Hi, I'm pretty old hat at RP, but it's been some years since I did anything on a forum. I found...
The Coliseum
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The Beginning
Powerofmind
In Madness Fallen
- Location
- United States
Hi, I'm pretty old hat at RP, but it's been some years since I did anything on a forum. I found spacebattles through the amazing Stark Transcendent quest, and from there found here in it's continuation.
It's probably a little weird of an introduction to just jump right into making a quest of my own, yeah? (At least it feels weird to me)
That aside, it's something I've actually tinkered with myself and used in one-on-one RP before, and honestly the format of Questing fit it so well I couldn't help but give it to you guys to see what you do with it. (It helps that I'm desperate for a little creative writing to work out my thinky parts)
The Coliseum
You have occasionally thought on what happens after death. The individual in front of you is not what you expected at all. With a demeanor not out of place on a particularly energetic carnival master, and the wardrobe to go with it, you're left wondering if perhaps you're only dreaming feverishly in your last moments before he speaks and confirms your state.
"Oh ho ho! Weeelcome! Good day and how do you do, my dearly departed friend!" The figure's gestures and speech were grandiose and over-the-top, and you almost wondered if he was going to try to sell you some ridiculous snake oil panacea like a street hawker. You can barely suppress the urge to chuckle at the thought that you'd be suckered into a Faustian deal by the spiritual analogue of a salesman. He bowed suddenly, drawing your attention back to him and continuing in the same manner that he began. "I am the Announcer, and the wondrous place you're about to enter… is humbly known as… The Coliseum!"
You blink, and suddenly find yourself standing on air. You should be more disturbed at the prospect of falling to your death not minutes after dying, but your attention is drawn to a massive circular structure beneath you. Built in tiers, you can see a massive outermost ring of grayish stone, which gives way to increasingly small, and elevated, tiers of differing materials and design, before the structure tapers into a central column that resembles a massive obsidian spike. Far below, you can see ant-like humanoid figures scampering about, some still, some not, within the open spaces between the tiers.
You find yourself impressed.
Your attention is drawn by a not-so-subtle clearing of the throat by this Announcer. "Truly you are a lucky soul! Or, ho ho, one of the unluckiest! The privilege of entering The Coliseum is reserved to those rare few whose deaths are so truly cruel as to be deserving of one. last. chance... at life!"
The Announcer's statement gives rise to no small amount of ire. Your death, so sudden, so wrong, had not sunk in until that moment. The Announcer's eyebrow rises and his face is soon close to yours in hyper-exaggerated curiosity. After a moment, he shrugs and leans away. "I'd ask, my festering friend, but I get the feeling it's personal."
Your Backstory: (choose one, you may expand or create a complete backstory from the snippets provided if you so desire, and it may be used in place of whatever I might write)
[X] You lived a peaceful farmer's life, and before you were killed, everything you loved was displayed before you, taken one by one until you were all that was left.
[X] You were trapped in the cage of the city all your life, cursed with poverty that allowed no escape from the crimes you committed to live. The gallows had damned you in the crib.
[X] You lived a life of inheritance, of breed, of compassion, and of power soon to be yours, and were it not for the cruelty of your own shortsighted sibling, you could have rescued a kingdom doomed to fall!
[X] You were a prophesied child, slated to save thousands or more once you'd grown into your calling, slain early by the foe you were destined to best in an act of true cowardice!
[X] Write-in?
Your Gender: (choose one)
[X] Male
[X] Female
Your Name:
[X] Write-in
It's probably a little weird of an introduction to just jump right into making a quest of my own, yeah? (At least it feels weird to me)
That aside, it's something I've actually tinkered with myself and used in one-on-one RP before, and honestly the format of Questing fit it so well I couldn't help but give it to you guys to see what you do with it. (It helps that I'm desperate for a little creative writing to work out my thinky parts)
The Coliseum
You have occasionally thought on what happens after death. The individual in front of you is not what you expected at all. With a demeanor not out of place on a particularly energetic carnival master, and the wardrobe to go with it, you're left wondering if perhaps you're only dreaming feverishly in your last moments before he speaks and confirms your state.
