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deathpigeon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
#101: Jul 1st 2011 at 3:06:17 PM

She was the villain. Everyone told stories of heroes, and their victories over the villains, she sung about the villains. I imagine that Fae like her cropped up occasionally cropped up, but were always killed or banished. Most stories have only one villain, and a group of heroes. This doesn't necessarily evil, to most people. Their stories were of Black and White, so they couldn't see her as anything but evil, but hers were of Gray and Gray, so she was, and is, somewhere in between.

edited 1st Jul '11 3:07:45 PM by deathpigeon

Alhazred23 Since: Jun, 2011
#102: Jul 1st 2011 at 3:12:59 PM

Hmm... just trying to picture it. Would the beings and the realm be fully realized or more dream-like, with ever-shifting form, if it is essentially devoted to the appreciation of stories of other places? If it's fully realized, are all fae of the realm the same race as the character, and if not, what purpose does 'race' serve in the realm? Do they reenact the stories, where certain races are required for certain roles?

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deathpigeon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
#103: Jul 1st 2011 at 3:20:07 PM

[up] No, not everyone is the same as Her, in face, I imagine that each one looks different based on the stories he/she tells, and how others view the stories, so She look the most evil because they view Her stories as being about evil. In addition, all of Her people can change shape, She's just stuck between two because of the ritual they performed to take away Her name, so most wouldn't know her true form before she was banished. So, race serves little to no purpose there, but outside of there, it is everything.

But yes, they do often reenact their stories by casting others as the different characters in their stories. She would often be cast as the villain, as much by their view of Her stories, as Her choice.

edited 1st Jul '11 3:22:39 PM by deathpigeon

DAcriznips Quaerat et Intelligere Veritatem from Titan's tower Since: Apr, 2011
Quaerat et Intelligere Veritatem
#104: Jul 1st 2011 at 7:40:34 PM

I decided to post my character up now instead of waiting till the RP started so it can be reviewed to see if it fit with the RP and such.

  • Name: Marek Azar

  • Race/Species: Human

  • Age: 18

  • Appearance: 5' 10'' with dusty black hair that stands up in spikes with dark tanned skin from living in the canyons his whole life. He has a lean but muscular body with a tribal tattoo of a spider on his back which is his clan's symbol

  • Personality: He is good natured although he is a bit of a fish out of water, which make him very curious about the outside world and somewhat fearless. Since his clan observes how spiders behave he often gets weird look from others due to his customs or whenever he plays around with the spool of spider silk he keeps in his bag. Usually he will keep to himself when around others and meditate, but when someone starts a conversation with him he tends to be very talkative although when it come to alchemy he is very hot blooded about it saying how one has the power to understand and change the world.

  • History: His whole life since birth, Marek has lived in the desert in the canyons with his clan which live secluded from the kingdoms. His people live in the caves on the side of the canyon and move around by climbing the steep walls similar to how a spider moves and to aid them in climbing they would craft gauntlets and metal talons for their feet. They survive by cultivating desert cactuses on the sides of the canyons or by hunting birds and various animals and they make clothing from the silk of the spiders that live near them.

Although few have left the canyon they know a bit about the outside world since some nobles would "try" to pay them to be assassins*

and travelers (mainly alchemists) would pass through their canyon to reach the "Other Door"* located 50 miles from the canyons.

This was how Marek, at the age of ten, discovered about alchemy when a caravan left behind a book of "The Basics and Fundementals of Alchemy". Since then he has been facinated in the art of alchemy, trying to obtain more books by stealing them or helping make and sell silk to traders so he could buy it (Although many of the books he could find are of low grade). At the age of 18 he decided to leave the clan, with the consent of the elder, to find the Alchemist Academy and learn the art of transmutation.

  • Clothing/Armor: He wears a long red spider silk scarf that reaches his knees that he can wear as a head wrap if he needs to cover his face in a sandstorm or hide his face. He wears a leather jerkin with earth toned pants made from spider silk with leather patches on the knees and sometimes a robe made from tough silk to keep himself warm which he keep inside his sling bag. For armor he has a set of metal clawed gauntlets that reach up to his elbow with toed shoes that have metal talons on the toes.

