|
 It’s a land known by many names. And a land inhabited by many different peoples. It’s a land that is so inherently linked to the world that civilisation as we know it wouldn’t exist without it. But it is also so completely foreign and unknown that few people would even consider it more than a fairy tale. This is Wonderland. And it’s in trouble. And it’s up to a close knit group of bar patrons to get to the bottom of it. By the authority of… well, nobody really. But mover and shaker and barkeep extraordinary Maddy seemed to be right behind the quest; and Goddess of the Hunt Artemis was giving them a ride into the more or less shut-off Wonderland, so it wasn’t like they were totally without permission here. Besides, it wasn’t like anybody else had been able to find out why the exodus of refugees were flooding over the Hedge. If they weren’t able to find out the cause and put a stop to it, who would? ~ This is going to be a continuation of the Wonderland games from last year. You don’t need to remember everything or go over the thread, I’ll be starting this game off with you guys just getting into Wonderland so it will be all new plot and character stuff. Just get to know your characters again and fix them up in FATE Accelerated Edition. PDQ frankly sucks but the FATE skill pyramid is awful as well, so FAE is kind of a decent middle ground. You should be able to copy over the PDQ stuff almost 1:1 for at least aspects, so I hope it shouldn’t be too much trouble. If you want to edit or change stuff from the previous sheet to here that’s totally fine too. Once your sheets are done, post them up in here in your first posts and we'll be underway! Link to the original thread Link to the original recruit
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2014 03:55
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 19, 2024 05:06 |
|
|
      
Robodog fucked around with this message at 00:47 on Oct 13, 2015 |
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2014 03:55
|
|
|
 We find our heroes, villains, queens, paupers and other assorted myths gathered in the back room of The Midnight Deer, one of the most popular nightclubs in London. Which also happened to be owned by the Greek Goddess of the Hunt, Artemis. And naturally, this meant the back room was actually a luscious and verdant grove in between both the mortal world and that of the fantastic. Artemis' own little slice of home away from home, which was infinitely better than her actual home because none of her extended, power hungry, mad, lust-filled, insane family were there to bother her. Just Artemis and her hunting retinue of nymphs. She had heard their plea, that something over in Wonderland was causing a flood of refugees across the Hedge. One or two folk fleeing wouldn't pose a problem; but when trolls, centaurs, gnomes and rakshasa openly rampage through the streets of London one can see the problem that poses. There is only so much of the fantastic that the mundane world can handle, especially if it's not hidden from the normal sight of man. If the refugees continued at the pace they were managing, it was inevitable that the Hedge itself would be damaged and the fabric between worlds would break down. And should the two worlds collide, it would spell ruin for the creatures of fantasy. But just blocking the Hedge off and condemning those fleeing to their fate was hardly a solution either. No, the only way to fix this for good was to cross into Wonderland and find out what was happening for themselves. Which is why they're before Artemis, either intentionally or accidentally, as the Goddess was one of the few powerful enough to see them into Wonderland without having to cross the Hedge. Of course, the matter of convincing her to do so was something else entirely. Thankfully for them, then, that they had some connections with the Goddess. If it were just a group of strangers asking her a boon then, in typical Greek style, she'd probably tell them to hop it. She is neutral, after all, and doesn't really want to be brought into the affairs of others. It just gets messy. But these weren't just strangers. Arachne had a deep connection with both her sister, Athena, and brother, Ares, and was well known by the Huntress. And Verity, though recent it may be, was discovered to be touched by the hand of Zeus. Or loins, if you'd prefer to be rude and accurate about it. And of course, there was Iris. Wood witch and nymph. And while Artemis cared deeply for all her nymphs, Iris had a harder duty than most and for that Artemis favoured her even among her dryads. Sighing, Artemis leans forward. "This is bad news." She shakes her head. "Like, really bad news. You guys do know that, right?" She stares at the group for a few moments, breaking only to take a long sip from her Divine Ambrosia (1.5 oz gin, 1 oz apricot brandy, 2 oz orange juice). "…yeah. Alright." She slumps back into her seat. "If you're sure you all wanna go over there, I'll do it." Robodog fucked around with this message at 04:46 on Jan 25, 2014 |
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2014 03:56
|
|
|
Night The fey queen clasps her hands together and beams. It was finally time to return home! Had it even been that long? No matter, she was excited all the same. "Yes please~! Right now!" quote:
|
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2014 04:54
|
|
|
Carol Carol leans up against a nearby, convenient wall... or... well... tree, since the room really is a grove. There's not really much room to sit for a woman of her stature. So close to Wonderland, or a reasonable facsimile, it's rather difficult for her to seem or squeeze under seven feet tall. She looms without even trying. Her attire seems to have taken a turn for the worse as well, normal conservative garb having become darker, spikier and more edged, as if trying to imply the beast behind the shadow. It kind of makes her feel like a poseur... like she's pretending to be a Goth Bruiser. Still, the nymphs have all been pretty kind about trying to make her feel welcome and comfortable, particularly the cute one who slipped Carol her digits. Apparently, she likes them tall and brawny. As politely as possible, (since Artemis is the huntress, and she is a monster;) Carol replies, "Thank you, ma'am," she crosses her arms, "Honestly, we wouldn't-" she pauses and glances at Night, "Well, most of us wouldn't want to cross back over the thresh-hold unless that very thresh-hold was in severe danger." ===== ===== Carol Beamish; Half-Monster Refresh 2/3  Aspects High Concept: Carol Beamish, Half-Monster (Dragon) The half-Monster's shape in the sane world is naught but an illusion, a cosmic distortion, like a funhouse mirror made three dimensional and tangible. This is why her strength are not lessened by her frame. The truth can sometimes be glimpsed in her shadow or even stray reflections, though most people don't have the right kind of eye. Yet seek her out in Wonderland, and even the dullest gaze cannot ignore her fearsome reality. Carol looms fulsome tall like the tree, long-limbed and long tailed, her scaled skin resists like steel, her bones and flesh are resilient like iron and knotted rope fiber, fingers stretch long and wickedly clawed, she is strong like a thunderbolt come to life, and her jaws fill