You are Rose, a teenage girl from the village of Hookcrest. Your most striking feature is your...
Strange Lands, and Stranger Times.
- Thread starter IcePickLobotomy
- Start date
- Original
- Created
- Status
- Ongoing
- Watchers
- 21
- Recent readers
- 0
- Location
- Seattle, Washington
- Pronouns
- He/Him
You are Rose, a teenage girl from the village of Hookcrest. Your most striking feature is your vibrant red hair, which is usually pulled into a plain ponytail to keep it out of the way. You're somewhat tan with a scattering of freckles. Your rather tall as well, standing even (and even above) the boys in your village. Honestly you think you were just stretched out though, with a slim, lean, frame.
Talents
Nature Lover: You enjoy the company of nature spirits, and they yours. Nature spirits have a positive inclination towards you, and are less likely to harm you. They expect you to also aid and assist them if necessary.
Communion: The bow is alive, and it's own mind. It is arrogant and self-interested. It seems to look-down on your altruistic acts, viewing them as weak, still it intends to make you stronger, and appears to be doing so by feeding energy into you. You burned yourself on Cold Iron. With enough concentration you can perceive the thrumming sensation from it. Sometimes you feel as though someone is watching you and the thrumming intensifies.
Ear-To-The-Ground: You've learned enough on the subject of gossiping. You know what to listen to if you need information and where to look. (Gather Rumors is now automatically done. Bonus to investigating rumors)
Skills
Archery [Rank B]: You are a capable archer, the equal of all but the most famous and skilled. You are quite capable of striking all but the more evasive, armored, or lucky of targets. Moving targets pose only pose a challenge when moving erratically or at range.
Fighting [Rank C]: You can hold your own in a fight. However, anyone with a fair amount of training or experience is likely to give you a run for your money.
Survival [Rank B]: You are knowledgeable on surviving and navigating the wilderness. You are familiar with all but the most rare of flora and fauna as well as their common uses.
Stealth [Rank C]: You are well versed in the basics of remaing unseen and of stalking your foe. Particular observant or alert foes will likely spot you, but the unaware pose little challenge.
Tactics [Rank C]: You know the basics of how to leverage your environment to your advantage. Leading small groups, setting ambushes, and the like are within your capabilities, though you lack any great skill in these fields at the moment.
The Old Ways [Rank D]: You know little more then the basics when it comes to religious observances and rituals. Your knowledge extends to knowing what not to do mostly, but it should keep you from upsetting the wrong person/being.
Inventory Gold: 0 Silver:14 Copper: 21
Strange bow
20 Arrows
Steel dagger
Steel Shortsword
Leather armor
Foresters Cloak
Cold iron charm
Backpack with survival supplies
3 days worth of rations
Strange Medallion
Worn Bone dagger
Equipment and Shopping Prices
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Your habit of exploring the woods would get you into trouble, or so your parents had told you. To be honest, you'd never taken their warnings seriously. You always took care to avoid the Deep Forest, and you carried a dagger at all times. You also had your Mother's iron charm. It would protect you from the fae's "foul sorceries and vile illusions". You had never needed it though. The fae weren't dangerous, or at least the ones near your village weren't.
So when a wisp wanted to show you something, you didn't worry about it, you didn't' think twice. At worst you'd end up wandering the forest for a few hours. If the wisp was being truthful it would show you something interesting. The last time you followed a wisp it brought you to a group of nymphs dancing in a meadow. Who in the right mind would pass up a chance to see something like that again? And you were right; a wisp would never put you in danger. The problem was that it wasn't a wisp.
One, wisps do not weave illusions. Two, wisps are not evil. Three, A wisp would never have lead you into the Deep Woods. Four, wisps did not play with their food. The fact that you were right about the wisps was a bitter conciliation.
You were just past the edge of the forest when you touched the cold iron charm your mother had given you. That broke the illusion, the warm greenery replaced with the dark gloom of the Deep Woods. It must have lead you deep into the forest as it twisted at your senses. The dark mist reduced your visibility to about 50 feet and the massive silhouette of ancient trees loomed in the fog. A cold chill tugged at you exposed legs and arms while you could feel the damp soaking into your boots. You swallowed dryly. A few heartbeats passed, then you felt a warm, rancid breath on the back of your neck accompanied by a low growl. Your mother had not raised a fool, so you did the sensible thing and ran as fast as you could.