  • Abilities: He sorta knows how to use a bow, but he would rather prefer to use a blowgun or throw a sharp object in order to attack something at a distance.
    • Chain Whip Mastery: He is skilled in using his 6 foot chain whip which has a blade with a handle attached to one end of serrated chain. His fighting style with the chain is a mix of Wushu martial arts and a fighting style of his clan which based off the form of the spider. He is able to use his whip chain to quickly slice up opponents or grab them and attack up close with the blade
    • Speed & Stealth: Living in the canyons have taught him how climb and run fast and stay silent while doing so, allowing him to sneak up on prey or enemies. He knows how to parkour but in a similar fashion to spiders, knowing how to go from running to climbing in a fluid manner.
    • Limited alchemy: Since he was little he has read few books on alchemy since he didn't have much money to buy them (so he mostly stole books from various carvans passing through). He plans to search for the Alchemist Academy to further learn about this "magic" and to hone his skills.

edited 3rd Jul '11 12:43:40 AM by DAcriznips

Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing- Wernher von Braun Until proven otherwise, Everything is Relevant
Alhazred23 Since: Jun, 2011
#105: Jul 2nd 2011 at 9:05:44 PM

[up] I was wondering if anyone would pick up alchemy, unglamorous bastard half-brother of magic that it is. One suspects that if he managed to find a school for alchemy, the price of such an education might make certain entrepreneurial activities seem very attractive (such as hunting bounties, looking for treasure or countless other things that a party of adventurers might get up to).

I don't see anything objectionable in the character proposal or the culture created as part of the backstory - though one suspects that traders would probably be more interested in their silk than their sneaky skills, as even today there is no viable method to harvest spider silk in large quantities. In fact, if the group was ever down on their luck, your character might have to make a very good case for why they shouldn't start pawning his clothes for cash O_o;...

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DAcriznips Quaerat et Intelligere Veritatem from Titan's tower Since: Apr, 2011
Quaerat et Intelligere Veritatem
#106: Jul 2nd 2011 at 9:42:39 PM

[up]"uhhh...we have no money for an inn"

"So, we'll just sleep outside"

(random lightning and heavy rain)

"Umm...Quick take off his pants!"

"WAIT WHA....!!!"

Lol, but humor aside looking for bounty and treasure would make a great idea for a few side stories since I suppose that the tuition for such a school would be twice maybe triple the amount for an average class. Maybe a few plots where he wins big but loses it all later on for a dash of humor.

Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing- Wernher von Braun Until proven otherwise, Everything is Relevant
eX 94. Grandmaster of Shark Since: Jan, 2001
94. Grandmaster of Shark
#107: Jul 3rd 2011 at 8:23:42 AM

How about an upcoming civil war as a framing device? There is news in the great nation of Generica that the far border baronies are pushing for independence from the king/queen/council of old men with long beards and while there is no open rebellion yet, a lot of rumors going around and it came recently to various violent clashes between loyalist lords the separatists.

It would explain why the various character of different social status and morality come together -such a time can be a great opportunity , but also quite dangerous. It allows for a lot of fights, since the authorities are occupied otherwise, so bandits can roam more freely and opposing factions might get into little fights, as well as the exploration of various different settings, given that most of these baronies are going to be rather small.

edited 3rd Jul '11 8:27:15 AM by eX

Alhazred23 Since: Jun, 2011
#108: Jul 3rd 2011 at 11:14:53 AM

[up] That sounds like it could work. Alternately, for a more 'abrupt' method of getting the group together, the characters could be caught by surprise in one of the border baronies during the outbreak of said war. I suppose one factor might be the characters' inclinations (or lack thereof) toward choosing sides during such a conflict. Also, if there is war then the weaker side would almost certainly be looking for 'advantages' such as strong fighters or fae-blooded 'mages' that they could pay or coerce into working for them.

H:44F(8/30)S|G:19F(0/10)S
deathpigeon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
#109: Jul 3rd 2011 at 11:28:02 AM

[up] Or, we are a third party trying to stop the war, and we are forced to fight both sides!

