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 Seraphine turns towards Scales, her face instantly turning twisting into disappointement. "Right. And I suppose, if I were to look into my wallet, I'd find that most of the money mysteriously missing." Seraphine replies, smiling as usual, but her eyes somewhat betray the illusion of friendliness, being locked into an unbreakable stare. "But yes, hello again, Scales. Please do give me my money back unless you wish to learn more about the incendiary propeties of my holy light." Seraphine threatens, with the same friendly smile as before. Finally, as Scales realizes that she left the Young Knights, Seraphine actually blinked for the first time this conversation. "It's true. I do sort of miss it. Actually, I was born in one of the many slum districts. One of the many, many orphans around here. Constantly sick, too. Couldn't stay healthy for a month until I get picked up by the Knights." Seraphine explained. "But eventually, I realized that it just doesn't help. All it does is protect the status quo. The knights don't actually help people like you, or indeed, even me. The one who it really helps is the corrupt upper class, who should be helping the poor but doesn't. That's why I quit." Seraphine sighs. "But... I do have to admit, I do not understand you entirely. You've been locked up so often, and yet you do not change your approach. Given that you are fully aware of how corrupt the system is, why do you still merely try to fix the synthoms instead of the disease?" Yami Fenrir fucked around with this message at 02:13 on Mar 1, 2017 |
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Mar 1, 2017 02:03
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 TheNabster posted:He watches the fight passively for a few moments more, and then looking like someone with something on his mind he turns to his guest. "You know with all this talking about what I've done for fun there's something that's been niggling away at me. You said you went to a big hero school and that before you found your boss that's where you stayed right but I feel like there's some gaps I am missin' in your backstory here sivver. I don't want to be personal or anything but, I don't suppose you have a family at all? Or well, had in any case." Distracted by the fight, its take him a few seconds to reply. He turns back to Ratfink to answer his question, "Oh my family? Yeah, I had one. My parents were rather boring people, and never took much interest in me. I think they barely tolerated me whenever I was home from boarding school. When I died, I decided to leave my old life behind, and haven't given much thought about them since. I left a fake corpse behind so as far as they are concerned I am dead. Dead dead that is." "I'm thirsty, do you want anything to drink? Its my treat of course, for showing me such a fine establishment." Dead Face goes up to the bartender, and orders both of their drinks. Taking them back to their seats, he cautiously takes a sip of his. Its pretty potent, but still not strong enough for him. He reaches into his robe, and pulls out a little bottle. He uncorks it, and pours a little bit of purple fluid into his drink. He sips his drink again, this time its perfect. Grinning, Dead Face explains, "Its a little something special I like to add to my drinks. I'd offer you some, but I imagine you don't want your skin to melt off your face." "Anyways, the only interesting thing about my family is that apparently we used to be a family of knights. Have you ever heard of Theodore the Cunning, slayer of the Red Ogre? I'm apparently related to him. Of course that was a long time ago, and I certainly don't intend to become one of those foolish knights." Dead Face chuckles, but for a moment what looks to be a skeletal grimace flashes across his face. A loud crunching noise can suddenly be heard across the arena, "I fear poor 88 Fingers Michael might need a name change after this fight." Figuring that its time to go, Dead Face stands up, and makes a little bow before Ratfink, "I must thank you for showing me such a good time tonight. Perhaps, next time I can show you how I have fun. Well, I have to go now." IShallRiseAgain fucked around with this message at 02:59 on Mar 1, 2017 |
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Mar 1, 2017 02:12
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Round One Questions! Part Three! Ursula Hoffnung For the entirety of your life, your body had been failing you, yet you know of 'another world' that exists. A place you have taken much advantage of - the digital world. The technology exists to 'hook up' your brain to the internet, although you'd still always be tied down in some way to your meatform. Still, you could live a perfectly placid, comfortable, life in a hospital with a brainjack constantly connecting you to the world wide web. You could be an IV-fueled posting machine, (maybe invest some time into play-by-post forum RPGs like all the other cool kids do). If you wanted to feel useful, there's reams of published research that needs to be sorted and compiled into arguable theses, and if sadism is your game, well, the internet was made for trolling. What keeps you so tied to the idea of creating a new, physical body, and does the prospect of 'escaping into the internet' ever tempt or horrify you? Margravine really cut you off knowing that it would destroy your ability ti find a solution to your muscle atrophy? drat. That's cold. But perhaps... calculated. You're well educated, and so was your mentor - you both know of the titanomachy. The myth is a simple yet powerful tale - successors shall eat their predecessors, children shall eat their parents, creations shall eat their creators. Perhaps cutting you down was Margravine's way of protecting herself. Well, no matter her motives, as the Scion you can only hold your expulsion from heaven in great anger. Yet, you are also capable of experiencing the other side of titanomachy : Have your creations ever acted against your will, or even directly against you? And what machine have you designed that is so powerful that, if it were created, it would terrify even you? Scrree fucked around with this message at 05:11 on Mar 1, 2017 |
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Mar 1, 2017 05:09
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Tricky posted:
 I downed the last of the bottle of Highland liquor--whisky, I heard it called. Not quite so strong as what you might find in the lowlands, the Doggerland, but not bad. Not delicate and fruity and weak like most of what they drink here. I wasn't sure what this dragonblooded wanted with me, but the promise of blood and strong liquor it seemed worthwhile even if the former was a disappointment. However, Crimson Chevalier had a certain reputation by way of her former master. He is well known in the Doggerland, for it is a wild place where one may still find terrors primeval. In her grandfather's time, the Calamity Blade humbled many of the Great Names--including my grandfather while my father watched. They say the Blade was searching for the Dragons that were said to still roam in the Doggerland. I do not know if he ever found his prey. "No, no, no!" I shouted as one of the pit fighters tried to take on the Chimera from behind. I would call it a rookie mistake if those who made it were likely to survive it. "Not like he had any promise anyway." I let her question hang for a little, like I did not hear it. "You're not the first dragonblooded I've met, not by far." My accent is a bit thick, I know. My native Doggerlander is a mutt-tongue of old world languages, but it has enough in common with the languages of the cities that I've never found it hard to learn. "The Rethys, a Great Name, are dragonblooded in the old way, thinner than yours, perhaps, but it runs true enough. Their progenitor bathed in the poison ichor of the swampdrake Rethys, a True Dragon, and drank his heartsblood. One of their younger daughters fights for the city now...Rosenritter." Just then, I remember that vow we swore over the corpse of a manticore, all those years ago and sighed... "How you are treated here...is but a taste of what it is like for the Corrupted in the Doggerland. It is a hard country. The ground itself fights you when you move and the water is bitter and salty. To live is to kill and to steal. Those like the Rethys live by the strength of their Name. A warrior lives by their surname and the names they take; it's not uncommon to have a few taken names. Jotun, for example. These names, they protect you. They tell others that you have kin and clan who will avenge you. If you're part of a weak clan, with a weak name, life is hard enough. The strong do not fear to steal from you and you are driven to the least hospitable places of the Doggerland--or out of it altogether. But for someone like me...I was Thule, but no longer. To fall is more dangerous in the lowlands than to never have risen at all. You become a target, your heritage lost and any legacy you might have made is forfeit." "But you would like to hear about that and why I didn't take its name. I suppose word of it has reached even here by now. Old Thule still holds wonders and horrors in its shattered walls and broke-backed white towers. It is not wise to camp on its dead beaches, but the Wolves, the tribe who I found myself which, were one of those weak-named tribes of which I spoke, preyed on by men and monsters. Before I claimed this club, I had begun leading parties into the city in search of scavenge. I had hoped we might be able to grow wealthy before the dangers forced us off but...I overestimated my new kin and underestimated Old Thule." "You hear...rumors of things sleeping in the old city. Remnants of their ancient power. Abominations of science and magic. Beneath the city, we found something ancient and hungry. I have heard said that the Dragons devoured the old world and then vanished--clearly a half-truth, for the Rethys killed one and I found one in front of me that day. Ancient, blind, and hooked up to obscure machines, but a dragon true. You can feel it, just by standing near. I think now that they used to to power their city or some dread weapon or simply for some long forgotten experiment. By breaking into the vault, we weakened its prison and roused it from its slumber. And it was hungry. It made quick work of my party and devoured my right arm before running off." "Loyalty is one of the three most important things to a Doggerlander. Loyalty to one's lord, to one's vassals, to one's kin. An attack against one is an attack against all and must be avenged and as the champion of the Wolves it was my honor and duty to avenge my fallen comrades. I tracked the beast, Brüdair, it came to be known, for a hundred miles or more. Blind it may have been, with withered wings, but its sense of smell and hearing were keen as ever, its cunning undiminished, its strength growing on the salty flesh of Doggerlanders. I finally cornered it near an old metal hulk as it was picking a mammoth clean. From here...I am sure you have heard enough tales to not need another. We struggled well into the night, I live, it does not." "After it perished, they tried to force the name on me." I looked down to the arena. They were dragging away the fighters and corralling the chimera back into the pens. Soon, they would cast new sand onto the arena to cover the blood. "In the old world, when you were strong or swift or skilled, they would give you a medal, or so I have heard. Gold, silver, or bronze. Silver and bronze were for those who were near the pinnacle of human ability but could not crest it. Gold was reserved for those people. For me, for my descendants, I will not suffer silver or bronze. Not even gold is enough for me. No, I need a name of fire and iron and blood. My ancestor, he was known as the Breaker of Cities, any who would question the strength of my erstwhile kin need only look to the broken towers of Old Thule! No name less than Elisabet Avalon will I accept, for the glory of myself and mine, and for their protection from those who would see us as tainted by the Great Mistake." As I let that hang in the air for a moment, I noticed her looking at my arm. I rolled my eyes. "It got better, you ninny. If I lost my head it would probably just grow back with bigger horns." I set the empty whisky bottle down in front of the Chevalier. "Fair is only fair though. I've come to your pitiful fighting pit, I've drunk your whisky, and I've answered your questions. Now you answer mine. In the lowlands, we have different names for the stars than you do. The one that holds the star you call North Star, we call the Great Wolf Who Chases the Moon. And so we have a saying for people like you back home, people who've been after something all their lives, so long they don't even know what they'll do once they have it. You're chasing the moon, Izayoi. Me, once I take my Name? I plan on sitting on my rear end like any proud warlord should, trading on my reputation to draw tribute, raiding caravans when I get bored, and whipping my heirs into shape. You've never stopped living for the Calamity Blade--what do you plan on doing if you beat him?