"Oh ho ho! Weeelcome! Good day and how do you do, my dearly departed friend!" The figure's gestures and speech were grandiose and over-the-top, and you almost wondered if he was going to try to sell you some ridiculous snake oil panacea like a street hawker. You can barely suppress the urge to chuckle at the thought that you'd be suckered into a Faustian deal by the spiritual analogue of a salesman. He bowed suddenly, drawing your attention back to him and continuing in the same manner that he began. "I am the Announcer, and the wondrous place you're about to enter… is humbly known as… The Coliseum!"
You blink, and suddenly find yourself standing on air. You should be more disturbed at the prospect of falling to your death not minutes after dying, but your attention is drawn to a massive circular structure beneath you. Built in tiers, you can see a massive outermost ring of grayish stone, which gives way to increasingly small, and elevated, tiers of differing materials and design, before the structure tapers into a central column that resembles a massive obsidian spike. Far below, you can see ant-like humanoid figures scampering about, some still, some not, within the open spaces between the tiers.
You find yourself impressed.
Your attention is drawn by a not-so-subtle clearing of the throat by this Announcer. "Truly you are a lucky soul! Or, ho ho, one of the unluckiest! The privilege of entering The Coliseum is reserved to those rare few whose deaths are so truly cruel as to be deserving of one. last. chance... at life!"
The Announcer's statement gives rise to no small amount of ire. Your death, so sudden, so wrong, had not sunk in until that moment. The Announcer's eyebrow rises and his face is soon close to yours in hyper-exaggerated curiosity. After a moment, he shrugs and leans away. "I'd ask, my festering friend, but I get the feeling it's personal."
Your Backstory: (choose one, you may expand or create a complete backstory from the snippets provided if you so desire, and it may be used in place of whatever I might write)
[X] You lived a peaceful farmer's life, and before you were killed, everything you loved was displayed before you, taken one by one until you were all that was left.
[X] You were trapped in the cage of the city all your life, cursed with poverty that allowed no escape from the crimes you committed to live. The gallows had damned you in the crib.
[X] You lived a life of inheritance, of breed, of compassion, and of power soon to be yours, and were it not for the cruelty of your own shortsighted sibling, you could have rescued a kingdom doomed to fall!
[X] You were a prophesied child, slated to save thousands or more once you'd grown into your calling, slain early by the foe you were destined to best in an act of true cowardice!
[X] Write-in?
Your Gender: (choose one)
[X] Male
[X] Female
Your Name:
[X] Write-in
Apotheosis
Lucifer
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] You were a prophesied child, slated to save thousands or more once you'd grown into your calling, slain early by the foe you were destined to best in an act of true cowardice!
[X] Female
[X] Emilia
[X] Female
[X] Emilia
DON'T SCARY
Hope is the road to disappointment....
[X] you lived a life of tragedy, despair,and heart ache. You turn to crime and murder to surive. You life ended when someone who trusted with your life betrayed you
[X] Male
[X] Lennox Wolfgang
Appearance
[X] Male
[X] Lennox Wolfgang
Appearance
AZATHOTHoth
༼ つ ☀️_☀️ ༽つ
[X] Christyking1980
Powerofmind
In Madness Fallen
- Location
- United States
*Comes in from the left, whistling*
I'd like to close this at approximately the 24 hour mark, but if you need more time before deciding, you can always ask me directly.
quick count:
chosen youth (currently Emilia): 3 A real holy roller
Christyking1980's Lennox Wolfgang: 3 Betrayal does not a happy man make
Street Urchin: 2 Life is unfair, but death, at least, comes to everyone on equal terms
I'd like to close this at approximately the 24 hour mark, but if you need more time before deciding, you can always ask me directly.
quick count:
chosen youth (currently Emilia): 3 A real holy roller
Christyking1980's Lennox Wolfgang: 3 Betrayal does not a happy man make
Street Urchin: 2 Life is unfair, but death, at least, comes to everyone on equal terms
Apotheosis
Lucifer
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Powerofmind
In Madness Fallen
- Location
- United States
Is anybody considering changing a vote? A little stuck on this tiebreaker coming up.