You ran as long as your legs would carry you, and then some more. Eventually, you lost your footing, and tumbled into a ravine. As you picked yourself up a grinning skull stared back at you. You let out an involuntary scream of terror before realizing it was just a skeleton. A dead, not moving, not evil, not going to kill you, skeleton. It was slumped up against the opposite wall of the ravine, and had three ancient arrow shafts protruding from its chest, but that wasn't what caught your eyes. It was. . .
[ ] the long-sword clutched in its hand with a pale blue-white blade with a worn bronze hilt. The blade still seemed sharp and there was a faint, golden light to it. It put you at ease and seemed to banish the dark slightly. You could feel the power, and responsibility, that such a blade held. The skeleton's chainmail hauberk was still in good condition as well, the arrow-holes notwithstanding. The tabard not so much. It had long ago faded and decayed into scraps of discolored cloth.
[ ] the midnight blue cloak wrapped around the skeleton. The cloak was still in good condition, though the edges were torn and somewhat raged. The cloak had a strange quality to it, your eyes seemed to slide off it. It took some concentration to focus on it. A long black dagger was held in the skeletons right hand. It gleamed with a cold and wicked light. What was once the skeleton's leather armor is now bits and pieces of scrap.
[ ] the bow laid across its chest. The bow was a dark grey-green color and was engraved with twisting vines along its length. The string is still pristine. The quiver was cradled in the crook of the skeleton's arm, seemingly untouched. A collection of arrows held within. The skeleton still wore some dirty, if functional leather armor as well. The cloak was a lost cause though, having long decayed into scrapes of discolored cloth.
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Ok, so I'm excited to try my hand at running a quest. This is my first time trying to running a quest, so if you catch me making a mistake, doing something stupid, or things of that varity let me know.
Rules
Talents
Nature Lover: You enjoy the company of nature spirits, and they yours. Nature spirits have a positive inclination towards you, and are less likely to harm you. They expect you to also aid and assist them if necessary.
Communion: The bow is alive, and it's own mind. It is arrogant and self-interested. It seems to look-down on your altruistic acts, viewing them as weak, still it intends to make you stronger, and appears to be doing so by feeding energy into you. You burned yourself on Cold Iron. With enough concentration you can perceive the thrumming sensation from it. Sometimes you feel as though someone is watching you and the thrumming intensifies.
Ear-To-The-Ground: You've learned enough on the subject of gossiping. You know what to listen to if you need information and where to look. (Gather Rumors is now automatically done. Bonus to investigating rumors)
Skills
Archery [Rank B]: You are a capable archer, the equal of all but the most famous and skilled. You are quite capable of striking all but the more evasive, armored, or lucky of targets. Moving targets pose only pose a challenge when moving erratically or at range.
Fighting [Rank C]: You can hold your own in a fight. However, anyone with a fair amount of training or experience is likely to give you a run for your money.
Survival [Rank B]: You are knowledgeable on surviving and navigating the wilderness. You are familiar with all but the most rare of flora and fauna as well as their common uses.
Stealth [Rank C]: You are well versed in the basics of remaing unseen and of stalking your foe. Particular observant or alert foes will likely spot you, but the unaware pose little challenge.
Tactics [Rank C]: You know the basics of how to leverage your environment to your advantage. Leading small groups, setting ambushes, and the like are within your capabilities, though you lack any great skill in these fields at the moment.
The Old Ways [Rank D]: You know little more then the basics when it comes to religious observances and rituals. Your knowledge extends to knowing what not to do mostly, but it should keep you from upsetting the wrong person/being.
Inventory Gold: 0 Silver:14 Copper: 21
Strange bow
20 Arrows
Steel dagger
Steel Shortsword
Leather armor
Foresters Cloak
Cold iron charm
Backpack with survival supplies
3 days worth of rations
Strange Medallion
Worn Bone dagger
Equipment and Shopping Prices
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Your habit of exploring the woods would get you into trouble, or so your parents had told you. To be honest, you'd never taken their warnings seriously. You always took care to avoid the Deep Forest, and you carried a dagger at all times. You also had your Mother's iron charm. It would protect you from the fae's "foul sorceries and vile illusions". You had never needed it though. The fae weren't dangerous, or at least the ones near your village weren't.
So when a wisp wanted to show you something, you didn't worry about it, you didn't' think twice. At worst you'd end up wandering the forest for a few hours. If the wisp was being truthful it would show you something interesting. The last time you followed a wisp it brought you to a group of nymphs dancing in a meadow. Who in the right mind would pass up a chance to see something like that again? And you were right; a wisp would never put you in danger. The problem was that it wasn't a wisp.