Alhazred23 Since: Jun, 2011
#110: Jul 3rd 2011 at 11:56:21 AM

[up]Given the significantly less than earth-shaking power level of the group, being forced to fight both sides during a civil war sounds like death sentence unless the 'comedy' aspect of the game is strong enough to turn the 'gritty' war setting from Saving Private Ryan to Inglourious Basterds O_o;...

Actually, even then it would be a death sentence, but at least every character would be guaranteed a Dying Moment of Awesome.

Also... there isn't really a way to be opposed to both sides of a civil war and still aim to stop it, unless you are a foreign invader making a play for territory. Neither side in a civil war wages war just for the sake of war. The rebelling side of a civil war wants the war to end with their independence or with their control of the entire country. The incumbent side of a civil war wants the war to end with the status quo preserved. Both want the war to end, just with different outcomes. If they were working for a third party invading power, however, then there would be reason to fight against both sides, with the aim of weakening both enough that they would be ripe for the picking.

edited 3rd Jul '11 12:13:54 PM by Alhazred23

H:44F(8/30)S|G:19F(0/10)S
eX 94. Grandmaster of Shark Since: Jan, 2001
94. Grandmaster of Shark
#111: Jul 3rd 2011 at 12:17:14 PM

I think it would make for a great stage, describing an area where normality is slowly breaking down.

De facto, both sides might know that this is what will happen soon and there might even be numerous skirmishes between the opposing forces already, but neither party has officially declared war so far, or called to arms.

Alhazred23 Since: Jun, 2011
#112: Jul 3rd 2011 at 12:24:48 PM

[up]Actually, i have to revise one of my statements. In the stages prior to the outbreak of open combat, there might be viable reason to covertly attack both sides, in order to make both of them uneasy about entering open hostilities (though this could backfire if attacks could be pinned on one side or the other). For a third party sponsor, likely suspects might be some sort of mercantile organization that feels civil war would be bad for business or a foreign power on the border with the country in question - and there could just as easily be opposing factions trying to spur on a war as well. The P Cs don't actually have to be on a 'side' in this to get caught up in the machinations. If a guard post is razed in the town they are in, it could easily become a mystery plot where they try to figure out who did it and why, in order to keep the town from exploding like a powder keg all around them.

edited 3rd Jul '11 12:26:35 PM by Alhazred23

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eX 94. Grandmaster of Shark Since: Jan, 2001
94. Grandmaster of Shark
#113: Jul 5th 2011 at 11:15:48 AM

I am largely finished with my character, but I would like Mao's opinion on the current setting before I post it.

Alhazred23 Since: Jun, 2011
#114: Jul 5th 2011 at 12:12:33 PM

[up]You could probably also send it to Mao via PM first too, to see what she thinks of it and how it would fit into the setting; that's what i did.

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Moerin (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#115: Jul 7th 2011 at 11:01:03 AM

Mmmm, okays, I think I finally have the core concept for my character down now (she's a Barbarian Hero from the grim, dark nothern lands commonly referred to by Genericans as... The Grymdark (I apologise for these horribly punny names >.<).) Just need to, uh, get it written down, ahah. >.> Hopefully that shouldn't take too long as I actually kinda have a good idea of what to do with this concept.

I'm just wondering if everyone's still up for this, that's all. I guess I'm just being paranoid because no-one's posted here for a while and I know you're probably just all busy with other things right now and gaaah sorry for being like this. >.< Hope it's just paranoia, ahah.

KarlKadaver Stupid Man Suit Wearer from Just offscreen... Since: Apr, 2011
Stupid Man Suit Wearer
#116: Jul 7th 2011 at 11:02:15 AM

You're just being paranoid, Moerin. I'm still in.

Also, I love the names you come up with.grin

edited 7th Jul '11 11:02:41 AM by KarlKadaver

Give the world the best you have and you will get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.
eX 94. Grandmaster of Shark Since: Jan, 2001
94. Grandmaster of Shark
#117: Jul 7th 2011 at 11:03:53 AM

I just sent my character to Mao, haven't heard back from here, though. And I love the name, especially next to Generica.