Edit: Well I guess it's extended for a few more hours then!
Edit: Well I guess it's extended for a few more hours then!
Last edited:
DON'T SCARY
Hope is the road to disappointment....
Come on people, vote for lennox wolfgang.
MacroDaemon
Lachrymose Lapis
[X] You were a prophesied child, slated to save thousands or more once you'd grown into your calling, slain early by the foe you were destined to best in an act of true cowardice!
[X] Female
[X] Emilia
[X] Female
[X] Emilia
Powerofmind
In Madness Fallen
- Location
- United States
And the voting is locked! Emilia the Prophesied Child, then!
I'll have it up soon.
I'll have it up soon.
Emilia Down
Powerofmind
In Madness Fallen
- Location
- United States
Yes, you think, it is quite personal. From before you could remember, you'd been trained in arts both martial and divine, told again and again that your duty was to slay a demon who would bring suffering to the souls of men. You had mastered stances and prayers, trained your body and mind for years, and for what?
Poisoned by a madman who broke into the temple in broad daylight. You fought him briefly, and much of the battle is a blur to you, but you distinctly remember a name being called out over and over again. Ebis, the very name of the monster you were sworn to kill, and the man who attacked you was likely a cultist or supplicant of some sort. He'd nicked you with a wicked-looking knife and in seconds you'd collapsed.
And now you were here, and if this Announcer was being honest with you, you'd have a chance, a possibility, of coming back. "There is a catch, yes?" The Announcer smirks at you, "My poisoned princess, but of course! The Coliseum you enter must be conquered utterly! Surely, a woman of divine and physical talent can achieve the feat? Merely best each of the Coliseum's champions, and the Lord of the Arena will grant you your life in return, at the very moment it was lost to you!"
This makes little sense to you. Life is a sacred thing, given by the gods. Whatever this plane is, it is not the gods'. "How would such a being grant me my life back? Why? You understand, I am versed in the spiritual world, and this reeks of deception." The words are innocent enough, but there is a weight to them that seems threatening.
The Announcer, for the first time, swallows thickly. "Ahh-ahh… I suppose you'll have to take my words… on faith, mutilated miss…" He seems to compose himself from there, and turns your threat back upon you. "Because this particular deal cannot be denied, you see."
You do see, you see yourself rapidly falling towards the structure below. The Announcer grins. "Now that you've got the idea of what to do, I think it's time I gave you the proper introductions!" He disappears from sight, and a booming voice that you know is his rings out everywhere. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Banshees and Ghouls, may I have your attention please! Frrrrresh from the land of the living, from the Church of the Violet Sun, I have the pleasure of in-tro-ducing the lovely lady Emilia Godwin! With the face of youth verging on adulthood and a bombshell of blonde beauty, she brings some much-wanted good looks to the otherwise sorry mugs of all you contestants! Members of the First Circle, welcome your newest applicant warmly!"
If you'd thought you were falling quickly before, you're sure you've been yanked rather forcibly to the ground now. There is a sound of dust and dirt falling around you, and you realize you've already landed.
The landscape you've entered reminds you of the End Times described in your holy scripts. Before you, the gray stone of the arena walls is cracked and flush with overgrowth. The dust you now tread upon occasionally squishes with the blackened remnants of the dead, and far above, the obsidian spire you saw from the sky now looks like the looming horn of a sleeping behemoth. The sky above the walls is an ominous maroon, and finally, you are surrounded by corpses.
You would hardly be so worried if they weren't shambling about and towards you. It is at this moment that you notice that you still have your shortsword and rod with you, though you are only clothed in rags. You quickly set about cleansing the immediate area of impurity with both blade and exorcism, and are relieved to see that at least the gods haven't abandoned you to this strange place without the power they grant you.
It takes you a short while, but the dead now act as they should around you, and you have a few moments to take in what's happening to you. It is now that you also notice that the inner wall of the arena is almost two hundred yards away from your place at the opposite end. It seemed much smaller from above.
Choose an action:
[X]Rest here for now. You are safe here now, and perhaps you can take at least a short moment to replenish your strength, as you will surely need it.