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Mar 1, 2017 05:34
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 This cage of flesh impedes me. It complicates research and drains resources. I owe it to the world to reach my full potential and take science to new heights. What is good for the goose is good for the gaggle. It is in everyone's interest to allow my progress so that they may enjoy the fruits of my labor. Alas, the world is not full of rational actors. While there was a great many things I was able to do just from my bed growing up, such a position is more administrative. I could compile the research of others but I was at the mercy of what caught the fancy of the scientific community. Were I to resign myself to largely virtual existence I would find myself in a similar position. I would have no lab. No proper one. I can already use machines to carry out experiments for me as I could in whatever vault I would be using in such a scenario. It is somewhat of a mute point. Virtual reality leaves me with vertigo. The digital sensations of walking translate poorly for me. I have walked. I still can for a few minutes with a cocktail I've developed at the institute. I was working on a implant to regulate the stimulant in my body but constant exposure to it threatened undesirable results in the long term. With time to recover between doses I can still safely use it. And of course, how is it fair that I am denied the basic functions which even the most wretched of people enjoy? I strive for it, because what the hell else would I strive for? Even if it was not so inconvenient I refuse to accept my condition as long as I doubt its permanence. Octavia is a good girl and I won't have anyone suggesting is anything but loyal and perfect. If anything she's too good. I require blood samples to go through the process of getting her to trust someone around me. But of course not all my projects were my magnum opus. My care taker droids are modified from commercial models. Like Octavia their guard dog tendencies can be tedious. Their protocols for protecting me do not understand the nuance of calculated risk. Their deflection barriers are invaluable and I put up with it however. There were the prototype for the homunculus. I don't consider it a creations of mine, as it was a failure. The body was too unstable. This in tandem with the regenerative properties caused it to mutate in real time. Honestly there's some potential there but I'm not sure of how to have the mutation follow a desired path. When it became aware of my disappointment in the results it escaped. I assume it thought I would terminate it. I was humoring the thought but I decided it was a waste. What was a waste was taking the time to decide that. Still, I suppose I am glad it was able to make a life of its own. I don't know how happy it is being the local urban legend. The melting woman of the sewers I think was the latest. The Jund Street clawer. I recognize my own handiwork. The poor descriptions make sense if you have witnessed its body in flux with proper lighting like I have. But mistakes spilling out like that is why I have never worked with nanotechnology. It is mostly in the realm of theory. I like to think that prevailing minds have reached the same conclusion I have. It is simply too difficult to contain. It only can work with an AI cloud, which leaves many variables to go wrong. At best you'll be coughing up blood when it makes mistakes. At worse a mechanical plague starts. Homocidal AI is rare sure. But it only takes one. How many chambers does it take to make Russian Roulette not a bad idea? Hmm, the Russians are a good example of releasing something and it not quite panning out as they hoped. I will not be the next Nicholas.
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Mar 1, 2017 06:19
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Service Announcement! To give some late entries time to complete theirs apps, and for some unexpected things IRL taking up more time than expected, (and because the 3rd looked so far away when I first posted this thread. Who could have guessed February was a short month????) - I'll be shifting the deadline for picking apps back from Friday, March 3rd to Sunday, March 5th.
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Mar 1, 2017 13:03
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 Yami Fenrir posted:Seraphine sighs. "But... I do have to admit, I do not understand you entirely. You've been locked up so often, and yet you do not change your approach. Given that you are fully aware of how corrupt the system is, why do you still merely try to fix the synthoms instead of the disease?" "I mean, you're right. I COULD organize a grassroots resistance movement through the disenfranchised lower class and call for higher standards to be applied to the Knights, hell, we could even bring up an unlikely candidate for mayor to represent the common people and topple the system right from the top..."  "BUT WHERE'S THE MONEY IN THAT?! Ahahahahahaha~!"
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Mar 2, 2017 01:14
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"... and here I thought you might actually be more than a simple two bit thief. Nevermind." Seraphine replies, obviously dejected. "By the way, I wasn't kidding about setting you on fire if you don't give me my money back. All of it. You have three seconds to comply."
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Mar 2, 2017 01:29
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"Ain't my fault you uptight types are so fun to gently caress with. Here, there wasn't that much anyway..." Scales tosses Seraphine back her money, turning on her heels and walking away.
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Mar 2, 2017 01:31
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 Mr. Fowl posted:As I let that hang in the air for a moment, I noticed her looking at my arm. I rolled my eyes. "It got better, you ninny. If I lost my head it would probably just grow back with bigger horns." I set the empty whisky bottle down in front of the Chevalier. "Fair is only fair though. I've come to your pitiful fighting pit, I've drunk your whisky, and I've answered your questions. Now you answer mine. In the lowlands, we have different names for the stars than you do. The one that holds the star you call North Star, we call the Great Wolf Who Chases the Moon. And so we have a saying for people like you back home, people who've been after something all their lives, so long they don't even know what they'll do once they have it. You're chasing the moon, Izayoi. Me, once I take my Name? I plan on sitting on my rear end like any proud warlord should, trading on my reputation to draw tribute, raiding caravans when I get bored, and whipping my heirs into shape. You've never stopped living for the Calamity Blade--what do you plan on doing if you beat him? Izayoi shrugged as Elizabet mentioned her arm. It was a fair point. She had been peering at it rather closely. The Key had hummed in its presence — the sign that it was recording a new page. Was that regeneration something that would help her understand a new Essence? Perhaps the Essence of Flesh, perhaps the Essence of Creation. It was hard to say at this stage. In any case, the deed was done. To gaze upon it further may well prove an insult to the Doggerlander. She set her glass down by the bottle and ran her hand across the flat of her blade. The silence stretched as the workers below. Finally, she spoke, "As you say, I'm chasing the moon. Yet, who is to say that the moon is the final destination?" Her eyes narrowed. "He is the strongest person I know, yet that has never been enough. There are things in this world — like your Brüdair at its prime, like the foes that lurk beyond the stars — that he has not crossed blades with. I am not content to simply bring him down by my own hand. I will shatter his pride with the cruelest of strokes. I will prove that I am the strongest. I will challenge beings he could never dream of. I will become the one who is only spoken of whispers." She waved a finger. Arcane equations and symbols filled the air, only to collapse into a single point. An orb of fire hovered between the two for a few moments, radiating intense heat and light, then snuffed itself out with a further wave from her finger. Izayoi continued, "But that moon is not the only one which I seek. I am the true successor of Solomon, the Father of Sorcery. Though he died before he could complete his final task, I will find success where he faltered. I will understand the Essence of all things and know the final Truth of this existence." She sighed, "Yet, even so, I get your meaning. I do not, in truth, see myself stopping. The roads I walk beckon me ever onward. There will always be a new opponent, a new understanding. Ones which my predecessors never could envision. This life—" An all-encompassing gesture towards the city. "—holds no appeal. Once the Table has fallen at my hand? I would not see the joy in remaining. You are most welcome to it." The silence stretched for a moment. Izayoi added, "I do miss traveling. I would walk beneath the stars once more. Roast game over a fire. Enjoy the silence." Her eyes brightened. "Oh, that does remind me! Back before, when I still traveled with him, we passed through the Doggerlands. It was about this time of year and we caught sight of a great celebration as we passed by an encampment. What festival were your people celebrating and what is its import?" Tricky fucked around with this message at 02:52 on Mar 2, 2017 |
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Mar 2, 2017 02:09
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Tricky posted:
I thought for a moment. Outlanders often think us a dour, cheerless people, but that is only because we are a guarded people. When you have so little and everyone you meet wants what you have--you think differently about strangers. "We have many celebrations. Most we hide from foreigners. And other those that are not, few are held across the whole Doggerland. Each tribe will celebrate their own progenitor with a feast as great as they can manage; it's almost always public unless they are truly weak because this is a celebration of the strength of their line and the bounty of the tribe. It comes once--or twice a year, if the tribe is particularly strong or arrogant--on either the birthday of that great warrior or the anniversary of their great deed." Down on the arena floor, they had begun at last scraping away the viscera and bone and casting sand. I could smell something delicious, ah, at last, refreshments! I grabbed a haunch of something or other off a passing platter. Some Highlander beast--goat? Oddly spiced and the texture...Might be one of those Corrupted breeds of kine that they are fond of up here. Food is food; I tossed the meatmonger some coins. "But of course, all tribes hold those feasts at different times. I think it was either Nijlpaardvallen or Geestbrand. Geestbrand is fun. See, there's a lot of spirits, elementals, and ghosts in the lowlands and we all pay respect to them in one way or another. Geestbrand is big festival when we give tribute to all the useful specters and scare off the ones that prey on children and aurochs and so on with a big reed effigy. It's so much fun because there's a lot of blood and meat from the sacrifices and a giant bonfire from the effigy--and the dancing! Wild, uninhibited dancing. Sometimes, people are taken by the spirits and...Well, that's private." I smirked at Izayoi. "But Nijlpaardvallen is the celebration of the Doggerland. If you can make the journey, you go to the corpse of the Behemoth for the trade season--and you make sure to stay for the party. The Behemoth was a True Dragon--possibly the greatest. They say its wings were so large that they touched the horizon and when it took to the air, cities crumbled to dust. Its claws reaped men like wheat, its teeth--a palisade, its breath--a massacre. Some of that is just the work of the skalds but I spent the trade season there every year. It truly was massive. It was far greater than Brüdair, and your master would have found what he sought in it, I am sure. For all the other feasts and celebrations we have, Nijlpaardvallen is the king-feast. It celebrates the victory that we all share, in the one place that we all hold sacred, where no blood can be spilled so we can let down our guard somewhat. I won't bore you with the details, for if you saw it you would know it, but one of the highlights is the giving of gifts. Loved ones exchange gifts and most importantly, the chiefs of tribes exchange gifts as a show of strength. You understand, I think--if you give your enemy a fine sword, you tell them 'I am wealthy enough and you are weak enough that giving you this is nothing.' If two tribes are friendly, it gets a little more complicated..." I stared off into the distance. Dad and teachers spent so much time giving me the tools I would need to rule one day... "I've lost track of things, I think. It would have had to have been Nijlpaardvallen. I just didn't think it had been that long--that this was the second festival I'd missed since being cast out. Izayoi...Do you ever miss him? Calamity Blade, I mean. He raised you, or so I'm told. There must be something about him to grow fond of."