with daggers. Her eyes burn like balls aflame. Wings stretch far and wide and powerful, but the true hurricane is the wuffling gale of her breath. Invoke: When phenomenal strength is called upon, when blows must be blunted, when the senses, movements, or instincts of a supernatural apex predator and hoard guardian is needed. Compel: When driven by bully brash; or when the call of the wild insists over genteel manner; when she needs a whole wild boar for a satisfying dinner; and when there's just not enough space in the lift. ==== Trouble: Beware the Carol, My Son Fundamentally a supernatural apex predator Carol is unsettling at the calmest of times and frightening when she grows wroth... or hungry. In short, she's looming, spiky, toothy, and she scares people. Invoke: When angered, or hungered, or met in a dark alley... if she could fit in an alley. Generally whenever being huge and intimidating comes into play. Compel: People are afraid they taste good with ketchup. Noble knights sometimes need to be convinced she's as much a maiden fair as a monster. Carol Beamish, Half Human Orphan The girl is determined. The girl is tough. The girl has a strong will. The girl has endurance. The girl never says cannot do. Perhaps it's merely a result of being alone for most of her life, an orphan who cannot remember her mother or father... an orphan mysteriously too intimidating for any family to foster or adopt. Carol grew up knowing she needed to stand on her own two feet and that no-one was going to hand her the keys to the world. If she craves greater from life than mean survival (and of course she does,) to accomplish and thrive, she needs a stout heart and proactivity. Still, underneath it all, the girl is lonely, a quality that makes even a half-monster vulnerable. Carol's intimidating aura holds mundane people at arm's length, and even supernaturals often find her presence a touch off-putting. It makes the otherwise canny girl oddly weak and even gullible to someone who approaches with a rose, a smile, and kind words. Invoke: Whenever grit and determination is needed, whenever force of will, resourcefulness, and reserves of strength give one the motive force to go onward. When being human is more important than being a monster. Compel: When rattled, or intimidated, Carol often falls back upon her stubbornness and standoffish. And yet, her loneliness and secret longing for romance makes the otherwise canny girl oddly weak and even gullible to someone who approaches with a rose, a smile, and sweet words. English/Lit Student/Nonsense Poet Savant: The girl possesses a natural affinity for linguistics and literature, stories and verse. Grasping the rules of language, theme, and verbal rhythm with both hands, she wrings them through knots and naught, binds them in skeins and skins of metaphor and allegory, rendering up complex works of nonsense in the form of compelling fiction and poetry. It's only natural that she would seek out an education in English and Literature. After all, the best way to break the rules most efficiently is to know them by heart. Beyond honing her craft and becoming a repository for literary trivia, Carol wields a knack for unravelling riddles, verbal puzzles, and word games. Invoke: When a smart educated girl fresh from her classes might know something; particularly anything relating to Literature, Folklore, or the structure of the English Language. When crafting poetry, riddles, and stories. Compel: Carol possesses an almost compulsive yen for ciphers, word puzzles, riddles, and enigmas. Faced with such a problem, she becomes almost compelled to try and resolve it. She also loves books, almost to the point of covetousness. Where some monsters hoard treasure, she bears the urge to gather tomes, and sleeps only fitfully unless she places at least a paperback under her pillow. A Burble of Babel The half-monster's brain is unhinged from the normal logic of linguistics, including the very rule that one must learn a tongue to speak it. By harnessing the power of its non-linear language centers, she can decipher speech and text purely by observing it and delving into the babble of her mind to find the right patterns and meanings to match. At least, that's how it works when she doesn't pull out word salads or disturbing nursery rhymes instead. Invoke: When Carol tries to remember a language, spoken or written, that she's experienced before. Compel: When Carol stumbles across a new language, spoken or written, her brain almost instinctively tries to unravel it. This can be a bad thing, if she, for example, stumbles across the doors of Ry'leh. Guardian of Her Treasures: Dragons greedily, jealously protect what is their own. And while many dragons, even most, may hoard and guard piles of gold and jewels (and princesses,) for a lonely dragon, a lonely orphan human dragon such as Carol, her friends are her treasures. She will shield them against all harm. Also, books. She prizes and protects books, and any form of literature. Heaven help anyone who holds a book burning within fifteen miles of the literary dragon-woman. Invoke: To protect what's hers. To find her friends and track them down if they need her, or sniff out books... particularly precious, delightful, rare tomes, or regardless of rarity, works of fine writing excellence. Compel: To be forced to protect what's hers. Her beloved friends. To be enticed by precious books. Approaches Forceful +3+2=+5 Clever +2 Careful +2+1=+3 Flashy +1 Quick +1 Sneaky +0 Stunts Force of Nature: Because Carol is a Force of Nature, she gains a +2 when she Forcefully opposes someone or something else's strength with her own. (Examples include sumo-contests, trying to push back another monster's breath weapon with her own, trying to keep a crushing ceiling trap from flattening her.) Gale Breath (Wuffle): Because her Wuffling Gale Breath is formed of Elemental Wind, Carol gets a +2 when she Cleverly uses it in circumstances where Air or Wind would be of use (such as creating a bubble of breathable air for underwater exploration, or providing wind for tricky sailing maneuvers.) Still Human: Because Carol is as Human as she is a monster, she gets a +2 whenever she Carefully works to protect or rescue those in need. Drakli fucked around with this message at 12:47 on Nov 21, 2015 |
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2014 08:04
|
|
|
Arachne Artemis, an old...something. Not quite friend, not quite enemy. Athena loathed her, Ares used her, and Artemis...accepted her. Perhaps the Huntress saw kinship in the predator. Ana slinks in quietly and reaches over to take Artemis' drink when she's done with it, taking a strong pull and then handing it back. Sufficiently fortified, the spider looks over her compatriots. "I much prefer to keep the hedge strong and high. Shall we?" quote:Arachne Stunt - The Tables Turned Because Ana has spider-like reflexes and never-ending paranoia, once per scene she can produce a weapon and make her predators her prey. Stunt - Footsteps on the Web Arachne's by nature a magic being - Athena and time have conspired to weave it directly into her being. As a result, once per scene she can identify when magic is being used on her and its source. Platonicsolid fucked around with this message at 03:59 on May 13, 2014 |
|
#
?