One, wisps do not weave illusions. Two, wisps are not evil. Three, A wisp would never have lead you into the Deep Woods. Four, wisps did not play with their food. The fact that you were right about the wisps was a bitter conciliation.
You were just past the edge of the forest when you touched the cold iron charm your mother had given you. That broke the illusion, the warm greenery replaced with the dark gloom of the Deep Woods. It must have lead you deep into the forest as it twisted at your senses. The dark mist reduced your visibility to about 50 feet and the massive silhouette of ancient trees loomed in the fog. A cold chill tugged at you exposed legs and arms while you could feel the damp soaking into your boots. You swallowed dryly. A few heartbeats passed, then you felt a warm, rancid breath on the back of your neck accompanied by a low growl. Your mother had not raised a fool, so you did the sensible thing and ran as fast as you could.
You ran as long as your legs would carry you, and then some more. Eventually, you lost your footing, and tumbled into a ravine. As you picked yourself up a grinning skull stared back at you. You let out an involuntary scream of terror before realizing it was just a skeleton. A dead, not moving, not evil, not going to kill you, skeleton. It was slumped up against the opposite wall of the ravine, and had three ancient arrow shafts protruding from its chest, but that wasn't what caught your eyes. It was. . .
[ ] the long-sword clutched in its hand with a pale blue-white blade with a worn bronze hilt. The blade still seemed sharp and there was a faint, golden light to it. It put you at ease and seemed to banish the dark slightly. You could feel the power, and responsibility, that such a blade held. The skeleton's chainmail hauberk was still in good condition as well, the arrow-holes notwithstanding. The tabard not so much. It had long ago faded and decayed into scraps of discolored cloth.
[ ] the midnight blue cloak wrapped around the skeleton. The cloak was still in good condition, though the edges were torn and somewhat raged. The cloak had a strange quality to it, your eyes seemed to slide off it. It took some concentration to focus on it. A long black dagger was held in the skeletons right hand. It gleamed with a cold and wicked light. What was once the skeleton's leather armor is now bits and pieces of scrap.
[ ] the bow laid across its chest. The bow was a dark grey-green color and was engraved with twisting vines along its length. The string is still pristine. The quiver was cradled in the crook of the skeleton's arm, seemingly untouched. A collection of arrows held within. The skeleton still wore some dirty, if functional leather armor as well. The cloak was a lost cause though, having long decayed into scrapes of discolored cloth.
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Ok, so I'm excited to try my hand at running a quest. This is my first time trying to running a quest, so if you catch me making a mistake, doing something stupid, or things of that varity let me know.
Rules
- I'm going to be running this quest as a narrative as I don't want to fiddle with mechanics. That said a good or bad write-in will affect how well you do.
- Write-ins. In-less I list write-ins as an option, they are not available. That said, giving specific details on how you want a selected option to go are allowed.
- Traits and Skills will be listed. These are there for us to know what we are good at as well as keeping track of any "special" abilities and such. Feel free to use these to your advantage.
- Try to keep discussion tangentially related to the quest.
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[X] sword
[X] Rose
[X] girl
[X]lightly tanned, tall, red hair, green eyes.
[X] Rose
[X] girl
[X]lightly tanned, tall, red hair, green eyes.
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Dream Logic
An offseason swallow
- Location
- In transit
[x] the midnight blue cloak wrapped around the skeleton. The cloak was still in good condition, though the edges were torn and somewhat raged. The cloak had a strange quality to it, your eyes seemed to slide off it. It took some concentration to focus on it. A long black dagger was held in the skeletons right hand. It gleamed with a cold and wicked light. What was once the skeleton's leather armor is now bits and pieces of scrap.
What can I say? I like the description.
What can I say? I like the description.
- Location
- Seattle, Washington
- Pronouns
- He/Him
All right I intend to write up a update later today. If we don't get any more votes than I'll do a bit of backround/lore.
[X]Bow
[X] Rose
[X] girl
[X]lightly tanned, tall, red hair, green eyes.
I like having a ranged weapon, and we can keep more of a safe distance away from any creatures.
Also we already have a dagger, so we should get something with more range.
Here's some speculation on the properties of the weapons.
The sword( Short-mid ranged & blessed?) Increases visibility in the forest, maybe ward off creatures slightly as well...
The dagger (Short ranged & cursed?) We would probably work the best with this since we already have some experience with a dagger, wicked light gives me caution against picking it though...