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Mar 2, 2017 23:31
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WIld Bull You threw yourself into the flames for power? That's pretty terrifying - fire hurts. But I guess when you live as meek and awful a life as the old Isabelle did, even self-immolation seems like an acceptable risk. Still, lots of people take a hit of some strange magic juju, run back to town with their heads held high, and then six months later end up in the same ditch they were born in. You're different from those shlubs, of course. You're different from most people, because your power is searing and eternal. Yet - Avalon City has a way of dampening the brightest lights, and smothering the hottest flames. Tell me about a time, after you gained your powers, when your flame burnt itself to ember, a time when you felt just plain worn-out, and the how you rekindled your fire. You had a lot of bullies as a kid. A lot of different hands pushed Isabelle into the toilet bowl, as it were. And later, Wild Bull broke a lot of the fingers on those hands. You're stronger than them now, all of them, and from your new position you've observed a small bit of truth about the human condition (or at least the Avalonian condition): Personal history, pride in one's actions, belief in one's motives - none of that means poo poo next to the Fear of The Strong. Who once treated you with disdain as Isabelle, and how did you treat them when they tried to kowtow before Wild Bull? Houserule: Bullies get two assets; like every other playbook. Pre-Game Rules Clarification: Only one asset may be wagered at a time. Scrree fucked around with this message at 03:48 on Mar 3, 2017 |
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Mar 3, 2017 03:43
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Mr. Fowl posted:I stared off into the distance. Dad and teachers spent so much time giving me the tools I would need to rule one day... "I've lost track of things, I think. It would have had to have been Nijlpaardvallen. I just didn't think it had been that long--that this was the second festival I'd missed since being cast out. Izayoi...Do you ever miss him? Calamity Blade, I mean. He raised you, or so I'm told. There must be something about him to grow fond of." Izayoi sat for a moment, lost in thought. It was true enough that her feelings for the Calamity Blade were not simply those of hatred and a thirst for vengeance. No, it was more complicated than that. A desire to be recognized. The now-lost sense of belonging, the sense of purpose that she had been cut free of. Yet what words could she use? What words were appropriate for a stranger, even one as free with their own past as Elizabet? Izayoi squeezed the hilt of her blade, perhaps seeking solace in it, then fixed her gaze upon her counterpart, "It is fair to say that, I suppose. He brought me up from nothing. Snatched me from a pitiable existence and showed me the heights of which we could truly aspire towards." Her eyes hardened, then softened again. Emotions warred as she continued. "Our travels were quite enjoyable. He never made issue of my blood. Never assumed that what I was defined who I was. He only saw what I could be. I appreciated that. Truly. For a time, I almost forgot what it was like to be judged as such. He is a hard man, as you might imagine, but there are hints of something else. Something that he tries to hide away. References to his life before." She sighed, a wistful smile creeping onto her face, "He has a beautiful singing voice. The slightest tune can drown out the world, envelop you in what could have been. An idea of what it must have been like Before." Was that a hint of wetness at the corner of her eyes? Surely not. Surely it was a trick of the sub-par lighting. "He taught me one of his songs, once. It must have been a moment of uncommon sentiment. There were moments I would forget that we were merely master and pupil. Dare to think that it was something more. A foolish mistake, I can now see." The silence stretches. Izayoi's face hardens once more as she continues, "Yet that was the cruelest blow he struck. It was not enough to leave me. It was not enough to look at me as though I had betrayed his trust. He had to show me what I could have had, then snatch it away. Perhaps the other trespasses could be forgiven. I cannot forgive this one."
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Mar 3, 2017 21:54
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Finished my character app.
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Mar 3, 2017 23:03
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Tock Of all the Aierie whom BlackStaff used as his tools and pawns, you were the most useful, and you were the most loyal. No one could ever deny that. But you were not the First spirit of the Aierie (at very least, Tick must come before Tock.) No, the First Aierie was something else. It(They?) were both less than BlackStaff expected, but more than he could handle. After many years of service, the First became the only one of BlackStaff's slaves to ever break it's own fetters. It would've returned to the forest, had BlackStaff not summoned all of his resources and power to stop it. That battle was the only time you every fought side by side with your (former) master. The struggle was immensely destructive, though well obscured from the eyes of the outside world, and both sides suffered loss. What did the First take from Blackstaff that he still covets, even to this day, and why do you think you might know a way to reach it? If a scholar were to chronicle the Aierie's story (and you've made strong efforts to make sure that very thing doesn't happen), they would very likely write that the most tragic event in your people's history was when BlackStaff took the natural instinct of the Aierie - to cause mischief, to sneak, to prank- and almost perfectly warped it into his own tool for dominating Avalon City. Yet, almost perfect is never quite perfect enough. Rarely, very rarely, those scrubbed-out, nearly forgotten instincts will flare up, and you'll have strangest urge to play. These feelings are ignorable, and that is what BlackStaff told you to do, but... what could be the harm in indulging in just a little fun? Tell me about a time when you followed through on your old instincts and brought a smile to someone's face for free, and how they repaid you something of equal value.
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Mar 4, 2017 03:10
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 Scrree posted:Tock  "Augur, strongest of our kin. He most wrathful. He was but a child when the Aierie were taken. But he never forgot, and he never forgave. That black rage took from him his sense. Nothing could bring it back. He lay in the deepest part of our prison, used only when Blackstaff needed to destroy something. But Augur was cunning. He turned his magic towards his chains, consuming them piece by piece. I had already been betrayed by the time Augur made his move. Shredding his glamour and taking his natural from in all his terrible glory. Blasting his way through the underlevels of the city. Seeking the forests.  Mallor sought me out. My sister in slave hood. She told me that Blackstaff was trying to stop Augur, and if he failed he would destroy the Aierie. As much as I wanted to let Blackstaff's arrogance cost him everything, I couldn't risk the destruction of my people. It cost was not worth it. As much as I didn't want to, I was left with little choice. You can imagine how thrilled I was to have to stand next to that man, wondering if he was going to stab me in the back, metaphorically or literally. It could be ether. I took no pleasure in what we had to do. We stopped Augur, but not before a douzen Aierie lay unconcious around us, and Blackstaff himself was taking a dirt nap. I dealt the final blow. Freeing him from his rage. He became a hawk, and soared away. Seeking a place that he may plant himself. Where his spirit might regrow anew. I did not stop him. After all, I had a perfect chance to get some vengence. So I pulled out a sharpie and drew dicks all over Blackstaff's body. Skin, armour, cloth, weaponry, you name it, it was covered in dicks. Just to really get across the message of how I feel about him. Then... Then I took his eyes.  A pair of gemstones which he's put considerable time and effort into stuffing full of storm elementals. With them he could shoot forth powerful arks of lightning. One I cracked and threw into the sewers. The storm elemental will slowly break free, and I like the idea of Blackstaff knee deep in poo poo getting lightning bolted. It helps me sleep at night. I kept the other one. I know he'll probably have ways to track it down. But me and Sparky have a bit of an understanding. A sort of mutual hatred thing going on. Enemy of my enemy. I've said I'll let them go free. But I really want them to give him a bit of bolting before I do. I want to see the look on his face while I'm tazzing him with his own toys. quote:If a scholar were to chronicle the Aierie's story (and you've made strong efforts to make sure that very thing doesn't happen), they would very likely write that the most tragic event in your people's history was when BlackStaff took the natural instinct of the Aierie - to cause mischief, to sneak, to prank- and almost perfectly warped it into his own tool for dominating Avalon City. Yet, almost perfect is never quite perfect enough. Rarely, very rarely, those scrubbed-out, nearly forgotten instincts will flare up, and you'll have strangest urge to play. These feelings are ignorable, and that is what BlackStaff told you to do, but... what could be the harm in indulging in just a little fun? Tell me about a time when you followed through on your old instincts and brought a smile to someone's face for free, and how they repaid you something of equal value. If you'd read any of the old stories. You'd know that we have a strong connection to children. VERY strong connection. We draw them in, and play with them. And we mess with any adults who come in to find them. Then, at the end of the day, with the adult having proven their dedication to brave our games. We return the child to them with the blessing of the woods. A little charm that would protect then child through life. Unusually good luck and the like. Though the child would be too young to remember, and the adult would be cursed to secrecy. We like to play games. We are NOT a way to set your child up for life.  Well anyway, children still bring out those instincts. It's so ingrained that it's impossible to scrub out. So I'm doing my business, strolling along like a baller. And all of a sudden this gaggle of kids runs over. I've seen this kind of thing before. They swarm you, pick pocket you. Things like that. They rush away with their spoils in hand, I let them get far enough away, somewhere they feel safe. They try to open up their prize, but for some reason they can't open it. No matter how much they try! Imagine that. With a snap of my fingers, my wallet is back in my hand. Obviously they're rather shocked. So I start doing a few little magic tricks. Amusing little things. One boy had a cascade of coins fall out from under his coat. Another girl found her pockets filled with flowers. Then I started giving them food. That ALWAYS makes them like you. It's one of the natural laws. Kids just can't help but like magical sprites that give them food and make them laugh. They munched down, and I started getting them to open up a little. Orphans, a street gang, precocious little tykes, sticking it to the 'dults one raid at a time. They wanted to cause mischief, and who was I to dissuade them from a potential life of crime? So I joined them in a little jape. Simple enough, One of the kids grabbed a watch, and made an obvious attempt to escape with his loot. The man chased after him, intent to get his watch back. But the child was always ~just~ out of reach. Then suddenly! Woosh! The man finds himself strung up like a turkey. Some quick ropeing later, and suddenly we have a victim! Knocking him out was simple. Then the real fun begun. First step is to die his hair green of course. Next was to take his shoes, and fill them with slime and mud. We robbed him blind of course. Then I taught then the correct way to paint his face to look like a clown. Then I let them throw cream pies at him for a while. They were laughing and joking all along. It was a good time. Except for our clown. He did not have a good day. But that's fine. We scarpered before he woke up. Went our separate ways. But I made them promise, to assist me in future should I call upon them. And that is worth a lot, a lot more then they think.
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Mar 4, 2017 16:19
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Questions Round 2.0+1.0: Elfgames Are (Not) Life. Specific Character Questions - The Black Squire A couple months after you went rogue, sorry, freed yourself from the Young Knights, you woke up with a sore throat and fuzzy vision. The Black Ash was coming. Immediately, you set out to cross out every item on your bucket list - no crime was too audacious for somebody with a death sentence. During that time you felt no fear and bothered with no restraint - if death truly was stalking you, neither of those things would be of any use. Well, as the fact that we're having this conversation attests to, the Black Ash had not been knocking on your door. You'd simply caught a minor cold, and within a few days were back to your normal, peppy self. Tell me about the incredible heist you pulled off, and how you blew through the entire fortune it brought you in your 'last few remaining days'. There are many Young Knights, but very few of them receive direct mentoring from a member of the Table. You were a promising young hero, but certainly not the most outstanding of your generation; Gungnir taking you as her student was a surprise, both to you and to others. Regardless of her motives, she took her position as your teacher seriously, and taught you many things. She made you strong. She tried to make you just. And, in perhaps a lesson taught too early, she revealed to you the limits of justice in Avalon City. There are some villains, she said, who have twisted the law into a shield for their crimes. They have friends within the State, the Knights, or even the Table, and if you ever stumble into one of their crimes, ignore it - this is the compromise we must make to preserve peace within the city. Well, you don't represent the law or peace anymore, and compromise is just the most boring thing. What villain stood above the law for years, protected by their connections to the city's elite, and how did you take great pleasure in sweeping their legs out from under them (metaphorically or literally). Partner Questions - Team Terminal Feelings - Ursula Hoffnung and The Black Squire: Bond over the universal truth of dying someday in the future, but a lot faster than other people. Team Bull in a Clock Shop - Wild Bull and Tock: The team name joke doesn't really work. I know. Look, you're the last two left, just get to talking!!!
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Mar 4, 2017 18:59
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The shelter was it's usual busy self for a weekend. Animals in their private little spaces cried out for food, attention, or just to make some noise and let everyone know they were there. People rushed too and fro. Feeding and cleaning, filling out the days paperwork. Trying to give the assorted critters whatever they needed to get through the day, and maybe, just maybe get adopted. It was in this environment of adorable organised chaos that Wild Bull volunteered. Quite understandable really. They were rather cute animals. Though that was not the thing that made this day more interesting. What made it interesting was the man who'd just appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the corridor. Tock glanced around, sniffed once, and caught sight of Isabelle. His eye brows raised in mock surprise. "Well I never...!" He sauntered over, looking at the brawler with a hardly suppressed chuckle. "My my my, if it isn't big bad Wild Bull herself! Pampering Pomeranians!" He picks up a passing pooch and gives it an affectionate scratch under the chin. "And before you think about throwing down, I would remind you that you're surrounded by puppies, and pussies, and that one platypus. The poor animals would undoubtedly get caught in the cross fire." Tock gives the dog a big cuddle, his eyes laughing. "Seriously though, these guys are super cute. But I'm not here to make fun of you." He snapped his fingers and a package appears in his hands. "Christie asked me to give this to you. No idea what's in it. But she called in a favour to get it to you. Lucky you." He hands it over, and returns his hand to giving scritches to the puppy. "While I've got you here, I've got a little deal for you. I'll not speak a word of this to anyone. But you've got to answer a question for me. Whatever happened that time that your powers got sucked out of you and you had to work with that kid (Tabbie? Toby? Tony? Whatever his name is) to stop something bigger and nastier then you to get them back?