Jan 26, 2014 03:54
|
|
|
Iris Artemis, an old... something. Not quite mother, not quite elder sister. Iris isn't comfortable here, though the largest part of that is that she isn't comfortable being here in... mixed company. Mortal company. Non-nymphly company. It's difficult to keep her laces straight in the company of the goddess and her retinue, but nymphs could be trusted not to let slip any impropriety. It wouldn't occur to them. Speaking of which, someone rests their head on Iris's shoulder. She can feel them tilt and turn to sniff at one of her divinely-inspired blooms like a hummingbird drinking nectar. "As much as I-- that is to say--" A hand reaches up to tickle at the dryad's throat, and fumble inexpertly with the top button of her blouse. She's very quick to draw it away, lacing fingers with its owner. Its opposite number sneaks in to continue the great work. This one's learned from the other, turning a would-be capture by the dryad into a flustering game of tag. "A-as soon as we might, please?" quote:Aspects: Bieeanshee fucked around with this message at 04:43 on Mar 17, 2015 |
|
#
?
Jan 26, 2014 08:53
|
|
|
Night "Yes, as soon as we might!"
|
|
#
?
Jan 28, 2014 04:28
|
|
|
Keeping count, still waiting for confirmation or not from xian and Cacto.
|
|
#
?
Feb 2, 2014 04:46
|
|
|
Sorry guys, I didn't know this thread was up! Missed it in the chat and that. Nathalie  After embarrassing herself profusely, then managing to get it together (and draining a deer that Artemis provided to sate her thirst), Nathalie was doing everything she could to not be assaulted by the scent of nymph-blood (by far the tastiest of bloods) all around her. The fact that she just fed didn't matter, but it was better that they were in the back room and not on the dance floor. Nathalie had been sipping a glass of mezcal. The smoky liquor did some good to dull her sense of smell, but as the call to action goes up, she downs the drink. She wouldn't ever get drunk again. Not from alcohol, at least. At this point, drinking was just an affectation. The sooner they got out of here, the better, and she says as much, "Let's go. We're not gonna fix things standing around here." pre:Approaches: Careful [+1] Average Clever [+3] Good Flashy [+0] Mediocre Forcful [+4] Great Quick [+1] Average Sneaky [+2] Fair Aspects: High Concept A Vampire In Modern London - Invoke: Being Tough, Strong, Fast, Compelling, Enhanced senses, Turning into a mist, Communicating with Animals, Sharp Teeth, Claws. - Compel: No reflection, blood craze, sunlight hurts. So do wood and silver. Nathalie knows very little about Vampires. She woke up after that night and knew she was different. Her body was cold. She didn't need to breathe. She put two and two together and freaked out. She can see, hear, and smell far better than she could before. She doesn't need to sleep. She is faster, stronger, and tougher than any human, but she has never tested her limits. The craziest part of all of it is that she can turn into mist and fly around. It sure beats the night bus. All of this comes at a price, and that price is that she's dead, technically, but more immediately that she'll never see daylight again without immense pain. Direct sunlight doesn't cause her to spontaneously combust -- it's more like ten minutes in noon sunlight is like a day in the desert for a normal human. Sunlight sensitivity was, above all else, clued her into the fact that she was a vampire and not some other sort of Supernatural creature. Wood through the heart would probably kill her, but it would kill a lot of other people too. Silver is extremely unpleasant. While driving over the Thames she found out that the no crossing running water thing applies to directly moving through it, not over it. She has no reflection. And she doesn't show up on camera--which is a dream come true. Oh, and she needs blood every three days or she dies. So…skimming off the top of blood banks is a relatively victimless crime. Trouble Losing Her Humanity - Invoke: Scion of some important vampire, apparently. Hunting people more efficiently. Thick skinned. - Compel: Loss of morality, trouble connecting with emotions, relationships suffering, no idea of vampire tradition or propriety. She's pretty genre savvy. Her emotions feel more distant to her every day, and she's afraid that no matter how hard she tries, she will end up an inhuman monster. A lot of the time that feels like a self fulfilling prophecy. And she doesn't know this part, but the vampire that made her a vampire is a pretty big deal in the vampire world. Aspect Security Vulnerability Consultant - Invoke: Sizing up a situation, work a room, planning, is reading your email, social manipulation, infiltration, blackmail. Hacking connections and work connections. - Compel: She’s got enemies, not necessarily legal, people have information on her, she’s a pawn in someone else’s game. Frowned upon methods don’t always justify the means. Nathalie was a true black hat, find the exploit, get the glory hacker until she got caught breaking into NASA's jet propulsion laboratories when she was 16. After that she realized, at the age of 20, once she had access to computers again and with the help of her cybercrime case officer, that there was much more to be gained working with, not against big organizations with money. It wasn't long after she revived some of her old connections that she found a job as a part of a team of security troubleshooters. Someone with something valuable, say, a bank, would hire them to test and/or break into the secure parts of the company by any means necessary, document it, and tell the organization how to protect