Also, just re-reading the thread, we still need a religion. It should be rather low-key, with not much political influence, so I say we should avoid catholic themes. How about a Shinto inspired one instead, that would also go great with the fea stuff.

It is more centered around remote shrines, wandering priests and old men on high mountains than huge churches and powerful officials and a strict hierarchy. There are numerous local spirits and smaller gods, who don't demand so much obedience, but just respect. Less moralizing, with the typical monotheistic good/evil contrast and more philosophical.

edited 7th Jul '11 11:14:53 AM by eX

KarlKadaver Stupid Man Suit Wearer from Just offscreen... Since: Apr, 2011
Stupid Man Suit Wearer
#118: Jul 7th 2011 at 12:02:47 PM

[up] I like this religious setup, and it's pretty much what I had in mind when I gave my character (Zach) his deity.

"Gevaudan" is/was kind of a small-time deity. He was a Fey Worgen that lived around Zach's hometown. The townspeople, being a superstitious and cowradly lot, would offer sacrifices to him in the hopes that he'd not kill them. By the time Zach was born, the fey known as Gevaudan had been long dead, or at the very least he got bored of being treated as a god and snuck back to his own realm. The people still give burnt offerings in his name, as does Zach.

I don't believe that many people have even heard of Gevaudan outside of Zach's hometown, much to his surprise and chagrin.

edited 7th Jul '11 12:03:14 PM by KarlKadaver

Give the world the best you have and you will get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.
Alhazred23 Since: Jun, 2011
#119: Jul 7th 2011 at 12:10:21 PM

I'm still here; i just know i tend to be a bit... er... loquacious, and i'm consciously trying not to talk anyone's ear off.. ^_^;

[up][up]Regarding the religion issue, are you proposing a sort of local animistic belief system for Generica in particular? That would probably work with Karl's background too. We just have to make sure that it doesn't get too grandiose. It was originally stated by Mao that religion is basically a non-issue. That is, there are beliefs, but none of them are anywhere near as widespread as modern religions, thus preventing any of them having more than 'local' power and influence.

[up]Aaaand ninja'ed again. evil grin

@Moerin - Hah! It would be amusing if the average 'savage' from the Grymdark is possibly the most happy, optimistic and personally fulfilled person you are likely to meet - while still being a refugee from a torn hellscape of despair.

edited 7th Jul '11 12:16:24 PM by Alhazred23

H:44F(8/30)S|G:19F(0/10)S
KarlKadaver Stupid Man Suit Wearer from Just offscreen... Since: Apr, 2011
Stupid Man Suit Wearer
#120: Jul 7th 2011 at 12:15:27 PM

[up] Sorry, my friend.smile

edited 7th Jul '11 12:15:35 PM by KarlKadaver

Give the world the best you have and you will get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.
Alhazred23 Since: Jun, 2011
#121: Jul 7th 2011 at 12:31:12 PM

While we're on the topic of details about Generica, should we decide on some other setting-specific things? For instance, in Generica:

  • What's the general climate like? (Assuming Generica is not a huge nation with more than two distinct biomes.)
  • Coastal or landlocked? If it is coastal, is it on a lake or a sea?
  • How do people dress?
  • What is the social status of women (or men, if we wanted to reverse things)?
  • At what age are you considered an adult?
  • What are the local vices? Smoking? Drinking? Gambling? Hard drugs derived from fae plants?
  • Anything else you can think of?

edited 7th Jul '11 12:40:52 PM by Alhazred23

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KarlKadaver Stupid Man Suit Wearer from Just offscreen... Since: Apr, 2011
Stupid Man Suit Wearer
#122: Jul 7th 2011 at 12:44:26 PM

  • What's the general climate like? I’m assuming it’s mostly temperate with four true seasons (Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring)
  • Coastal or Landlocked? I imagine that Generica is landlocked, but surrounded by rivers.
  • How do people dress? Judging from the character sheets already posted, this tends to vary from place to place. I would think that the Generican nobles dress in more expensive clothing than the peasants would. I think Stripperific armor is out, unless the person wearing it needs dexterity more than protection.
  • What is the social status of women? I believe that this would vary from town to town. The main religious figure in Zach’s hometown was female, and unmarried at that…
  • At what age are you considered an adult? I would think that this also varies from place to place.
  • What are the local vices? Smoking? Drinking? Gambling? Hard drugs derived from fae plants? As a fan of The Dark Tower series, I like the idea of some “less-than-reputable” alchemists dealing in "Devil’s Weed" and such.
  • Anything else you can think of? Not at the moment. smile