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Mar 5, 2017 01:49
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Sharing my chop shop with Madam Fluerae's establishment is a windfall in one particular matter of my interest. A certain indulgent and adventurous type with a death sentence curse. Madam Fluerae likes to tsk and shake her head over a young lady carrying on like that and misspending her youth like that. Self righteous hypocrisy is the madam's hobby. Were the blackguard to misspend her time within the gaudy halls it would raise no objections. The medical services I offer are more suited to her brand of recklessness I think. But I do so enjoy to have my bases covered. As luck would have it I chanced upon her in the grey markets. I have to make physical errands from time to time. I prefer to see to supply runs personally. Everyone treats a remote drone like an automaton and try to put on over it. I was rather excited to have my chance to observe the girl. Her affliction is supposed to be incurable. I savor a challenge. It was the white whale of the institute. If I were able to topple it I would prove the superiority of my methods. My breath becomes slightly labored from all my excitement. I have my caretaker droid push me over and in a rare moment of thoughtlessness blurt out a tactless greeting. "Ah the blackguard with one foot in the grave." I rest my chin on my hand. My eagerness is betrayed in a bemused smile. "Tell me, what would you do for one more year? Now that you're enjoying life so much." She contacted all sorts of unsavory sorts so I've heard. She would not balk at my methods. SHY NUDIST GRRL fucked around with this message at 06:18 on Mar 5, 2017 |
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Mar 5, 2017 05:39
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 Gave myself a second asset! quote:You threw yourself into the flames for power? That's pretty terrifying - fire hurts. But I guess when you live as meek and awful a life as the old Isabelle did, even self-immolation seems like an acceptable risk. Still, lots of people take a hit of some strange magic juju, run back to town with their heads held high, and then six months later end up in the same ditch they were born in. You're different from those shlubs, of course. You're different from most people, because your power is searing and eternal. Yet - Avalon City has a way of dampening the brightest lights, and smothering the hottest flames. Tell me about a time, after you gained your powers, when your flame burnt itself to ember, a time when you felt just plain worn-out, and the how you rekindled your fire. Seriously? You wanna know about that whole shitshow? Isn't there anything else you wanna ask me about, like, I dunno, "Why are you so cool, Wild Bull?" ...Tch, fine. I'll answer the stupid question. It happened when I was doing work for The Dark Tide Gang. Their leader, Genzo the Shark, hired me as the muscle. The job was simple; they were planning to steal some valuable material from one the warehouses by the docks, and I'd be there to take care of anybody who's actually stupid enough to get in our way. Like I said, simple. 'Course, things are never that simple. She was there. Of all the potential Knights who could've tried to stop us, it had to be her. The one person who I hate the most in this entire loving world. Jun was there. It was the first time we met as hero and villain, and we both looked at each other in shock. We didn't even know what happened to each other after the orphanage. It was just one big loving coincidence that we ran into each other like that, can you believe it? ...And then I got angry. Like, really angry. I mean, angrier than I've ever been before, and I don't even know why. Seeing her again triggered something inside of me, and set me off in a blind rage. She was trying to say something to me, but I didn't listen. All I wanted to do was smash her face in. We fought, for a long time, and the more we fought, the angrier I got, and then I... blanked out. I don't remember what happened next, but when I woke up, the entire dock was smashed up and on fire, and I was exhausted. I could hardly move anymore. If it wasn't for Gertie's help, I don't think I would've been able to make it out there. For once in my life, I was raged out, and I just felt really, really tired. You wanna know how I recovered after that? How I rekindle the fire inside of me? I'll tell you how; it's because I'm the Wild Fuckin' Bull, that's how! I regained my power back through sheer force of loving will! If you thought something' like that'd permanently snuff out my flames, then you're dead wrong! This bull ain't going down that easily! And besides, the whole thing turned out to be a valuable learning experience for me. I've learned how to channel all my rage, so I don't lose control of myself like that again. It still takes a lot out of me when I go into what I now call The Bull's Rage, but it ain't no problem for someone as tough as I am! Nothing's ever going to put this bull down! Isabelle actually recovered by resting for two weeks, though she'd never admit it. She spent most of her time watching romance movies, which she'd constantly get teary-eyed at, with Christie, eating ice-cream, and spending time with her pets. Christie is the only person who knows how Isabelle actually spent her time recovering, and Christie promised not to tell anyone else. quote:You had a lot of bullies as a kid. A lot of different hands pushed Isabelle into the toilet bowl, as it were. And later, Wild Bull broke a lot of the fingers on those hands. You're stronger than them now, all of them, and from your new position you've observed a small bit of truth about the human condition (or at least the Avalonian condition): Personal history, pride in one's actions, belief in one's motives - none of that means poo poo next to the Fear of The Strong. Who once treated you with disdain as Isabelle, and how did you treat them when they tried to kowtow before Wild Bull? I've had plenty of people who treated me like poo poo, but the worst one of them all was a kid who called himself Blade. Blade, and his little gang, made it their personal loving duty to make Isabelle's life a living hell. Why? Because she was weak, and they were strong, and the strong are the ones who prey on the weak and all that crap. I wasn't the only one they tortured, of course, but I was their "favorite" because I couldn't fight back. Lucky me. Imagine my surprise when, a few years later, I ran into Blade again. It was late, and I was making my back to my place. I took a shortcut through an alley, and lo and behold, there he was! Little Blade grew up in the world! He graduated from being a bully to leading his own little adorable gang! And they were trying to mug me! Me! It was almost adorable! Oh, you should've been there! It was hilarious! They tried so hard to take me down! I didn't even have to do anything, they just tired themselves out! Oh, and the look on Blade's face when he finally recognized who I was! It was priceless! He straight up started pissing his pants! He begged, oh, he begged. He got down on his knees, and started pleading to me, crying like a little baby the whole time. I almost felt sorry for him. Almost. I was the one with all the power now. I'm the strong one, not him. But, see, unlike Blade, the bull knows mercy. There are so many different ways I could crush him, and leave him with nothing but a broken body, but I chose not to. Instead, I gave him another option; he'd have to listen to everything I have to say from now on, and if he does anything to cross me, he'll feel the full force of the Bull's Rage. He accepted, but it's not like he had much of a choice. I got him on animal duty while I'm gone. He's in charge of picking up all the poo poo. Wait until he sees the little surprise I had Gertie leave for him, haha! Arashiofordo3 posted:The shelter was it's usual busy self for a weekend. Animals in their private little spaces cried out for food, attention, or just to make some noise and let everyone know they were there. People rushed too and fro. Feeding and cleaning, filling out the days paperwork. Trying to give the assorted critters whatever they needed to get through the day, and maybe, just maybe get adopted. It was in this environment of adorable organised chaos that Wild Bull volunteered. Quite understandable really. They were rather cute animals. Though that was not the thing that made this day more interesting. I know how weird this looks. Yesterday, I was smashing up faces, breaking bones, and kicking some serious rear end. Today? Today I'm feeding starving cats, nursing sick puppies, and cuddling bunnies. They didn't ask for this. They were abandoned, and left to die out there in a cold, uncaring world. They're not like us. They're not selfish, self-serving assholes. Okay, maybe some of them are, especially cats, but they're not selfish in the same way we are. All they want is a roof over their heads, a place to sleep, a good meal, and a person to care for them. That's all. The people I hurt? They've made their decision. They can cry and whine about how they "didn't have a choice," but that's a whole bunch of horseshit. You've always had a choice. You just hosed up. I snap my head to the voice calling out for me, and when I see who it is, I give the person in question a threatening glare, "And if it ain't the smug prick himself, Tock. What the hell do you want?" I growl. He's lucky we're in the shelter. If this was literally any other place, there'd be a Tock-shaped hole in the wall right now. "Christie sent ya, huh?" Dangit Christie! How many times have I told ya the shelter is not the place to have people meet with me!? This is supposed to be the place where I unwind! I swear, that frickin' girl... I open up the package, and find a single USB stick inside. Huh, wonder why she didn't give me this herself? Whatever's in it has to be pretty important if she called in a favor to get it to me like this. I'll check it out later, after I'm done with my current "problem." "I gotta take the dogs out for a walk today. Come on, I'll tell ya outside." I take Tock with me to the nearest park, as well as several dogs, too. I hold onto their leashes with one hand, which is no problem for someone as strong as I am. I'm quiet for most of the walk, until I finally say, "...You remember Hollow, the Young Knight guy who can absorb powers with a touch? I ran into him during a bank job. He got the jump on me, and managed to absorb my powers," I pause, and adjust my incognito-cap with my free hand (You'd be surprised at how many people don't recognize you when you put on a heavy jacket and a cap), "Thing is, he didn't just absorb my powers. He absorbed the flames themselves into his body, taking what was mine, and leaving me," I grit my teeth, "Weak," I spit out those words as if they were poison. "Now, you need to be a pretty big badass, like me, to control the dark flames, and Hollow? He isn't even near the same level of badassness as me. The flames consumed him, took over his whole body, and turned him into this giant, rampaging fire demon thing. Apparently he became some fragment of some kinda ancient demon or whatever, but I didn't care. All I cared about at the time was taking back what was rightfully mine, and the only person who was capable of helping me get them back was, ugh, Toby," I sneer, "Toby didn't want to, at first, but it was Mr. Mystic of all people, you know, the guy who's trust I betrayed, who convinced him to help me. See, apparently I'm the only one who's ever managed to successful control the flames, because, once again," I point to myself, and flex my biceps to show off my muscles, "Giant.Badass." "Mr. Mystic would rather deal with a super-powered angry bull than a potential world-ending demon, so, long story short, Toby used his mystical mumbo-jumbo thing to link me to the demon, I used my sheer awesome will to take back what was mine, and thanked Toby by giving him a wedgie, and everybody lived happily ever after. The end. Okay, except for Hollow, I guess. He's a little messed up after the whole incident, but you know what they say about playing with fire!" "There. Now ya know, are ya satisfied?" I turn my head to look at him, clearly unhappy about relieving the whole experience, "And now that I've answered your question, you get to answer mine. Fair's fair, right? I heard ya found some big secret about the Knights during your undercover days. What did you find, and why haven't you told anyone about it yet? And, while I'm still asking questions, What the heck is this deal you got for me?" Tardzilla fucked around with this message at 22:56 on Mar 5, 2017 |
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Mar 5, 2017 15:37
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Parks. Parks were good. Where it was still green, where it was still alive. They were rare in this concrete hellhole. He he always made note of them whenever he found them. A Aeirie's magic was born from nature, so it was important to connect with it once in a while. But having the dogs there helped too. Humanity might have warped what dogs were over time. But goodness, if they weren't delightfully friendly. Wild Bull tells her little tail. Tock nodded, he did recall seeing a big fire demon looking thing wandering around at one point. But it had ignored him, and Tock was pretty busy at the time. He might have even poked it otherwise. He chuckled at Wild Bull misunderstanding the deal. "Oh dear. Frank always used to say that you weren't the quickest." He shook his head in sarcastic sadness. Yeah, he'd just put a target on Frank's back. But gently caress Frank. Frank was an arsehole. "The deal, my dear, is that in exchange for a story, I don't share that you go all goo goo eyed over cute widdle animal to our wider nefarious community. It could rather destroy your reputation, if it got out. I'm sure even someone as stubborn as you has to understand that would be a bad thing." But then she asked him a question. Oooh, now that WAS an interesting tit-bit. "Ohhhh, someone's had their ear to the rumour mill I see. Hehehehehee." He gave a particularly doleful doberman a pat on the head. "Very well, I'll share. However..." He gave her a serious look for the first time. That ice cold glint in his eye seemingly sucking away the heat of the sun. "Such information is powerful, rare, and a bargaining chip like no other. It is not an amusing story to tell in the bars to impress your friends. As such, you would be wise to not share it with any other. Are we clear? Should the leak to traced back to you, you might find that even your prodigal strength has it's limit. The Table are not to be taken lightly." His warning given, (though Tock knew full well, Bull was idiotic enough to spread it around. Almost as though questioning her strength and power would MAKE her spread the information.) Tock resumed his easy smile. "Did you ever wonder why there's no history books before the world ended? We've all heard the story. The antiquity of the Old World tried to end a great war by performing a ritual so dark, so terrible, that it destroyed the world as it was known. That the resulting fires destroyed nearly all the pre-history. It's a great tale. Very rousing. It's not true in the slightest, but a great tale all the same. The Truth of the matter is the the Knight have been suppressing history. Have been for years. I should know, I've seen the library. Even broke in there to steal a few of the books for BlackStaff." Tock's eyes narrowed at the memory. "But the most heavily guarded book in that whole place, was the one on the Knight's founding. Where the original Table got their powers from, why the mega-city was built here of all places, . It's the kind of thing that could bring the whole order down from within. Of course I had to read it, in it's entirety. And oh ho! There's some seriously shady poo poo in there, and that's coming from ME! Why haven't I told anyone? Because I like being alive. Information like this is something the Table would go to any length to protect. I've seen what they're capable of, remember? Which is also why you're only getting the fact that it exists. You're not getting the how, or the why." Tock stood up. Shielding his eyes from the light of the sun overhead. "As such, I'm going to head off. Things to do, people to see, you know how it is. Besides" He looked sidelong at her. "I've got to find somewhere quiet to die laughing from the fact that Wild Bull volunteers to cleans up dog poo poo." He flash steps away before the girl could get her hands on him. Time powers were so useful for escape.