[X]Advance into the heart of the melee. Now that you've had time to observe, the monsters you've seen and slain almost seem to ignore you unless you draw too close. You've discovered the reason for this being that they're too busy awkwardly stabbing with spears and swinging with swords at each other to notice you. If this is to be your fate if you do not hurry on ahead, you see no reason to dally.
[X]Follow along the wall. Your objective is to locate the champions on each ring of the coliseum, slay them, and advance. You may have a better vantage point for spotting them, or other oddities, from the edge of the arena, where the monsters are fewer in number.
[X]Write-in.
(Things to know before the character sheet is ready)
You're a paladin, a warrior-priestess whose primary training is designed to deal with the dead, the unclean, and the evil. This gives an almost unfair advantage against the lesser creatures of the arena, sneaky SV!
You are at about half-strength, due to the ordeal of dying, falling, and working frustration out on the undead.
Poisoned by a madman who broke into the temple in broad daylight. You fought him briefly, and much of the battle is a blur to you, but you distinctly remember a name being called out over and over again. Ebis, the very name of the monster you were sworn to kill, and the man who attacked you was likely a cultist or supplicant of some sort. He'd nicked you with a wicked-looking knife and in seconds you'd collapsed.
And now you were here, and if this Announcer was being honest with you, you'd have a chance, a possibility, of coming back. "There is a catch, yes?" The Announcer smirks at you, "My poisoned princess, but of course! The Coliseum you enter must be conquered utterly! Surely, a woman of divine and physical talent can achieve the feat? Merely best each of the Coliseum's champions, and the Lord of the Arena will grant you your life in return, at the very moment it was lost to you!"
This makes little sense to you. Life is a sacred thing, given by the gods. Whatever this plane is, it is not the gods'. "How would such a being grant me my life back? Why? You understand, I am versed in the spiritual world, and this reeks of deception." The words are innocent enough, but there is a weight to them that seems threatening.
The Announcer, for the first time, swallows thickly. "Ahh-ahh… I suppose you'll have to take my words… on faith, mutilated miss…" He seems to compose himself from there, and turns your threat back upon you. "Because this particular deal cannot be denied, you see."
You do see, you see yourself rapidly falling towards the structure below. The Announcer grins. "Now that you've got the idea of what to do, I think it's time I gave you the proper introductions!" He disappears from sight, and a booming voice that you know is his rings out everywhere. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Banshees and Ghouls, may I have your attention please! Frrrrresh from the land of the living, from the Church of the Violet Sun, I have the pleasure of in-tro-ducing the lovely lady Emilia Godwin! With the face of youth verging on adulthood and a bombshell of blonde beauty, she brings some much-wanted good looks to the otherwise sorry mugs of all you contestants! Members of the First Circle, welcome your newest applicant warmly!"
If you'd thought you were falling quickly before, you're sure you've been yanked rather forcibly to the ground now. There is a sound of dust and dirt falling around you, and you realize you've already landed.
The landscape you've entered reminds you of the End Times described in your holy scripts. Before you, the gray stone of the arena walls is cracked and flush with overgrowth. The dust you now tread upon occasionally squishes with the blackened remnants of the dead, and far above, the obsidian spire you saw from the sky now looks like the looming horn of a sleeping behemoth. The sky above the walls is an ominous maroon, and finally, you are surrounded by corpses.
You would hardly be so worried if they weren't shambling about and towards you. It is at this moment that you notice that you still have your shortsword and rod with you, though you are only clothed in rags. You quickly set about cleansing the immediate area of impurity with both blade and exorcism, and are relieved to see that at least the gods haven't abandoned you to this strange place without the power they grant you.
It takes you a short while, but the dead now act as they should around you, and you have a few moments to take in what's happening to you. It is now that you also notice that the inner wall of the arena is almost two hundred yards away from your place at the opposite end. It seemed much smaller from above.
Choose an action:
[X]Rest here for now. You are safe here now, and perhaps you can take at least a short moment to replenish your strength, as you will surely need it.