themselves from it happening when it matters. In these jobs, Natalie handles all things digital. Aspect Privacy Advocate And Expert - Invoke: A dozen years of self defense turned sport, how to know if you’re being followed, protect against identity theft. - Compel: Paranoid, doesn’t like wide open spaces, keeps her back to a wall, suspicious of strangers. Nathalie's one political cause is privacy in all it's forms. Shes a civil liberties blogger and organizer, as well as a member of anonymous. She truly believes that she is in the age of big brother and has gotten very good at making people see things her way and organize people to subvert it how they can. She's as aware as just about anyone how many surveillance cameras are in London (over 400,000) their capabilities, how one can be tracked through the system (and how not to be, or at least to minimize the tracking). She knows how to keep her information and her home safe. She scans for exits and keeps her back to walls (and ideally, corners) as a matter of habit at this point. From the age of 12 on she took self defense classes, and before long they turned into a legitimate mixed martial arts practice, focusing more on things like dirty boxing and light weapons training than ring sport MMA. Aspect Untrained Vampire Mage Nathalie has some latent magic ability within her, and after the forest fire, it's not all that latent. - Invoke: Life and death sense, anti-fire stuff, ? - Compel: ? Aspect: Guardian Trouble: Trolling Stunts: Stunt Self Defense Because of her years of martial arts training and vampire reflexes, Nat gets +2 when quickly defending herself or her friends from an unexpected attack. Stunt Vampiric Gaze Because of her imposing Vampiric Gaze, Nat gets +2 when forcefully obtaining information from a sentient being. Stunt Gain Access Because of her skills at breaking security, Nat gets +2 when cleverly gaining access to places she shouldn’t be. xian fucked around with this message at 04:40 on Nov 24, 2015 |
|
#
?
Feb 7, 2014 10:38
|
|
|
Artemis looks over the rag-tag group, eager to get up and go, and sighs heavily. "Why do I get myself into this poo poo." She mutters to herself, handing off her drink to the nymph sitting next to her as she stands up. "Okay, let me just fill you in on a couple things first." The Goddess announces to the group as she stalks around the table and behind the settee. "First up, I'm sending you in so you'll have some traces of me on you for a while." The more ancient and magically inclined may have understood this, but for the more human members she elaborates. "If anybody happens to be able to sense magic or the divine, they'll see you all have a touch of my je ne sais quoi about you." She looks at Iris. "Which shouldn't matter for you, Iris, you're already covered." And then Arachne. "But with this you'll have about half the drat Pantheon on you so gently caress knows what somebody might make of that. Just try to avoid anybody who can feel that sort of thing, way less drama for all of us." Now behind the couch, Artemis kneels down and comes back up with a fierce looking bow. Almost two metres tall, it looked like it had been made from an entire cypress trunk. And the bowstring looked more like a length of power cable than anything else, smaller strings of steel wrapped around each other and pulled tight until impossible taut. The thing looked like it weighed a couple hundred kilos and that was before even trying to pull the string back. "Second, when I fire this I'll be piercing the Hedge and to give you lot a way through. The way it'll work is I loose, you follow after it, you come out on the other side. But it's one way, so you won't be able to come be here through the way you came." She explains, taking out a regular looking arrow from a nearby quiver (of which there were a few around the place) and notching it. The Goddess didn't seem to have any problem pulling back the bowstring. "Hope you have a plan when you get there, Iris. Whatever's causing this is probably over even my head." She quietly adds in an aside to her favoured nymph, before quickly taking aim and loosing the arrow into the forest. "Oh! If it hits somebody on the other side, s'not my fault!" ~ Every good run of luck has to end. That's just the way of things, isn't it? You get away with the prince story once, maybe twice, but the third time somebody may catch wise to the tale. Especially when that third kingdom had reformed their government into a democracy, dead give away there. But it's easy to tell when you're getting on the nose, so a quiet exit is always an option. Better to leave with what you've managed to acquire so far than lose it all to overextending yourself. No point investing too much in it all, it's just a game. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. If you get too angry about it then… well, that's why one Rupert Stiltskin is out on his own at this very moment, isn't it? But there's a thing with bad luck. Once it's on you, it's a little hard to get it off. That is probably the reason why, on his easy walk along the paved road away from the kingdom, an arrow shoots from the dense bushes along the roadside. The force from the shot has easily toppled Rupert, impaling him. Well, his shirt. But it was a very nice shirt, and one that was now pinning him to the road. Then, about seven second after the arrow, a rather large group of people fall out along the same trajectory of the arrow and land on top of old Rupert Stiltskin in a mighty crash. Bad luck, it'll get you every time. Cacto is out so Verity is staying behind with Artemis because of the father thing. Anyway! Onwards! Everybody say hi to Mr_Fowl!