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Mar 5, 2017 17:13
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 Scrree posted:Tell me about the incredible heist you pulled off, and how you blew through the entire fortune it brought you in your 'last few remaining days'. There aren't many old-school dragons left, and when one of the last hoards was getting shipped into the city, the Provence Hoard... well, I wasn't the only one that heard. Once that pile of prizes got filed away in the Minaudière as a "state treasure", it'd be untouchable. Unfortunately, exactly which shipment was harder to say, given there were about a dozen false caravans being brought into town, usually loaded with the city's guard. It turns out those thugs are a pretty poor treasure to unearth! The Table was mostly busy trying to stop all the trouble caused by small-timers willing to take that one-in-a-dozen chance of a life's lootbag. I got to kick back, though my accommodations weren't what I'd hoped for. See, a day beforehand when they'd brought in the Casket of the Green Knight, I'd managed to have it swapped by pulling together too many favors. When they opened the doors of the the Minaudière, they literally walked into the sigils I'd set up, and then I let them have it with lightning rounds. Going loud after waiting for hours... felt like a good way to go out, riding a citadel-truck loaded with enough wealth to set up as a noble. Two catches. First, there was no way to hide or walk away from this, and the Table'd be closing fast. What I didn't expect was agents of the Ysian Federation to hit me on my way out.  What with dragons being holy to them, they were demanding the return of the Provence Hoard to their country, and I managed to climb away from their devil-guided arms with a jacketload of jewels. I'd hoped that if I was going to go out, it'd be hitting Gungnir in the face, but this wasn't exactly what I hoped for. When the Table arrived, I just took the quickest route off the bridge- down. An explosive cantrip at the bottom of my fall at least kept me from getting crippled or killed, if not unhurt, and I was off into the city's guts. Not that it stopped them. I thought I'd at least be able to relax, but the Ysians kept hitting every place I spent at like a bunch of jackdaws, and soon I couldn't spend any of it. So I laid a trap for them with the last of them, and hit them hard. Turns out they had a war drake - how do you even get one into the city? - and though I managed to kick their asses once and for all, I wasn't prepped when the Table came crashing down on me. She let me walk, though, before all of them showed. Something about me still doing good work. Like I wanted to, you stupid imp-kissing old bi- biddy. All that dream of a final fight was kinda gone by then. I just wanted to rest. Didn't die. Funny! I'm inside-laughing. Most of the hoard's tucked away, but coins and gems still run around the city. Well, I still held on to a ruby. I don't spend it. It's just to show off to any Ysian thugs I might run into again. Got yours! Scrree posted:What villain stood above the law for years, protected by their connections to the city's elite, and how did you take great pleasure in sweeping their legs out from under them (metaphorically or literally). Homonculists are literally the worst. How is spelltwisting life like that still legal? Thaumaturgical Association pushes so hard for "research rights" they don't even care about the consequences. Headed right back into history, if you ask me. Which you didn't, but I'm going to pretend you did. Meister Vohaun was the worst of them, creating servants and using the birthing clause of the Summoning and Binding Statues to get them treated as legal minors "under his care". Cauldron-cooked slaves, is more like. I mean, you can't exactly prove bindings when they're woven into their lifecodes. But everybody knows. Well, except for ignorant idiots that praise "the magic of life!" in shadow salons. Ughhh. But extensive bindings like that require circles to tie their threads to. Getting in was a matter of volunteering to be tested to sell my lifecodes to them. Of course, they didn't know my lifecodes are marked with a big cursed X where they stop, but they were interested. The second layer of security was handled by slipping into the lab and getting a homunculus sample to put into a ward-cracker, and from there, oyster open up. I didn't have the means to do anything fancy. I just broke the circles. A lot of suffering to a lot of homunculi, but they'd life. It was their minders that gave me a fight, but when Vohaun showed up, he lost it and just unleashed the Ten Courts at me. I guess he wasn't thinking straight, because even though he nailed me, he nailed his circles as well. And with all those bindings threaded into him... it wasn't pretty. It was like watching somebody get unwound. He lived... somehow... but the mess brought knights in to see what he'd been doing. Lives in a bed now in a cell, as I understand it. Very nice, noble cell to keep the Association happy. But still a cell. They emancipated the homonculi, of course, and some of them thank me, some hate me. Doesn't mean anything more than a candle in a box. There are some things people shouldn't have to live with even to a no-care devil like me, and now there's one less. Scrree posted:Team Terminal Feelings - Ursula Hoffnung and The Black Squire: Bond over the universal truth of dying someday in the future, but a lot faster than other people. Percy tensed up. How did she...? Well, the instinct to to just giving the surprise speaker a gloved fist to the face at least takes pause at seeing the speaker's condition. It would be a punch of principle, but not satisfaction. So instead the fist just hangs at her side and she forces her smile to her surface. The grin is her shield, after all. "Seems like a little piggy's been squealing!", she adds as she puts her hand to her cheek. "You shouldn't worry about somebody like me, though? I mean, my reputation rubs off." She tilts her head, squinting her brown eyes with a smirk. "And not the best way to court me, if that's what you're hoping for...!" A slight shake of her head. "What would I do? Well. Nothing that wouldn't make that year worth living. Not going to end up in a cell or in a frontier hut. I'll wrong a fellow if I have to. I'll wrong lots of fellows. You want me to snuff a life or break a spirit? That... well. I'd have to see your devil's contract, moonlight." Stuffing her hands into her pockets, she stared at the scientist. "You're going to dangle elpis in front of me, you better mean it. Still..." She looked thoughtful. "A short, bold life like mine or a tenuous, stubborn one like yours... which would you think is better?"
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Mar 5, 2017 21:01
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 IShallRiseAgain posted:
"Erererererere' 'ang on. Don't just drink one drink and leave we've barely gotten to know one another!" Ratfink leaned back in his chair as the cage was opened to drag Michael of out of the dome. "Michael always seems to have more limbs then he loses in these fights, maybe he grows them back or something. That boy got's some of those weird genes, even for a Wyrd." "But winding back this conversation a few moments." He said, putting all four legs of his chair back on the floor and resting his elbows on the table. "You go and tell me you're related to some big old famous Knight guy and then you don't give me any details? I've never heard of Theodore the Cunning, we don't get a lot of history down here that ain't local. Tell me about Theodore the Cunning, and this Ogre he slew." "I promise the next round's on me if you do."
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Mar 5, 2017 22:07
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quote:"But winding back this conversation a few moments." He said, putting all four legs of his chair back on the floor and resting his elbows on the table. "You go and tell me you're related to some big old famous Knight guy and then you don't give me any details? I've never heard of Theodore the Cunning, we don't get a lot of history down here that ain't local. Tell me about Theodore the Cunning, and this Ogre he slew." Figuring he can stay a little bit longer, Dead Face sits down, "Ah yes, the Red Ogre. A rather nasty brute of creature. Even for his kind he was a rather large specimen. Countless knights threw away their lives trying to defeat him in combat. However, Theodore the Cunning knew that there was a better way to take him down. You see, the Red Ogre had a great passion for drinking. He only drank beer that he had brewed himself, a vile and potent concoction. He was always challenging some poor soul to a drinking contest. Nobody ever came close to winning against him." Taking another sip of his drink Dead Face continues, "Theodore consulted with a wizard, and had them make a talisman that would absorb all fluids. Putting this talisman in the back of his mouth, he challenged the ogre to a drinking contest. The ogre laughed when he saw his scrawny challenger, but still accepted it. The contest lasted for almost a entire day. Each time, Theodore took a drink, the Red Ogre expected it to be his last, but Theodore still continued on. Despite starting to feel the effects himself, the ogre continued on because he would never allow a puny human to beat him. However eventually even the mighty ogre had had enough, and collapsed. The fool had died of alcohol poisoning." Dead Face laughs. "They actually have his taxidermied corpse on display in the Avalon Museum of History." Dead Face looks at Rat Fink, "So I hear you are a thief, what's the biggest heist you managed to pull off?"