[X]Advance into the heart of the melee. Now that you've had time to observe, the monsters you've seen and slain almost seem to ignore you unless you draw too close. You've discovered the reason for this being that they're too busy awkwardly stabbing with spears and swinging with swords at each other to notice you. If this is to be your fate if you do not hurry on ahead, you see no reason to dally.
[X]Follow along the wall. Your objective is to locate the champions on each ring of the coliseum, slay them, and advance. You may have a better vantage point for spotting them, or other oddities, from the edge of the arena, where the monsters are fewer in number.
[X]Write-in.
(Things to know before the character sheet is ready)
You're a paladin, a warrior-priestess whose primary training is designed to deal with the dead, the unclean, and the evil. This gives an almost unfair advantage against the lesser creatures of the arena, sneaky SV!
You are at about half-strength, due to the ordeal of dying, falling, and working frustration out on the undead.
[X]Advance into the heart of the melee. Now that you've had time to observe, the monsters you've seen and slain almost seem to ignore you unless you draw too close. You've discovered the reason for this being that they're too busy awkwardly stabbing with spears and swinging with swords at each other to notice you. If this is to be your fate if you do not hurry on ahead, you see no reason to dally.
Heading through plays to our strengths.
Heading through plays to our strengths.
MacroDaemon
Lachrymose Lapis
[X]Advance into the heart of the melee. Now that you've had time to observe, the monsters you've seen and slain almost seem to ignore you unless you draw too close. You've discovered the reason for this being that they're too busy awkwardly stabbing with spears and swinging with swords at each other to notice you. If this is to be your fate if you do not hurry on ahead, you see no reason to dally.
I don't think a paladin would benefit much from sneaking around at this point.
I don't think a paladin would benefit much from sneaking around at this point.
Apotheosis
Lucifer
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Advance into the heart of the melee. Now that you've had time to observe, the monsters you've seen and slain almost seem to ignore you unless you draw too close. You've discovered the reason for this being that they're too busy awkwardly stabbing with spears and swinging with swords at each other to notice you. If this is to be your fate if you do not hurry on ahead, you see no reason to dally.
Makes sense to me.
Makes sense to me.
Powerofmind
In Madness Fallen
- Location
- United States
Oh this whole forum thing is so odd. I've clearly been away from them for too long, I didn't even realize people were posting!
Locked, and will have something when I'm less braindead in the morning.
You guys have this so easy with the paladin... For now.
Locked, and will have something when I'm less braindead in the morning.
You guys have this so easy with the paladin... For now.
Dread Knight
Powerofmind
In Madness Fallen
- Location
- United States
Sword still drawn, you stalk into the center of the fighting, wanting to reach the inner wall where the path is shorter towards the entrance to the second tier. The monsters prove easy to destroy, especially when aided by your divine magic, and with each one that falls you feel oddly rejuvenated. Halfway through the mass of corpses, you stumble abruptly into a suspiciously clear area of the melee. Before you, every zombie has been bisected cleanly through at least one point on their bodies, occasionally twice or more. You direct your gaze across the empty space in the carnage, and see a figure.
It stands an imposing six and a half feet in height, though the image is probably aided by the bulk of the armor attached to it's body, rusted only because of the blackened blood dripping from it like a film. It wields a greatsword nearly as large as yourself, and the blade is thicker than your own arm. It easily severs another corpse, and two more besides, with a final swing before it pauses. It raises it's head slightly, as though sniffing the air, before turning to face you.
Now you can truly see, that the armor is not only old and spattered with blood, but there are gaps in the front, massive dents in the metal and places where weapons have pierced the breastplate entirely. This being has been trapped in the arena for a long time, clearly, but what truly unnerves you is it's eyes. They glow sky blue in the shadows of the helmet, and could you not see the hunger in their gleam, you would almost call it an entrancing sight.
It stalks towards you, and with a raspy voice that chills your bones, it whispers. "Powerrrr..." You will surely have to fight this creature to progress, and you are glad you have conserved magic for moments like this one. You chant quickly, raising your rod skyward, and a bolt of divine magic made to destroy unholy things, exorcism, flies through the beast. It flinches only for a moment before pressing on.