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2014 09:45
|
|
|
Rupert Stiltskin Rupert was facing a terrible predicament. On the one hand, the arrow that had pierced his fine silk shirt was holding fast and the chances that the bowman who fired it was not in the employ of the Democratic People's Republic of Kalabria were slimmer than his designer wallet. On the other hand, however, it was a very nice shirt. Sewing an arrow hole wasn't terrible hard and with some work it could be hidden. A lengthwise tear? He shuddered at the very thought. "Perhaps...No..." He rifles through his satchel. "There must be something in here..." Costume jewelry, make-up, prosthetics and false mustaches tumble out before he comes up with a length of twine. "It'll have to do." He loops it around the shaft of the arrow and pricks his thumbs. It is at that moment that he is nearly crushed to death by a group of fools tumbling through a hole in the hedge directly on of him. "Not again," he mutters, trying to crawl out from under the pile. He lets out a terrible cry. "Aiyee! My back! You have surely broken it! Oh cruel Fate, must my thread be cut now, of all times?" He pounds the earth with his fist. "I was heading to slay the Hoary Beast of Harghul and now? Now all is lost! Unless...But no, it's impossible now." He continues to pound the earth futilely, occasionally glancing to the newcomers. Rupert Stiltskin posted:Rupert Stiltskin, Rumpelstiltskin’s Apprentice
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2014 21:48
|
|
|
Night Night is not on the bottom of the pile for long. Those on top of her are sent hurtling through the air a second time as she bursts forth from the pile in a maelstrom of illusory rainbow confetti, sparkling lights, and fireworks. A foot is planted firmly on Rupert's chest. She raises both arms victoriously and shouts to the sky. "~♥~♪~♣~ I'M BACK ~♣~♪~♥~!" Her words are mirrored by an arc of neon lights over her head.
|
|
#
?
Feb 9, 2014 22:48
|
|
|
Nathalie Nathalie is thrown into the air as Night bursts from the pile. She floats down casually until she's a couple inches off the path and watches Night announce them to all of Wonderland. "So much for subtlety." She shakes her head and mutters. "Everyone Okay?" Nat says, looking around and realizing of course they are, but when she does she notices a guy pounding the ground and whining. "Stop whining." Nat says, floating over him. "Who are you? And who's Harghul? And why were you going to kill his Hoary Beast?" She's nothing if not inquisitive.
|
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2014 06:24
|
|
|
Carol ~~~~The Grove of Artemis~~~~ Carol is one of the last ones to be sucked through the portal. She rocks on her heels, hesitating long enough give a glance toward the cute nymph, and after a pensive moment, she holds her hand up by her ear and mouth in imitation of a phone call, "I'll ring you when we're done with all this!" That said, she leaps into the portal, and as she disappears from view, one might notice expansive wings being spread wide... wings that are somehow much less shadow and much more green. ~~~~Far Side of The Hedge~~~~ Moments after Nat asks her question, an immense shadow falls over the group. A terrible shape fills the sky, a monstrous outline that many Wonderland inhabitants ingrain at childhood as The Predator in the same way that robin chicks know to huddle away at the shape of a hawk. Armored in green scales from head to coiling twisting tail, leathery wings that blot out the sun, gaping jaws full of teeth that would humble a dagger-smith, outstretched claws that clutch around prey like iron cages with razor bars, with jutting horns and blazing eyes, The Dragon descends upon the hapless party. But then, whipped by winds and some unknown imbalance, the wings flap and twist out of control. The dragon isn't swooping. It isn't attacking. It's falling! And yelling, "LOOK OUT!" The voice is strangely familiar to most of the group, like a friend calling out over a megaphone. Somehow, it manages to thrust its wings out in a parachuting effect, slowing its descent, even as it draws its limbs underneath itself to try for a landing instead of belly flopping the group into a crater. The impact still shakes the hedge, but somehow when the dust clears, no one is crushed. This is about the point where even a dull observer might notice the dragon is... humanoid-shaped... in fact, woman-shaped. She's naked, but scales keep this from being overly embarrassing, fortunate considering it would take a giant's village to find clothing fitting her. Slowly, she turns a familiar human-like face toward the group, albeit horned and with spiky hunter green hair replacing the normal brunette mane. Groaning in discomfort, Carol asks, "Oh, my head aches.... is going across the Hedge supposed to pop your ears like that?" ====== Anyone with a fair knowledge of Wonderland side monsters (or frequent fantasy fans) will probably recognize the monster half of Carol's hybrid heritage by now. Carol is a Half-Dragon. Drakli fucked around with this message at 11:14 on Feb 10, 2014 |
|
#
?