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Mar 5, 2017 22:58
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It’s picking time! First off, I’d like to thank everyone who applied. I know that writing apps is a time consuming process, and know that even if you don’t make it into the game, I did spend time reading and appreciating your writing. The amount of people who applied, and the quality of writing they submitted, were both an incredibly happy surprise. Finally, I’d like to thank TheNabster for not minding that I copy-pasted like 2/3rds of the op from his thread. ...Oh, and Tardzilla, for teaching me the shenanigans I’m about to pull from his Masks thread. THAT’S RIGHT! YOU ASSHOLES SUBMITTED TOO MANY GOOD APPS! I FIND IT DIFFICULT TO REJECT OTHERS! TWO THREADS, BABY! Team Freaks will play in a thread titled Delinquents & Dragons: Tricky playing as Crimson Chevalier, the Scion Mr. Fowl playing as Jotun, the Monster YamiFenrir playing as Seraphine, the Radical Waffleman playing as Scales, the Crook IShallRiseAgain playing as Dead Face, the Hellion TheNabster playing as Ratfink, the Hood Team Geeks (+ 1 Bull) will play in a thread titled One Bad Apple Spoils the Bunch: Theantero playing as High Gear, the Maniac ShyNudistGirl playing as Ursula, the Scion AlienRopeBurn playing as The Black Squire, the Crook TheFireMagi playing as Ea’Lyiz, the Invader Tardzilla playing as Wild Bull, the Bully ArashiOfOrdo3 playing as Tock, the Rogue Team Freaks, please use this thread to establish your influences, relationships, and what happened during your first caper. Also, please choose between these assets as your starting team base: Seraphine's Abandoned Warehouse Base, or Jotun's Tiny Nation in Dog's Hill Team Geeks + 1, I’ll have your OOC thread up edit: Suggested order for 'during our first caper' questions; Crooks/Hoods/Radicals can answer their questions first to set the scene > everybody but Scions > Scions last. Scrree fucked around with this message at 00:10 on Mar 6, 2017 |
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Mar 5, 2017 23:34
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I am 110% sure Ratfink will get along poorly with half the people on this team, what fun! During our first caper… We kidnapped someone really important, who knows our name and helped spread the word, inadvertently or not. Who was it? Why were they important? Han'Cho is one of the more meaner sides of the troll mafia which was not exactly flush with nice guys to begin with. As the Luggerheads run the slab ring and the Copperliths run the arms trade, his gang The Goldtooths have a vice like grip on the illegal gambling rings in Avalon, which he had enforced with almost gleeful malignity. The key word is had, until we hog-tied him in the trunk of his own truck, beat the crap out of his goons and accidentally burned his most profitable casino to the ground in holy fire (Thanks Seraphine). No one's reputation can survive such a blatant and protracted humiliation, and it's been all over the underworld because of it, alongside various screamed offers for our pelts from the Troll Mafia. Relationships: For Sale Seraphine knew you first as the Other, but hasn’t made the connection. I had a temporary had a working arrangement with the Burners a while back, bunch a street toughs who loved their cars and bikes so much that they'd steal the bits from other cars to mod onto their own. So when Princess here dropped on us whilst I was unscrewing hubcaps and my acquaintances turned tail and ran leaving me holding a wheel jack and caught very much red handed again, it wasn't the best moment of my life. And I got off lightly, this was before she went nutty. A week or so later I heard she caught up with the Burners and did things to them that would make the eyes water just thinking about them. So in hindsight it really could have been worse. You know that Dead Face has been snooping around trying to uncover your secret identity. I know you are prying where you shouldn't be, do you think I don't have eyes on everyone in this group? You think you are being clever and sneaky with your crap. You're not, and I'll stress test your immortality to it's limit if you ever come near what's mine zombie, don't push me. Included in Scales - Both you and Ratfink share a side-venture together you haven’t shared with the others. Influence: You find yourself taking after others almost instinctively, considering the void where your identity is. Give Influence to three of your peers. Seraphine Dead Face Scales Base I will put +1 vote for Jotun's Tiny Nation in Dog's Hill. TheNabster fucked around with this message at 09:50 on Mar 8, 2017 |
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Mar 6, 2017 00:11
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My Backgrounds quote:You and Dead Face were known as a villainous duo before this alliance got started. In the months since I've returned to Avalon, I've been focusing on amassing more understanding into the Key. It seems that the one who calls himself Dead Face is also a devotee of the arcane, though his path differs from my own. We have found common cause raiding many of the repositories of the arcane and were beginning to gain in notoriety. Though I do not trust him, as trust is the luxury of the weak and foolish, I am quite satisfied with his strength. quote:Jotun knew you before you had your falling out your predecessor. As she has mentioned, we met in times past. Before we had become who we are now. I was still the Calamity Blade's treasured pupil. She was the heir of a great tribe. I remember the endless training sessions. The beatings at the hands of the Doggerlander warriors. Do I hate them for it? No. I was weak, then, and they were correct to push me harder than I thought I could bear. I did not yet understand how resilient I truly was. I have grown stronger since then. Much stronger. Other Backgrounds Jotun posted:Crimson Chevalier knew who you were before you changed. I remember Elisabet. Daughter of the City-Breaker himself. I was not as hardened then as I am now, especially with the Calamity Blade's betrayal, but I view her with regard. Her culture values strength and, despite her body's changes, I can see that same spirit holds true. Perhaps it is my heritage, as one of the Dragon-Kin, that gives me great sympathy for her circumstances. Perhaps it is our losses that bind us. Regardless, I will stand with her. Our paths run parallel, for now, though I can only assume that we will one day part. She seeks the life of a warlord. I seek the path towards true strength. Scales posted:Crimson Chevalier holds some kind of debt over your head you’re itching to pay off. She may think I leveraged connections, but it is quite easy to utilize overwhelming strength to grease the wheels of social niceties. I merely revealed what would happen to the warden were he not to conveniently lose his prisoner and this thief, Scales, was free. It was a work of minutes and hours. I will need many artifacts in the days to come. Objects of power to analyze and spark new comprehensions. She will acquire them for me. Or, perhaps, she won't. I would not expect such benevolence a second time, were that to be the case. Influence quote:You pretend to be all business, but without your old support network, you rely on this lot more than you want to. Give two of your peers Influence over you. Dead Face, Jotun. First Caper quote:For some reason we stuck around with each other even after the job was done. Why? And how did we stay in contact? We were not content to leave the Trolls with a petty grievance. Their reputation in tatters and one of their finest casinos rendered little more than ash and charred wood. They made their displeasure most evident with surprising speed. Almost before we met to discuss the assorted failings of the job, they were already plotting our demise. Their best may not be worth much, but the resources they still possess were enough to tempt others to seek us out. I can only assume most of this lot fled to Dog's Hill as a refuge from retribution. I cannot speak for the others, of course, but this situation presents a fine opportunity to temper myself through conflict. I welcome it. The price on our heads — alive, naturally — has drawn many from the woodwork who will surely guide me further on the path of both spell and sword. As such, I have taken hold of a flat in Dog's Hill. I will use this as my base of operations in the city. I took the liberty of providing the others with enchanted talismans. The wind itself conveys our words to the others with the utmost of discretion. Though the job itself had many failings, our ability to communicate with each other was not one such. Base Voting for Jotun's Tiny Nation in Dog's Hill. Tricky fucked around with this message at 20:53 on Mar 8, 2017 |
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Mar 6, 2017 00:13
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During our first caper… We didn’t get the goods in the end. What was the job, and who (or what) screwed it up before you got your mitts on the haul? Yeah, so we hit the casino. The don of the Troll Mafia was in town, with a few briefcases of the good green stuff. So I was just about to socially engineer my way into the don's chambers to get the score, when little Miss Justice here fuckin' levels the place, and the cash with it! These fuckin' people. Relationships Crimson Chevalier holds some kind of debt over your head you’re itching to pay off. Dragon Tales here got me outta the clinker on a particularly nasty charge. She managed to pull some strings somewhere or another and sprung me. If there's anything I don't like, it's leaving a favor unpaid. Both you and Ratfink share a side-venture together you haven’t shared with the others. Guy's a scavenger and always pickin' up neat stuff. Sometimes we scratch each others' backs with stuff we've boosted or if he needs me to flip something particularly valuable. Influence You're slippery, but you’ve a tendency to get wrapped up in other’s schemes. Give Influence to three of your peers. Ratfink, Seraphine, and Chevalier Waffleman_ fucked around with this message at 01:30 on Mar 8, 2017 |
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Mar 6, 2017 00:38
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Relationships Jotun is the only one that knows the truth about you and the Dark Power. Doggerland has a pretty rich oral history, and Jotun is from one of the big families, and has heard stories of the Charnel Emperor before. You want something that Scales has before your short time here is up. Imagine my surprise when one day, Scales causally pulled out the The Munich Manual of Demonic Magic. Apparently, she had stolen it in one of her late night escapades. Figuring she didn't know its true value, I tried to buy it off of her, but she insisted on getting it appraised it first. If she ever finds out how much it is really worth, I will never be able to afford it. If the rumors about it are true, I absolutely must have it. With it I could gain vast power, maybe even enough to break free from my master. Influence You fall into bad crowds easily, even if you’re always the outsider. Give two of your peers Influence over you. Note as well that your Dark Power starts with Influence over you. Charnel Emperor Crimson Chevalier Ratfink First Caper We made them pay. We made them all pay. Who received this payback, and what was it in return for? A troll named Zarunthil had approached us willing to sell us intel about one of the Troll Mafia's casinos. He had heard about Jotun's actions against the Mafia, and decided that we were a perfect tool for revenge. Apparently, he had been close to becoming a made troll, but he was forced to take the fall when a job went bad. Tired of constantly taking poo poo, he was going to sell out the family for a big payday. He did gave us the intel, but it turned out to be a trap. They knew we were coming. They thought they were prepared for it. What they didn't account for was a pissed off magical girl. Surrounded on all sides by the enemy, Zarunthil came out to mock us, confident that there was nothing we could do. That was when the explosions happened. I'm not sure they ever found all his body parts. Base I'm voting for Jotun's Tiny Nation in Dog's Hill IShallRiseAgain fucked around with this message at 01:51 on Mar 9, 2017 |
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Mar 6, 2017 00:52
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During Our First Caper... You attracted all the wrong sorts of attention from people. Not fear, but hate. Who absolutely hates your alliance, and will do anything to stop them? "Some time after I came to Avalon, I attracted the attention of the so-called domesticated trolls and their pitiful criminal enterprise. I told them to stay clear of me but they did not like how I treated their enforcer, so they bombed a fruit stand. Of course, that had to be answered, so I knocked over one of their whorehouses and took some heads. They're mounted in the lobby of my tenement. The people of Dog's Hill despised the Trolls and resented the yoke they had long been under and so were eager for a chance to spill the blood of their enemies as their fathers and grandfathers did. It's been back and forth since then." "When the opportunity came to strike a target that held true value to the Mafia, I leapt at the chance. Casinos, legal and illegal (the distinction escapes me), are a source of great wealth to these soft Trolls, where foolish citydwellers gamble away their lives. Only smuggling rivals it as a source of riches and power. The Hadean would be having a card tournament--the buy-in was high and the prize could buy a thousand heads of aurochs at least. Gold would flow like water. The Trolls would make more than I could count--but the security would be an issue...So I needed a team." "They can tell you the details of what happened at the Hadean, if they care. I will tell you the results. My enemy became the enemy of my newfound compatriots. As much as the Troll Mafia hates me personally, their hatred of us as a group is more than the sum of its parts." Relationships You looked in the eyes of Seraphine and saw something that made even you shiver. "Izayoi I understand well enough. She's a warrior, like myself, despite her over-reliance on sorcery. Ratfink and Scales are simple thieves. For a sneak-thief, Scales has some fire--useful to any band. Ratfink is...Ratfink. I can work with him, maybe. I can even fight alongside Dead Face--and he claims to work for a black-tongued sorcerer from our oldest songs to keep children from leaving camp. Seraphine however...I look into her eyes and I am not sure what is looking back. I am no coward. But I have known fear. And fear what lies behind her smiling eyes." Crimson Chevalier knew who you were before you changed. "Years ago, the Calamity Blade came to Behemoth during the trade season. My father gave him a welcome a warrior of his skill and in gratitude for the last time the Blade walked the Doggerland. My father was a disfavored younger son and my grandfather was strong. After the Calamity Blade cut his way across the tribes and all the blood and fury was spent, lives sacrificed to the ultimate swordsman--my father was the Thule patriarch. He had brought his apprentice to train among the Doggerlanders and we were all to happy to harden her up. Some, perhaps too much, for she was dragonblooded. I hadn't realized until our conversation in the fighting pit--Izayoi was that very same apprentice. I wouldn't say we became friends, but she was damned good, even then, and I admired her skill and killing intent. Young as I was, I'd never heard of a highlander with such heart and fire in the blood." Influence You’re unsubtle, and easily roused. Give everyone Influence on you. Obviously I'm voting for my own base. Though to be clear--it's like a neighborhood. Basically, I have enough rep in the Doggerlander ghetto to call it mine. I Am Fowl fucked around with this message at 21:07 on Mar 7, 2017 |
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Mar 6, 2017 03:23
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quote:During our first caper… Like Jotun already mentioned, we hit a Casino. And by we, I mean I hit it. With very powerful, explosive light. After we were done the casino was all but erased from existence, as it should be! ... What? Why would I possibly allow something that corrupts the heart of the pure like gambling to exist? The fact that it was run by criminals only further vindicates my actions. Relationships: quote:Despite everything, Scales once made you doubt your cause. This fishwoman is like the culmination of all my worries! She is fully aware of how corrupt the system is, and yet she does nothing! In fact, she does less than nothing, and just exploits it! Despite being a victim of it! For a while, I wavered. What is the point of saving the people from such corruption if the people themselves don't want to be saved? But, of course, I now understand. Scales is weak of heart, and instead of doing the right thing, she had become part of the problem. quote:You are convinced that Deadface is a potential convert, if only they would listen. I feel a certain connection to Deadface. In a way, our views are similar - the fact that we both came to the conclusion that the Knights are a corrupt farce is proof of that. However, it seems they are far more interested in listening to their benefactor's orders than anything I have to say... No, I'm not jealous about that at all!!! quote:Influence: Deadface, see relationship #2 as for why. Also, voting for Jotun's base. Yami Fenrir fucked around with this message at 22:45 on Mar 7, 2017 |
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Mar 6, 2017 14:53
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Posted my First Caper bit. We pissed off the Troll Mafia while attacking one of their casinos, the Hadean.