I'm going to edit this as ideas come to me. This is just a rough draft to get my two cents out there.

edited 7th Jul '11 12:46:01 PM by KarlKadaver

Give the world the best you have and you will get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.
deathpigeon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
#123: Jul 7th 2011 at 1:31:54 PM

[up] We don't have to have it follow the standard pattern of the seasons, we could add additional seasons, or lengthen and/or shorten the seasons. I can imagine a series of eight seasons: second summer -> fall -> first winter -> the shadow months -> second winter -> spring -> first summer -> the light months. Those wouldn't necessarily be the actual names of the months (shadow and light months could get cooler names), but that's a good starting point.

As with real life, each season last three months, so a year is 24 months rather than 12 months. The shadow months are bathed in eternal darkness with perpetual freezing weather (at least -40 degrees or below), and the light months are bathed in eternal light with perpetual burning weather (50 degrees Celsius [122 degrees Fahrenheit] or above. Both are inhospitable (except for plants during the light months), light months because of the heat, and shadow months because of the cold, so animals learned to retreat to shelter during those months.

Moerin (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#124: Jul 7th 2011 at 1:40:11 PM

[up]I dunno, I'd personally prefer to keep things simple and stick with Generica having four seasons and 365 day/12 month years (although I'd be fine with making them about a couple of months shorter or longer, double-length years is kind of, uh, right out for me, but if everyone else wanted it I'd be willing to run with it.) It just seems easier to work with for me, I guess. Although the names of the months/days could easily be changed to differentiate them from their Earth equivalents, I suppose.

That's just me, though.

Alhazred23 Since: Jun, 2011
#125: Jul 7th 2011 at 1:43:31 PM

  • What's the general climate like? - Temperate with distinct seasons seems to be the default climate for the home nations of the classical fantasy hero. I don't have any problems with that, as it's flexible, though it can also be fun to roleplay culture shock over little things like snow.
  • Coastal or landlocked? - Hmm... actually, i probably should have included 'island/archipelago' as an option too. One advantage of the sea is, after all, fast transportation. And the possibility of pirates ^_^.
  • How do people dress? - It should be noted that only wolfman and spidergirl are Generican citizens thus far, so only they can be used as reference for mode of dress. I would say that 'varies by area' is reasonable, though it should not vary all that much within a single country. If Generica is to live up to its name, then cotton, wool, hemp and leather in functional configurations seems to be the order of the day for peasants, with more exotic stuff reserved for nobility.
  • What is the social status of women? - Though there might be exceptions, i think there should be a general 'level' set for a country as a whole, and this is still a society where even subsistence-level quality of life is not guaranteed. Population is necessary to work, and someone needs to take care of all the kids. Maybe extended families are important - or maybe not? Would religion be a calling that subverts social norms in terms of the status attainable, or conforms to them? (Could go either way, really).
  • At what age are you considered an adult? - Ditto for above - and this is actually something that has changed a lot over the ages. Most shortly post-medieval societies would look down on Finn for not having at least one kid at her age, for instance. Do we wanna mirror that, or do something closer to modern/comfortable?
  • What are the local vices? Smoking? Drinking? Gambling? Hard drugs derived from fae plants? - I'm all for coming up with weird stuff, especially if it's significant to the plot...
  • Anything else you can think of? Hmm... local sports? Small-scale prize fighting might be fun too, if we want to have the setup available for the more brawly characters.

Going back to seasons and weather, there is also always the possibility of the various fae realms having peculiar affects on the weather, as well as the local wildlife. If there is a volcano in the area that connects to some elemental or hell realm, for instance, one imagines that the clouds might periodically be seeded with magical ash, or less pleasant things.

edited 7th Jul '11 2:40:48 PM by Alhazred23

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