Feb 10, 2014 10:46
|
|
|
Iris Iris murmurs something about 'strays' as Artemis busies herself behind the couch. 'Covered' nets no comment, as the nymph at Iris's back (and occasionally one side or the other) gives the dryad a squeeze before slinking away. "No seers, soothsayers, or seventh sons of seventh sons," Iris quietly adds, for the benefit of those unfamiliar with the Wonderland side of things. "I think that means we should avoid mice in particular." A thrill runs through the dryad at the sight of that great bow, a sparking sensation that rushes up the back of her legs and is stifled into a shiver as it heads up under her clothes. Trying to cover it, she gives her head a shake. With her foliage in a... divinely inspired state, the motion is more like the slow-mo shot from a shampoo commercial blent with a garden show. "I'm sure we'll muddle through. Rag-tag wanderers always do!" Iris calls to Artemis with a wave and a smile. She takes off after the arrow fast enough that her foliage lifts in the breeze. --- ...and rushing in, Iris is naturally near the bottom of the pile of bodies that forms on the other side of the Hedge. Fair enough: close to the ground is where a dryad should be. There's someone underneath her though, a shouting someone, a someone that she doesn't recognize. Oh, dear. "Don't try to move if it's broke. You'll only make it worse that way," she says to the stricken one, carefully trying to extricate herself from the clutter. Her vines and creepers tug as she moves, provoking a thin frown of annoyance. Can't help but love the Goddess, but she keeps her growth pruned for... well, reasons! People might talk.
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 03:29
|
|
|
Night Night's selective hearing kicks in just in time to hear broke. "Broke?" She looks down at the fellow under her foot and jumps to the side. "Oh. I can snap - er, set it back into place for you~!" She grabs his arm with both hands. "This one, right?"
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 03:53
|
|
|
Rupert Stiltskin Rupert lets out a great ARGH! "Stop, please, you cannot reset a broken spine! The only hope now is Healing Waters of Aquafina--but alas, I cannot move and worse, I lack an offering to the spirits of the spring. Now the Hoary Beast will run wild, snatching up people in the countryside and tying them like trophies into his beard so he can carry them back to his vile lair and eat them later. The Beast can empty villages at a time, and now all hope is lost, oh woe!" He snaps his fingers. "Wait, good fellows, do you by any chance have any currency or treasures on you? I am promised a castle, beautiful maiden, and all due fortune for slaying the beast--if you help me with the sacrifice, when I slay the beast, I'll return the favor twice-over!"
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 04:01
|
|
|
Night "Oh? Such a sad tale!" Night moves to right him but remembers the bit about the broken back and stops. "Worry not, my dear...! Citizen...?" She looks around wildly in an attempt to figure out whether she was in her domain and if this man would be one of her own, but fails to recognize any of the surroundings. The signature shunk sound of a telescoping baton being flung open is unmistakeable. The mayor raises her bludgeon out in front of her like a drum major. "I shall purge this foul beastie from these lands myself and return the reward to you, as I have no such need for any of those things. I will send my medics to retrieve and treat you, and...?" Her voice fades away, and she taps her shoulder with her baton in thought. "Pray tell, whose lands are these?"
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 04:19
|
|
|
Rupert Stiltskin "Why these lands belong to the Marquis de Carabas, my Lady. I am Sir Rupert, a valiant knight in his service, sent the cleanse this land of the Hoary Beast. Honor will not allow me to let you slay it in my stead. I will surely die of shame, should I let a lady of such refinement face death and dismemberment while I lay here under a tree!"
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 04:28
|
|
|
Iris The dryad sits up on her heels, tugging at her coat and skirts. She casts a look over the tree Rupert mentions, registering its shade and size for the first time. A tall, handsome growth it is, surprisingly unmolested for being so close to a traveled path. Probably helps that it doesn't bear the sort of fruit that most self-styled intelligent beings care to feed themselves with. "Could lie you within it," she observes absently. "Fixing a ruined back is tricky work for the best, and better to be part of a thing made to sit in one place for the rest of its days, rather than forced to as something that isn't. Mm?"
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 04:38
|
|
|
Night The mayor drops to her knees and strokes his hand, visibly touched. "Oh, my dear, poor, knight." She snaps Iris a considerably less friendly expression, however. "I have trouble thinking of a fate more horrifying!" With a distinctly queenly harumph, she waves her compatriots to her side. "Quickly, get Sir..." She falters on the name. "Your valuables. Perhaps we can still gather what is necessary to pay the, um... Water healers, was it?"
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 04:43
|
|
|
Iris "There are worse. Mitigating them makes triage a terrible thing to commit."