The bow- (Long ranged & Neutral?) Great for range, but we do have reduced visibility.
[X] Rose
[X] girl
[X]lightly tanned, tall, red hair, green eyes.
I like having a ranged weapon, and we can keep more of a safe distance away from any creatures.
Also we already have a dagger, so we should get something with more range.
Here's some speculation on the properties of the weapons.
The sword( Short-mid ranged & blessed?) Increases visibility in the forest, maybe ward off creatures slightly as well...
The dagger (Short ranged & cursed?) We would probably work the best with this since we already have some experience with a dagger, wicked light gives me caution against picking it though...
The bow- (Long ranged & Neutral?) Great for range, but we do have reduced visibility.
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two sword
two bow
1 cloak
all name, gender and appearance votes the same.
two bow
1 cloak
all name, gender and appearance votes the same.
- Location
- Seattle, Washington
- Pronouns
- He/Him
The weapons (and cloak) are more than just enchanted weapons, they hold a great deal of potential beyond their capabilities as weapons. That said your choice here is going to seriously effect Rose's capabilities and how she will interact with the world around her. Oh yeah and they will help you survive the forest as well
I'm going to leave the voting open for a few more hours, or at least in-till one of the choices is leading and than I'll update. I'll probable post some background lore within the next hour or so as well.
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- Location
- Seattle, Washington
- Pronouns
- He/Him
All right, here is a bit of lore on the fae, from an in universe prospective. Along with some other details that you guys may want to know.
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"Now I understand that there is a great deal of confusion on what a fae actually is. For the common man the definition of "A magical entity that resides in nature" is good enough, but is a overly broad and includes at least two distinct types of entities.
The first, and most commonly seen type, would more accurately be referred to as a 'nature spirit'. A nature spirit, which is another overly broad definition, is a manifestation of ambient energy being diffused through the organisms within the environment. This is why so many entities have plantlike or animalistic characteristics. Nature spirits are unable to live outside their spawning area, though the more powerful specimens can leave the abodes for a time. Dryads, nymphs, wisps, and tree-ents are excellent examples of nature spirits.
So what is a fae? While the older definition of "A natural spirit capable of sustaining itself outside of its environment" is still correct, it is no longer used. The reason is that resent discoveries have shown that the fae are natural organisms, not manifestations of magical energies. Natural spirits are incapable of siring children, at least among themselves. Fae on the other hand, cannot manifest spontaneously, but are born just like any natural organism. The origins of the fae is a matter of hot debate at the moment. The current definition of the fae is 'A organism capable of utilizing magical energies without the assistance of another entity.' Good examples of the fae would be elves, trolls, and bone-wasps."
A few more details on the fae for you guys, or at least about the intelligent fae. Not all fae are evil, though some are cruel and others can be kind. Most are self-interested and hold little regard for mortals. Be careful making a deal with a fae, they will hold up their end of the bargain, but often obey the exact lettering of their bargains. They abhor worked metal, and are unable to touch pure iron. Touching pure iron can give you some defense against their magic, but it isn't foolproof. Nature spirits are a completely different animal.
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"Now I understand that there is a great deal of confusion on what a fae actually is. For the common man the definition of "A magical entity that resides in nature" is good enough, but is a overly broad and includes at least two distinct types of entities.
The first, and most commonly seen type, would more accurately be referred to as a 'nature spirit'. A nature spirit, which is another overly broad definition, is a manifestation of ambient energy being diffused through the organisms within the environment. This is why so many entities have plantlike or animalistic characteristics. Nature spirits are unable to live outside their spawning area, though the more powerful specimens can leave the abodes for a time. Dryads, nymphs, wisps, and tree-ents are excellent examples of nature spirits.
So what is a fae? While the older definition of "A natural spirit capable of sustaining itself outside of its environment" is still correct, it is no longer used. The reason is that resent discoveries have shown that the fae are natural organisms, not manifestations of magical energies. Natural spirits are incapable of siring children, at least among themselves. Fae on the other hand, cannot manifest spontaneously, but are born just like any natural organism. The origins of the fae is a matter of hot debate at the moment. The current definition of the fae is 'A organism capable of utilizing magical energies without the assistance of another entity.' Good examples of the fae would be elves, trolls, and bone-wasps."