You gasp in horror at the not-dead not-demonic thing in front of you. Exorcism destroys creatures not inhabited by a mortal soul, and drives out demons. Knowing this, there is no other explanation, what you see before you is human and alive in all the ways that matter, but this place has changed it, twisted it.
Thoughts of your own fate become increasingly grim as you realize this will not be such an easy fight without your trump card.
Choose one:
[X]Engage this pitiable soul in swordplay. The zombies grow thicker as you approach the inner wall, you will likely not have time to recover your energy from this battle. You cannot afford to use your magic wastefully now, as you may need it against whatever could twist a soul to such a degree later.
[X]Enhance your body, and cleanse it of fatigue. You have a few magics that can lend power to your blows and give you the strength to fight for hours, but they are a continuous drain on your mana, and you do not know how much effort you will need to defeat this poor soul.
[X]Fight with your full strength. Exorcism is not your only magical weapon, you have several spells that will work perfectly well on a mortal body. It will be given peace quickly, but it's incredible fortitude, clear from the damage it has sustained in it's time here, will probably force you to use a considerable amount of mana.
[X]Write-in?
It stands an imposing six and a half feet in height, though the image is probably aided by the bulk of the armor attached to it's body, rusted only because of the blackened blood dripping from it like a film. It wields a greatsword nearly as large as yourself, and the blade is thicker than your own arm. It easily severs another corpse, and two more besides, with a final swing before it pauses. It raises it's head slightly, as though sniffing the air, before turning to face you.
Now you can truly see, that the armor is not only old and spattered with blood, but there are gaps in the front, massive dents in the metal and places where weapons have pierced the breastplate entirely. This being has been trapped in the arena for a long time, clearly, but what truly unnerves you is it's eyes. They glow sky blue in the shadows of the helmet, and could you not see the hunger in their gleam, you would almost call it an entrancing sight.
It stalks towards you, and with a raspy voice that chills your bones, it whispers. "Powerrrr..." You will surely have to fight this creature to progress, and you are glad you have conserved magic for moments like this one. You chant quickly, raising your rod skyward, and a bolt of divine magic made to destroy unholy things, exorcism, flies through the beast. It flinches only for a moment before pressing on.
You gasp in horror at the not-dead not-demonic thing in front of you. Exorcism destroys creatures not inhabited by a mortal soul, and drives out demons. Knowing this, there is no other explanation, what you see before you is human and alive in all the ways that matter, but this place has changed it, twisted it.
Thoughts of your own fate become increasingly grim as you realize this will not be such an easy fight without your trump card.
Choose one:
[X]Engage this pitiable soul in swordplay. The zombies grow thicker as you approach the inner wall, you will likely not have time to recover your energy from this battle. You cannot afford to use your magic wastefully now, as you may need it against whatever could twist a soul to such a degree later.
[X]Enhance your body, and cleanse it of fatigue. You have a few magics that can lend power to your blows and give you the strength to fight for hours, but they are a continuous drain on your mana, and you do not know how much effort you will need to defeat this poor soul.
[X]Fight with your full strength. Exorcism is not your only magical weapon, you have several spells that will work perfectly well on a mortal body. It will be given peace quickly, but it's incredible fortitude, clear from the damage it has sustained in it's time here, will probably force you to use a considerable amount of mana.
[X]Write-in?
MacroDaemon
Lachrymose Lapis
[X]Engage this pitiable soul in swordplay. The zombies grow thicker as you approach the inner wall, you will likely not have time to recover your energy from this battle. You cannot afford to use your magic wastefully now, as you may need it against whatever could twist a soul to such a degree later.
Powerofmind
In Madness Fallen
- Location
- United States
Well now I can't very well continue with this unabashed split now can I?
Cmon, somebody, I'd hate to roll a die to determine which one wins >.>
Cmon, somebody, I'd hate to roll a die to determine which one wins >.>
Apotheosis
Lucifer
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X]Engage this pitiable soul in swordplay. The zombies grow thicker as you approach the inner wall, you will likely not have time to recover your energy from this battle.You cannot afford to use your magic wastefully now, as you may need it against whatever could twist a soul to such a degree later.