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 04:54
|
|
|
Nathalie "Are you kidding me?" Nathalie pretty much spits at Night once she's pulled aside, "This guy is bloody nigerian." Nathalie elaborates, "Haven't you guys ever gotten an e-mail..." She begins, then looks around, remembering her company, and tries another tack. At no point does she try and keep her voice down so that Rupert wouldn't be able to hear her. "Ok, so, a 'prince' walks into a bar on the other side of the hedge, he has a 'bodyguard,'" she makes the air quotes, "And looks, right, real princely. Pretty much like this bloke. He sits down at your table, he's charming, he says, 'Hello, my friend'" Nathalie does a probably-racist African accent as the prince of air quotes, "And then he spins some tale like 'My country is in dire unrest, the government has seized the banks, and I can't access the 20 million quid in my bank account because I can't pay the fee-slash-bribe to transfer it out of my war torn country. If you can cover that fee for me, my good friend, in all cash right now, I will pay you back tenfold, no, more. If you can give me ten thousand pounds tonight, I will give you 250,000 on tuesday." She pauses, "That blueprint is called a Nigerian 419 scam." "So, switch the side of the hedge we're on and you've got an opportunistic loaf with a pretty face trying to get us to front him the money for some 'healers... Aquafina is owned by bloody PepsiCo, and anyone who thinks there is actually a slutty beast, let alone that this one with the broken back plans to kill it, let alone that we'll see the this-side-of-the-hedge version of that 250 large on the slim chance he succeeds... is laughable." Nathalie laughs theatrically, but she's not amused. "If it turns up he's telling the truth and there is a giant slag terrorizing the countryside... I'll kill it myself..." She glances at Carol, "That is, unless it's your mate... I don't know how things work here, but I know how scams work anywhere." Security Vulnerability Consultant and Privacy Advocate are both aspects that support this xian fucked around with this message at 07:35 on Feb 11, 2014 |
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 07:32
|
|
|
Carol Carol lets out a startled gasp that sucks a huge chunk of air out of the air and stumbles to her feet. drat, she's tall. "Oh, oh, god, did I crush him?!" she exclaims, clumsily rearing back out of the way and taking out half a block of shrubbery behind her with a careless swipe of her tail. In alarm, she takes up her tail in her hands like the Reluctant Dragon, and furrows her brow, staring down at the fallen man, "Are you ok-wait." There's actually almost a sound like a series of slots falling into place inside of Carol's brain. Certainly, her fiery eyes change colors like a cycling slot machine, "Wait." "Marquis. de. Carabas. Marquis de Carabas." Her eyes burn like Wil-O-the-Wisps caught in a bon-fire, "Marquis de Carabas!" "A psuedonym assigned to his hapless and foolish master by the Puss in Boots, of the story of the same name, a trickster figure using the classic form of the feline. See also numerous other mythologies and folklore for similar figures. Using his position as the major domo of this noble non-existent, the eponymous cat manipulated, lied, and hornswoggled the wealthy into bestowing wealth and adulation upon his master... up to and including orchestrating the murder of an ogre land baron for his riches and holdings. Whether or not this was justified depends on your ogre-ish sympathies. Also, though Puss's motives for his con-man's game may seem like selfless devotion to his master... one must remember the pet of a wealthy newly-minted lord is just as much of a fat cat." She drops out of textbook mode to glare ominously at Rupert. Until she allows herself to be distracted by Nathelie, "Mate? Don't look at me! I grew up in Britain!" She turns her blazing eyes back on Rupert, "I just know how Stories work." ===== Let's call this invoking her Literature/English Major shall we? Drakli fucked around with this message at 09:07 on Feb 11, 2014 |
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 07:55
|
|
|
Nathalie It takes a few seconds for Nat to parse what Carol was saying, "So you could say that this guy's boss is Worm Tongue from the Lord of the Rings? Except it's a cat?"
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 08:14
|
|
|
Carol Carol rolls that one around in her head and on her red tongue for a moment or two, "Sort of, but not really. Wormtongue was like The Evil Grand Vizir cliche. Think more like... have you ever seen one of those Westerns with the charming snake-oil salesmen? Kind of like that. A bit Bugs Bunny, a bit Groucho Marx, a bit Evil Doctor Who, bundled up in a cute fuzzy package that everyone trusts because 'D'aww, kitty." "You know how filthy it feels when James Bond is manipulating women with 'sexiness?'" her tail squirms in disgust, like there are centipedes crawling all over it, "It's like that, but with kitty cuteness and implying the Marquis is the sexy James Bond, but more settle down-ish like Prince Charming, so set up your princess daughter to marry him when he shows up."
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 08:40
|
|
|
Nathalie Nathalie makes the kind of face someone would make if they did a shot of cigarette ash, "Ew." She says, sticking a finger in her mouth in the universal symbol for puking. "So, gross. But, seriously, the guy our 'dear' 'crippled' 'nigerian' works for isn't malicious, he's just... like, Bertie Wooster, and his cat is Evil Jeeves, but a cat, who is taking a cut? Put another way, in the stories, what's their endgame? Er, rather, how does the story end?" xian fucked around with this message at 09:10 on Feb 11, 2014 |
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 09:03
|
|
|
Carol Carol grins at Nat and taps herself on the nose with a clawed finger, "That's it! Wooster and Evil Jeeves! That's it -exactly!-" she exclaims. Also, she notices she's really glad to still have a nose instead of a snout or something. "Well, in the end, the "Marquis" gets the land, riches, and peasantry that belonged to the murdered ogre... making him essentially a Lord by right of assassination. The cat basically threatens to murder any peasant who lets it slip that the Marquis wasn't the real original owner of the ogre's estate. And the king gives him the princess's hand in marriage so Wooster gets to become king someday. "The cat gets to live in the lap of luxury because of his grateful master. That's it. The end. The moral? Being a clever gently caress with a lot of charm gets you ahead in life. Seriously, that's a moral." She pulls a face, and with all the fangs and the long red tongue she has, disgust is very emphatic. Drakli fucked around with this message at 09:40 on Feb 11, 2014 |
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 09:24
|
|
|
Nathalie Nat grins, pleased at having nailed the simile. "I don't like the sound of that. And the way you tell it, Jeeves and Wooster are a step down from the Ogre they replaced. I'd be really curious to go to Harghul—which I'm not sure whether Harghul is a person or a place, but six and two threes—and see what's going on." "Jeeves sent this guy to kill the beast there, and given past actions, that sounds like he's trying to add a little bit more property to his portfolio and nothing more." xian fucked around with this message at 09:51 on Feb 11, 2014 |
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 09:48
|
|
|
Carol Carol looks sour and she grumbles as an aside to Nat, "Grant you, I might be biased. I have a friend back at the Looking Glass who's an ogre. Good ol' Pudge, the bar's chef. Jolly fellow, great cook, dirty sense of humor. But by the original story itself, the ogre's only crime is being an ogre; he even tries to play a good host before the cat tricks and murders him. Story doesn't even bother to justify the "pretty people finish first, bugger the ugly folks" fairy tale motif." Drakli fucked around with this message at 12:30 on Feb 11, 2014 |
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 11:06
|
|
|
Iris "Back injuries tend to provoke more panic than theatricality," the dryad notes placidly, during a lull in the exchange between Carol and Nathalie. "Carabas exists too, though I've never been sure about the story about the cat. That's always struck me as something along the lines of your Russian bear and American eagle, though there's no lack of tricksters on this side of the hedge."