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Mar 7, 2017 21:09
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Made an Influence Sheet and finished up my First Caper stuff as well!
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Mar 8, 2017 21:16
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Hey guys, just wanted to let you The IC Thread is up! - Joke's aside. I asked on IRC if people would be interested in a bit of a Caper Phase tutorial and got a few positives, so here’s my take on it. Caper Moves are essentially (with the exception of Snatch Victory) moves that relate to Planks. Planks are the underlying structure of Capers! As an RPG; they’re the reason it is an excellent (at least IMO) Play-By-Post system. Planks are nothing more than predefined problems. And with them every character has a short-term task that feeds directly into a long-term goal, and, of course, once the Planks are completed a system is in place to easily generate new ones (I.E. voting for a new Caper!). This means that no character should ever be at a loss for possible actions, they should be free to express both their powers and personality through their pursuit of the Planks, and a general narrative hierarchy is established – take actions to complete Planks > to complete Capers! > to engage in the long-term plot > to progress (and, in the Elfgame Dream, complete) character arcs. The Caper Phase can be best(?) described as the opposite of the Action Phase. If the Action Phase is conflict-oriented, locked-in-scene, and reactionary, then the Caper Phase is thought-oriented, scene-fluid, and proactive. Hm, that actually reads like gibberish, like me try to explain another way. In the Caper Phase: the character is where they want to be, at the perfect time, with the right tools – then they see if the succeed or fail. (And given how Labels and assets work, statistically you will succeed.) In the Action Phase: the character getting where they want to be, just fast enough, despite broken equipment – is the success. Failure prolongs the struggle, or (temporarily) refutes the character’s agency entirely. But luckily for people without Magical Good Story Brainmeats, the Caper Phase is not totally freeform. The characters are guided by their labels through the move Cooking Up A Scheme. - Cooking Up A Scheme translates to “Using a Label, my character does something that, in some way, attempts to solve the problem of a Plank, thus granting the alliance a point of Plan (which is the measure of how competently the Caper is being pulled off)” The using a label bit is important because it represents the How, the goal of completing the Caper represents the Why, and the Plank being solved represents the What. From all those ingredients, a character’s action is made! I can’t really get more specific than that, since every Cooking Up A Scheme involves not just unique labels, but unique characters and playbooks. What I can do, though, is offer some of examples: Dangerous Schemes that stem from a character’s self identity as someone threatening, strong, bloody-knuckled, and risky Bloody Mary just fucks poo poo up Expatriot just blows poo poo up: Tiger Shark just scares the poo poo out of a dude Freakish Schemes that stem from a character’s self identity as someone strange, unusual, unique, and powerful. Breaking Point hacks a security system Troublesome Schemes that stem from a character’s self identity as someone deceptive, unpredictable, elusive, and cunning. Armiger’s Sewer Securance Service Scarlet Rose Finds Disguises Phantom Thief Bought a Map Superior Schemes that stem from a character’s self identity as someone smart, capable, crafty, and quick. Simulacrum Gains Information Puppetress Makes Cool Clothes Garbage Takes an Advantagous Position - Highlighting that I unintentional cheated in this one by also rolling an Assess the Situation as well as my Scheme. Forgive me! Nabster! Menacing Schemes that stem from a character’s self identity as someone nefarious, intimidating, compelling, and impressive. Moonbeam Roughs up Fixer! - I like this one a lot because the entire act of kidnapping Fixer is skipped. Of course Moonbeam can do that easily, it's her menace and intimidation that are being highlighted. Okay. Not actually as many examples as I expected. This is mostly because in the longest Capers! thread on the forums, Yami Fenrir’s how many people do i have to beat up before you believe i'm evil, the team mostly fucks up immediately and then gets enough Plan to complete Planks by chain-provoking each other or absconding. Note that this is also a way to handle things! (Easy to overlook rules: Each character can only roll a specific Label when Cooking A Scheme once. I.E. A character could Cook a Freakish Scheme, and next prompt have ability to Cook a Dangerous/Troublesome/Superior/Menacing Scheme, but a not Freakish one again.) - The next Caper Move is Execute A Plan, which is the logical conclusion of Cook Up Scheme – characters have taken actions to further the Caper, gathering Plan, and then one character burns it to actually solve the Plank, removing the problem it represents to the Capers completion from the narrative. Note that while everybody pitches in to build Plan, only one character walks out with the glory and infamy gained from actually solving the Plank. Such is life! Example Executes: Casey, no, Corg the Doggo just walks right in! - Highlighting this one because it references a previous scheme in Puppetress' spinning of enchanted clothes. Armiger Preps the Escape - Highlighting one because it doesn't reference previous schemes, which were mostly about clearing out heroes. That's good, as the fact that the Caper was going so well as a whole (represented through our flush of Plan) meant it was narratively justified for him to solo prep the escape route in such a way that everyone could use it when it was time. Executes are lot more defined than Schemes. The character executing is taking an action that means the Plank that was a problem to the completion of the Caper is no longer one. Simple as that. - Meddling is a bit more complicated. Mechanically, each playbook has their own unique set of meddle/meddled with results, meaning that the result will always be different character to character. Still, meddling is often a roll-free way to get Plan, Influence, or Curses! Narratively, the meddling character just asserts themselves into another characters Scheme. It generally requires at least four posts to complete a Meddling sequence. quote:Character A Cooks A Scheme. Still, it’s very fun, and often brings out character interactions that wouldn’t happen in a group or fighting scene. (Easy to overlook rules: A character can only meddle once per Caper. A character can only be meddled with once per Caper. Meddling is the only time it’s always assumed you can make two actions in one prompt – I.E. Meddle and make a rolled action.) - Snatching Victory is the act of accomplishing the set goal of the Caper. Once accomplished, there is nothing left in the narrative tank but to complete the resulting action scene and go unto the next Caper. An action scene always follows a Snatching Victory roll, but on a 10+ or when the Caper finishes with less than five Heat, all alliance members receive +1. So, that’s it for my rough explanation of what I think the Caper Phase and Caper Moves are. - My General Advice would be: The Planks are problems for the characters to solve, so take a look at your character’s abilities and labels, and ask “How would my character work towards solving this problem?” That’s the Scheme you Cook Up. When succeeding at a Scheme, don’t be afraid to put your character where you want them, doing what you want them to do. As long as they aren’t invalidating a Plank (since that would be an Execute), they can be a Dangerous, Freakish, Troublesome, Superior, Menacing, or just plain competent as you want them to be. Execute to solve Planks for the Alliance, not just your character (sometimes both are the same). When Meddling, don’t invalidate, add. “Yes, that happened, and--” kind of deal. Meddle when you completely can’t think of a scheme. Or when your character has something to learn from another. Or something to teach. Or hates them. Or loves them. Make sparks fly! Snatch Victory selfishly. - My Team Freaks Specific Advice: Due to the word First y’all need to Execute A Plan on Plank 1 before any of the others, but that doesn't mean you can't prepare for them now. ...That's it. Just wanted to make that clear. I don't want to make it too easy on you :x - If you're having trouble thinking of a move to make in the Caper Phase, or are one of the people who talked to the creator of the game and need to tell me I'm totally making a garballygook of his system, then contact me on IRC and we'll chat! Scrree fucked around with this message at 11:21 on Mar 15, 2017 |
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Mar 15, 2017 04:53
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Wanted to make a post cataloging the Rule Clarifications and straight up Houserules for both my threads. If I make I call on IRC or in a post, I'll edit it in here so it can be referred to a later. Credit as always to Yami Fenrir and TheNabster since I'm ganking most of this from their threads. -- General - quote:If you roll a 6 or less and have it increased to a 7 due to Plan being spent, Cards being burnt on Raise, or using Fate is a Fickle Mistress, you will still gain the Curses! for rolling the 6 in the first place. Bully - quote:Bully’s start with two assets Scion - quote:Scions roll their Birthright (+Infamy) at the end of an Issue, not beginning of a new one. Radical - quote:Radical's roll their Cause (+Integrity) at the end of an Issue, not the beginning of a new one Rogue - quote:The +1 bonus for following An Agenda is pre-declared and added into the roll itself, not something usable after a roll is rolled. quote:If no other player makes a guess at the Rogue's Agenda during an Issue, the Rogue holds 1 infamy. If somebody guesses the Agenda first try, they get to hold 1 Infamy. Clarifying how the Agenda bonus works, and also sweetening the pot for the other players to guess an Agenda. New Mechanics: Secret Moves - quote:Secret Moves are the hidden strengths of the Heroes/Villains who oppose you. Generally, they'll either be a Triggered Effect (If X Does/Does Not Happen, then Y Happens), or some kind of unique attribute that will reveal itself over the course of a fight (The Earth Giant is Immune to Electricity/Poison; Pokemon style.) quote:New Assess the Situation Option: Ask "What secrets are you hiding" in order to reveal an enemy's secret move! Prizes - quote:Prizes are special 'items' or otherwise acquirable things that give you one infamy or one asset for free if you can grab them. The catch? quote:New Assess the Situation Option: Ask "What here is more valuable than it looks?" to reveal potential Prizes. General Assets - quote:General Assets! - Unlike normal assets, general assets are available for anyone within the team to use as if it was one of their own assets with all moves that relate to assets, however if a general asset is wagered and lost you cannot regain it with spent infamy later. -- I believe this is everything for now. Expect more in the future, as I figure out Capers! and how to GM :x Scrree fucked around with this message at 16:40 on Mar 26, 2017 |
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Mar 26, 2017 16:25
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As I'm sure you'll all noticed, prompts have been coming slower recently. This is due to a lot of factors; including my job getting busier than I anticipated (seriously going into overtime every week) and prompts being significantly harder for me to write than normal character posts in other people's threads. Don't worry, this isn't me calling it quits on the games, but I do think it's important to publicly state what I've basically already been doing -- I don't believe I'll have the time or energy to update the threads more than once every two weeks. That is, I can update one thread on the weekend, alternating threads every week. This is slow; I'm not going to try and fool myself or you guys by saying otherwise, but it's the pace I've found where I can be comfortable and consistent. Why am I writing this post? First of all, I'm hoping that by stating this publicly I'll feel less guilt when thinking/talking about the thread after y'all have all posted but I'm still far away from prompting, but more importantly -- If a prompt every two weeks is too slow for people; if people find themselves losing interest in the plot or losing the voice of their characters because there is such a long wait between posts, then I want to invite people to speak up about it, and I guess we'll go from there? So yeah, basically posting this to reaffirm that I'm still interested in the games, but also start a probably-necessary conversation about the pacing of the threads. I don't see myself getting significantly more free time in the near future.
