City of IF

[shy_blu_eyes]

Two Caveats...

1) I am painfully new to all of this.

2) These things seem to die faster than carnival goldfish.

I'm interested in trying to run something similar to a tabletop RPG, with writers providing action for their characters but with behind the scenes mechanics determining the results. I'd be asking players to check in and post about once a week, but I should be able to check in about every other day so there's not too much waiting around. The setting would be swords & sorcery with a modified Medieval tech level. Right now, I'm just trying to see if there's any real interest in this sort of thing, so please let me know.

P.S. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, Gallant tried to do something like this under "Dungeons and Dragons Anyone?". So you might want to take a look at that first.

[Phang]

Go ahead and have a crack, Bleu! All you need to do is give this thing enough love and attention...and press-gang the snobs who don't visit this forum.

I'll join! (And I'll try 'n' stay joined...)

[shy_blu_eyes]

Thanks Phang. If we get two more by next week I'll give it a go, if not I'll let you know.

[Fats_Masterson]

I'll throw my name in the Hat!

And Blu, all it's takes to make a good SG is time and dedication!

Good Luck!

[Phang]

Fats_Masterson wrote: And Blu, all it's takes to make a good SG is time and dedication!

Or a good RPG! o-)

[shy_blu_eyes]

Thank you Fats. Also, once this gets started I'm open to suggestions on how to improve it, so if anyone feels like there's a problem please speak up. I'm planing on using a simplified and streamlined version of 3rd edition D&D for the mechanics, if anyone cares, but I intend to keep that stuff behind the scenes. The setting is the Barony of Wyndshire, located in the NorthEast corner of the Keldjoran Empire (the name is borrowed, a habit I hope is forgivable). Wyndshire is east of the Great River that seperates human and non-human lands and south of the Northwall mountains. It owes fealty to the Duchy of Karos. It is in a temperate zone. It exports raw materials (lumber and iron ore) and food, but imports most of its finished goods.

The Keldjoran Empire recognizes two religions, the churches of Heironious (the god of preservation) and Hextor (the god of entropy). Both churches support the Imperial government, but Heironious urges his followers to fulfill their roles in society and support the greater good while Hextor urges his followers to strive to climb within the social order, and replace the weak (imagine a religion based on social darwinism).

There are two crimes worth noting in the empire. Heresy is the worship of a foreign diety or the denonciation of both Hextor and Heironious (it is acceptable to follow one or both of their teachings). Magic is considered to be the exclusive domain of the churchs, so spellcasters outside of the clergy are commiting the crime of witchcraft (a capital offense). Non-humans within the Empire have a certain degree of "diplomatic immunity" (their ways are not our ways), but it's still not a good idea to draw attention to "unusual" powers.

That's a rough outline for the setting, let me know what your character ideas are and I'll get to work on translating them into balanced game stats. :duel:

[Jyoukage]

can I join in your game. I tried Gallant's D&D but it seems to have died even before I got there. A dwarven Cleric of Heironious sounds nice.

[shy_blu_eyes]

Sure thing Jyoukage...

Okay, so here's the deal with characters. I'm using above average humans as a baseline. The steriotypical races are all fine (ie. elves, dwarves, halflings, ect.). I'm open to other ideas, but remember that exceptional powers should have exceptional drawbacks to balance things out. Please describe your character's personalities, physical appearance, powers, and gear. I'll worry about how they plug in to the mechanics.

Thanks again to all of you for trying this out.

[Phang]

Above average humans, eh?

*checks bestiary for suitable specimens*

[shy_blu_eyes]

Yes, something less than Hercules ( :gun: , :smile: ), but more than Bob the dirt farmer ( :surrender: , :dead: ) . If it feels more like a hero from history than a hero from mythology you're probably okay.

[Tipico]

awesome! can i join?

Conan the barbarian! big, strong,fast, and good with a sword!

[Phang]

Loving the demonstratory smilies.