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 14:04
|
|
|
Rupert If his father taught him anything, it's that you have to know when to give up on a game. Luckily, the length of twine was still within reach. He sighs and ties it in a loop and pricks his thumb, twine drinking the blood. Rupert takes a deep and quickly pulls the knot loose. With a 'pop!' he appears down the road from the group. He makes a show of smoothing out his clothes, frowning at his now-holey silken shirt. "First point: Hoary means 'bearded' or 'hairy'." He shakes his head in shame. "What do they teach in schools these days? Point the Second: I am not a cat. But it appears I really will have to abandon that pseudonym if it causes so much confusion. It's a shame, really. Do you know how hard it is to come up with a proper, convincing, fake duchy? It takes time, it takes effort, it takes focus testing...Oh well. Hope there's no hard feelings about the whole 'Healing Waters of Aquafina' thing. Can't blame a guy for trying--I mean, you did nearly crush me to death. So long and good luck in...whatever you're doing that's worth puncturing the hedge for." Rupert begins walking down the road.
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 16:15
|
|
|
Night FP: 4/3 Night attempts to follow along in the conversation, but merely becomes lost and confused. "Oh, I think you're all just being terribly rude to the young knight," she says, looking up to the others as she caresses his face. "There's no reason you should doubt that - " She rises suddenly. "Where did he go?" "Now look at what you've done!" Night shouts. She casts a glare at Carol and Nathalie. "I will retrieve him, just wait. Sir knight~!" She calls out, giving chase after Rupert. It probably looked much more threatening than was intended, given her sheer speed and waving baton. "Sir knight, waaaait~!" Compelling Last night, Night before. gimme dem fp
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 16:32
|
|
|
Iris "Also 'ancient', 'white haired', or 'made stale through overuse'. It's amazing, the distances a word can cross." There's a glimmer of a smile as Iris rises and dusts her skirt off, suppressing her amusement at Nathalie's misunderstanding of 'hoary' as 'whorish'. "Pardon, good sir, before you take your leave? Could you tell us where we've landed?" Iris calls after Rupert. "Apart from 'on you', that is. Thing with pushing through the Hedge like that, is like doing the same with a maze. Certainly you'll find your way out, but it's not likely to be near the proper exit."
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 16:56
|
|
|
Arachne A rustle in the trees. A black mass. Was Iris just seeing things? Something made those branches move. Rupert saunters down the trail, an easy, care-free walk that runs him right into a large, gossamer web between the trees, virtually invisible until he smacks into it. A half-second later, Ana emerges from the underbrush. "All the subtlety of a Spartan division," she says, looking from Rupert to the others following up behind him. "You're rather insightful," she says to Nathalie, the lingering for a vampire dying before the end of the sentence. I suppose this is a compel for Predatory by Nature?
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 17:06
|
|
|
Nathalie "Pretty theatrical, that." Nat comments to Iris, when Rupert pops up and marches on down the road. "Just know how to recognize some fraud, is all." Nat says to Ana.
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 20:36
|
|
|
Iris "There isn't much of an Internet or INTERPOL on this side of the Hedge, so some professions still have need to... drift," the dryad explains, describing a slow swirl with a green finger that begins with the ellipsis. "Probably done him well in the past. Few travel far from where they were born, unless they absolutely have to, and few are inclined to chase more than a league or few. Probably needed it more than once, if he's been passing himself off as a quester-- that takes nerve, though it's lighter on the back than hawking nostrums or carrying a tinker's pack."
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 20:55
|
|
|
For an onlooker it would almost be funny. Scratch that, it would be funny. A laugh riot, even, to see the effort young Rupert had put into disentangling himself from underneath our ragtag group of wanderers only to find himself stuck in a cobweb moments later. Oh that bad luck, when it rains it pours. And unlike being crushed on the bottom of the pile, he found himself rather unable to move. The web wasn't just big, and thick, and almost invisible; it was also incredibly sticky. Rupert wasn't sure what prey this web was meant to entangle, exactly, but he was sure it was meant for thing larger and stronger than him. This along would be an annoyance, but it only took a few moments of being stuck still for Night to catch up to him. And at her speed, well, she didn't stop in time. Thumping, crashing, tackling into Rupert rather heavily from behind, Night now too finds herself rather stuck to the web. And Rupert. Sure thing bosses! FPes to ATL and PS! Rupert is now stuck in the web and Night is stuck on top on him also in the web. Great work fellas.
|
|
#
?
Feb 11, 2014 23:23
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 19, 2024 05:06 |
|
|
Night FP: 4/3 It takes a moment for Night to realize what was happening before she starts shouting. "Cut us loose, knight!" She commands, struggling slightly. "NOW!"
|
|
#
?
Feb 12, 2014 01:14
|
|