillars rising out of the pool, about level with the floor you’re standing on. The middle pillar is placed just a bit further from the other two, forming a sort of delta or triangle shape with the others. On this central pillar, you also see a pedestal with a crystal orb mounted on top of it. From what you can tell from your own abilities, there is no way to reach any of the three pillars without swimming through the liquid or devising some alternative method of going there; even if you try long-jumping you will at most reach about three-quarters the way there.

At the far end of the room, you see a large decorative stone slab blocking what you assume is the doorway into the next room. There is also a small stone platform extending a few feet out from here.

Shortly after you begin examining the room’s layout, you hear the gunsmith Nathan Kelly enter the room from behind you.

You begin to descend into the mound, where you see a large room with a bonfire lit in the middle and two bridges going off into the distance. [[note: Read Hamza’s entry.]] You see the rifle-wielding man wander off into a hallway on the right side of the room, and you continue following him. The hall turns left, and then turns back right, and suddenly you find yourself in a room with a pool and three columns in the middle (see above description).

Player List/Status

DrNoPuma

• Character: Bamard (M), a friendly clown bear
• Items and Equipment: Claws/Bear strength
• Location: Brook Mound, NW of Temple

4maskwolf

• Character: Nathan Kelly (M), human
• Items and Equipment: 6 Shooter Revolver
• Location: Torchlit Mound, Right Room 1

Hamza678

• Character: Sanjay (M), human
• Items and Equipment:
  • Bayonet Rifle
  • Dandelions, clovers, edible weeds and berries, etc.
  • Improvised torch/fire source
• Location: Torchlit Mound, Right Room 1

InfinityRyujin

• Character: Toki (M), Kitsune/Fox man
• Items and Equipment: Flintlock pistol
• Location: Abandoned Temple

Locations, Descriptions, and Links

• Abandoned Temple
• Brook Mound, NW of Temple
  • Torchlit Mound

edited 12th Jun '16 10:58:08 AM by CathariSarad

>Test the liquid by throwing some plants in it.