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May 15, 2017 06:03
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  Hey there. Wildfire here. I'm sure you've heard of me already. What, you haven't? Fine, I'll introduce myself. You better make it worth my while... quote:What changed you? Well, more like who. My dad! He's a well known villain called Doctor Darwin. I mean, I kind of wish he told me about that beforehand, but I wasn't the same before, was I? Before, I was a wheelchair bound nobody bound to die from sickness. Dad changed that. He didn't just fix me, he made me BETTER. Really, I do owe him a lot. He could have been a bit more subtle about it though. His experiments on me drove our family apart, but... Honestly? I don't give a drat. I get to enjoy life now, damnit! quote:How did you overcome? I'll admit, at first I didn't really know what to do with myself. I had my routine of wasting away at home, and suddenly, it changed. I could... do things. All kinds of things. Tried to be a hero even, but that got shot down pretty quickly. Both due to being a 'public menace', and having ties to a villain. So, this world that treated me like I didn't exist now had the audacity to look down on me, so... I smashed those that did into dirt until they physically couldn't anymore. And honestly? I was kind of shocked how GOOD that felt. Now, I just feel good about it. quote:Who, outside the team, do you blame the most? Honestly? A lot of people. But probably, the goddamn Knights, are the ones I've had the biggest beef with. They have access to the best equipment, the best healers, the best everything. But did anybody ever try to help me? No. Our family didn't have the money for it, so nobody cared. I am well aware that dad's fix for me is technically 'flawed', and wasn't supposed to turn me into a walking inferno. But honestly? I feel like it's just about perfect for my needs, right now. quote:Why do you try to be a villain? Because this city simply doesn't deserve any better. There's little more to it. Assholes didn't want me, and I'm going to make them regret it. Simple, right? But, why do something for free if you can charge money for it? I'm really good at punching things, and there's always demand for reliable muscle. So I became a mercenary for hire. quote:Why do you suffer the others? I may be strong, but I'm only one person. Loners are ineffectual for a reason. If someone manages to beat you down, and you're solo, you're just screwed. But if you got a team, you've still got a chance. quote:Villain Name: Wildfire Yami Fenrir fucked around with this message at 01:04 on Jun 23, 2017 |
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Jun 18, 2017 01:42
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 No art, but he's just a really big (about 8 feet tall), kinda flabby meditarranean kid with blue skin and white hair lounging on a cloud, smoking an ornate pipe in a fancy toga. A towering Titan of electric blue hue, armor-clad and chiseled like a statue, marched through giant halls of gilded marble, servant spirits skittering out of his way as he walked. And walk he did, until he came to a door similarly over-decorated like the rest of the palatial estate. A piece of paper had been taped on it, 'Please knock' written on it with some sort of crayon-like substance in rather scrawly lettering. Strange smoke was seeping from underneath the door. The giant man stared at the door, then at the smoke hugging his feet, then back at the door with a scowl. "Ceasar", he boomed, without opening the door. A moment passed "...Yah, what is it pops?", came a reply. The tone was lazy, meandering. As if the person answering wasn't particularly interested, or even there really. "...How goes your apprenticeship at the High Mountain? Have you yet been accepted anywhere? "..." "...Ehh I'll get to it event-" "CEASAR!", the man slammed the door open, revealing an out of shape boy on the other side, lounging on a cloud, holding a half-eaten gyro with one hand, and hovering the other over some sort of crystal ball. The boy kind of half-raised an eyebrow in what was presumably slight bewilderment. "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO DO THAT LAST MONTH! AND YOU'RE TELLING ME YOU HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED!?" "Woah dad chill, I can totally explain that", the boy said and gazed to the side, scratching his cheek awkwardly. He put down his gyro, picked up a strange, elaborate pipe, and puffed on it a bit, exhaling those very same clouds that had been seeping from underneath the door. He did that again. And again. "...Ceasar." "..?" "Oh, right." "See, there was a new expansion to Godfight and I had to grind up a bit or I was going to fall beh-" "NO", the man interrupted the boy, his frown now a furious scowl. "AGAIN AND AGAIN YOU SPITE MY EFFORTS TO MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF YOU." "I mean that's a bit hars-" "SILENCE!" "Geez..." "NO MORE" The man pointed at the boy with an accusatory finger, "IF YOU REFUSE TO MAKE SOMETHING OF YOURSELF VIA SUGGESTION, YOU WILL DO SO VIA NECESSITY! BUT YOU WILL NOT LEECH IN THESE HALLS ANY LONGER!" "Wait what's that supposed to me-" The boy did not have a chance to finish his sentence, for he was busy plummeting through the floor that had turned to mist below him, on his way to the realm of mortals below. quote:Name: Caesar Cumulopoulos quote:Where do you come from, and why are you here? "Haha right, so name's Ceasar Cumulopoulos, storm titan and divinity. Mostly go by Supercell these days though, among you mortal folk since I know you mortals always make a big deal out of divinity and all. But honestly? I don't think it's that big of a deal. I mean other than that I'm super strong and you guys are super weak but hey, it's not like you asked to be born inferior right? But yeah anyways, my home's in this sweet cloud palace hanging near Mount Olympus, yeah the one with all the gods and such, the very same one", Supercell paused to puff on his pipe, "It was real swanky. Too bad that dad cut me off", Supercell puffed again, then shrugged, "But what can you do right? Sometimes you just can't please the man regardless of what you do." quote:How does your Contagion influence those around you? "Haha man 'Contagion'? Look dude, diseases are not in my domain, ask my good pal Hel from Norway if that's like your thing", Supercell chuckled a bit, "But I do have this sweet pipe. And kind of a natural knack for making people be at ease. You know, just hang around", Supercell puffed on his pipe, and blew a little cloud right at your face, grinning faintly, "I know right? Pretty good stuff huh?" quote:Who, outside your peers, also comes from the same homeland? Supercell puffed on his pipe. He seemed slightly irate. "Ehh... we divinities rarely bother with you mortals. No offense or anything man, but that's just how it is you know?" "...I suppose there's one person though." "You know how some people are just disgustingly perfect? Not that there's anything wrong with being good at stuff, I mean, go for it if that's your thing you get what I'm saying? But like, I mean the sort of people that won't stop rubbing it in your face. Apollo's new charge is that sort of person, currently doing some work among mortals. Withe their heroes I think? Goes by Helioxiphos."  "Real name's Fareeha El-Hashem. Yeh she's not even one of us really, she's an Efreet on cultural exchange because obviously she has to be even more special than she already is right? Straight from efreeti exemplar to Apollo's apprentice, man." "Like again, I wouldn't have an issue with that you know? It's just that she's so in your face about everything, always rubbing her so-called 'superiority' on everybody's faces." ~~~~FLASHBACK~~~~ "I heard your father yelling, Ceasar", Fareeha was clutching her chest, "Is everything alright?" "Nah it's fine really", Ceasar said, puffing his pipe. Very pointedly not looking Fareeha in the eyes, "Just some stuff on my divine magic tutoring he wasn't so happy on." "Oh!" Fareeha's eyes lit up (literally), "I'm doing that too! We could study together, maybe make a study circle with some others?" "...yeahhh maybe some other day", Ceasar mumbled, noncommittally, "Not right now though I'm a bit busy but thanks for the offer and all." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Like, we all get how perfect you are girl, no need to be so smug about it right?" Supercell puffed on his pipe again, shooting smoky rings upwards and watching them break against the ceiling. "Yeah, she's basically the worst in that particular kinda way." quote:Why do you still linger here on Earth? "Pfft ahaha", Supercell chuckled, "No offense man, but that's kind of a dumb question. Like, my old man cut me off an banished me, where else would I go? The Moon?" Supercell frowned, "Yeah, not the Moon. The Lunarians are some of the most decidedly unchill people in existence, I think. So that's a no-go." "So yeeeah", Supercell yawned, and smacked his lips a bit, "I guess I'll just hang here until dad mellows out? No biggie." quote:Why do you suffer the others? Caesar shrugged. "They're cool I guess? Fun enough to hang around and shoot the poo poo with. Also convenient for doing the heavy lifting my sylphs can't do for me you know? Like, if you have to crash with someone regardless, why not these people? No need to overthink things, you'll just get a headache." "..." "...?" "So was that all?" "...Want some stuffed olives? I think I have some here in my cloud somewhere..." Theantero fucked around with this message at 23:27 on Jul 31, 2017 |
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Jul 30, 2017 20:57
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 23:35 |
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Check Discord for information on these games switching to Discord (we're switching to Discord).
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Aug 5, 2017 16:50
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