- Excerpt from Lorekeeper Smithson's introductory lecture on the fae
A few more details on the fae for you guys, or at least about the intelligent fae. Not all fae are evil, though some are cruel and others can be kind. Most are self-interested and hold little regard for mortals. Be careful making a deal with a fae, they will hold up their end of the bargain, but often obey the exact lettering of their bargains. They abhor worked metal, and are unable to touch pure iron. Touching pure iron can give you some defense against their magic, but it isn't foolproof. Nature spirits are a completely different animal.
so a pure iron bracelet is a good investment when you might be dealing with Fae?
- Location
- Seattle, Washington
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Yes it is. anyone who lives near a forest keeps some pure iron on them at all times. Most of the time you don't need it, but if you do? you will be VERY glad you had it. Notice that you guys already have a pure iron charm. That's how you notices that the fae had lead you into the Deep Woods in the first place. its a necklace, but you could easily wrap it around your wrist if you so desired.
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i was mostly thinking a bracelet because a bit of the iron will always be in contact with your skin.
- Location
- Seattle, Washington
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Hate to break your hope, but no you're not really skilled with a dagger. You haven't trained in using one, or with a sword for that matter. Your knowledge can be summarized as "Hold this end and stick the pointy part in the bad people". Same with a bow, you know the basics, but you're not skilled at all. To be fair you did grow up in a quiet village where nothing exiting happens.
Hm, with the trips through the woods that the character 's taken before, have they developed any good exploration skill or basics?
And, how much of boon will the cloak be in helping the character stumble their way out of the deep woods?
- Location
- Seattle, Washington
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Yes, you guys do have some skill in survival, so you know the basics of life in the wilderness. You know how to clean and cook a kill, make basic traps, navigation by using the sky and the stars, etc,
Yeah, in retrospect I should have made things a little more clear but I didn't want to give too much away. so I'll try and clear things up regarding your choices here. That said, you won't be able to go back on this choice.
The sword is a tool of both power and authority. It holds a great deal of power, but also responsibility.
The cloak will hide in the night, the dagger will bind you to it. Your actions will be hidden, but the consequences will be apparent.
The bow will show you the hidden paths, and allow you to tread where others cannot. Be warned, some stones are best left unturned.
Hopefully this will give you guys a better idea of what to expect from these items.
All three items will ensure you get out of the woods, but each their own way.
OK, I hope this helps, if you guys have anymore questions, concerns, or comments let me know. I intend to lock the vote at 6pm PST. In the event of a tie I will extend the deadline for another 2 hours.
- Location
- Seattle, Washington
- Pronouns
- He/Him
No, it won't turn into your precious if that's what your asking. It just means that you will have certain. . . responsibilities in return for its gifts.
- Location
- UK
Gifts and costs seem like they will be balanced, maybe going up as we gain skills and powers. Nothing is free.
We won't really know what we have signed on for until the choice is made, may as well just pick one. The dagger seems the most onerous. 'Cold and wicked light', seems rather evil alignment to me.
We won't really know what we have signed on for until the choice is made, may as well just pick one. The dagger seems the most onerous. 'Cold and wicked light', seems rather evil alignment to me.
- Location
- Seattle, Washington
- Pronouns
- He/Him
All power comes at a price. It may not be a fair price, it may not immediately apparent but there is a cost. As for good and evil, none of the items have a inherent morality associated with them. How Rose acts is going to be up to you guys (mostly), and knowing SV you guys are probably going to white knight it. Nothing wrong with that, but the option to take a more sinister path will always be open.
- Location
- Seattle, Washington
- Pronouns
- He/Him
OK so here's what we have in terms of votes
Playing as Rose seemed prety clear so that's what we're going with.
As for the weapons:
[X] sword 2
[X] cloak 1
[X] bow 2
As I said I'll give you guys two more hours to break the tie. If not then I'll roll for it. Seems like a fair way of doing it.
EDIT
So times up and no change to the votes. I rolled for the choice, odds you got the sword, evens for the bow. Congratulations, you now have a mysterious bow! I'm going to grab dinner and than get the update written. Should be up within a hour or two.
Playing as Rose seemed prety clear so that's what we're going with.
As for the weapons:
[X] sword 2
[X] cloak 1
[X] bow 2
As I said I'll give you guys two more hours to break the tie. If not then I'll roll for it. Seems like a fair way of doing it.
EDIT
So times up and no change to the votes. I rolled for the choice, odds you got the sword, evens for the bow. Congratulations, you now have a mysterious bow! I'm going to grab dinner and than get the update written. Should be up within a hour or two.
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