[shy_blu_eyes]

Tipico: You are more than welcome to join, but please try to avoid characters that are trademarked or copyrighted. A character like Conan is certainly okay, but I need to know something about the background and personality too. Also, I'm assuming you want to play a Human Male, is that correct?
Jyoukage: This goes for you also. The dwaven cleric is fine, but what's he like and why has he chosen to live among the humans? Also, there is a church of Heironious in Wyndshire. Do you want to be the Cleric assigned to this church, or are you passing through on your way to somewhere else?

[Tipico]

ok then
my character could be...*scratches head*
a human(ish) barbarian, (male) goes by the name of ca't-arik al' croot (ca't-arik for short) he is big muscle bound stupid, and with a teeny weeny bit of troll blood in him giving him slight regeneration strength and tough skin but severe speed problems, (a slow walk is his maximum) and an inhumanly low IQ he wondered in to the area quite by accident. he carries a big axe with which he has some skill and has a rudimentary grasp of the local dialect, he is a blunt instrument, and only his natural ability to strike before he insults has kept him alive dwarves irritate him and is susceptible to magic of any kind so he hates all spell casters.

is that better?

[shy_blu_eyes]

That's certainly much more original and detailed. Wyndshire is a relatively small village made mostly of one or two story wooden buildings. The notable exceptions are the two churches and a watchtower that also serves as the Baron's residence. Ca't-arik notices that the locals (so far all humans) watch him carefully and seem to be giving him plenty of space (no one else appears to be armed). It's about mid afternoon, so the shops are still open. Now that he's here, is there any thing in particular Ca't-arik is interested in doing or seeing?

[Tipico]

drinking! and fighting! and gold!

is there a bar were he can sooth his stomach with a mug of hot mead? if not he would pick a fight with the biggest strongest meanest looking human around!

[shy_blu_eyes]

It doesn't take Ca't-arik long to find the tavern...one of the largest buildings in town it also serves as the local Inn. It stands about one and a half stories tall with only a few grimey windows located about a story up. The foundation is stone, but the walls are wooden planks. The roof is made of pitch covered wooden shingles, which stand out from the thatch that covers most of the buildings. Above the door hangs a carved wooden sign of a large padlock protruding from a pocket.

The dark interior contrasts so heavily from the sunlight exterior that Ca't-arik is blinded for a moment while his eyes adjust. When he can see again, he finds himself standing on a small platform a few feet above the sunken floor of the nearly empty bar. Below him, next to the platform is a large, muscular, grayskinned half-orc with protruding tusks and red eyes. He is dressed in thick animal hides and wears a blackjack or sap from a hook on his belt. Behind the bar is a middle aged man in a n apron. His dark brown hair is graying around the temples and he has the beginings of a pot belly. in the far corner, half hidden in shadows is an elf in studded leather armor and a forest green cloak. Behind him a longbow and a quiver of arrows rest against the wall. All three are watching Ca't-arik with practiced disinterest.

[Tipico]

drink and then fight or fight and then drink? decisions decisions.....

[Jyoukage]

Name: Rauðulfz Rockfeather (Red for short)

Class: Favored Soul (more chance of spell success, at LV3 gains a favored spell that adds 3 temp. hitpoints in addition to it's normal effect. Loses Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization, but keeps Weapon Proficiency with his god's favored weapon, +10 feet move speed and flight at +50 feet move speed)

Personality: Red is somewhat different from the mainstream priestly archetype. Although he does fervently follow the path of Preservation that his god, Heironious, teaches, he also like to get drunk and start barfights. Red was born a Favored Soul of Heironious and raised to zealously track down and eliminate his god's enemies. After Red left his home he has found that it is more in keeping with his beliefs to spread the word of Heironious rather than just destroy things.

Appearance: very weather-worn and bedraggled. His robes are an indeterminate color somewhere between dirt and grime. He was born with granite-grey wings as a sign of his favored status.

Gear: Red uses a longsword etched with a falcon and a medium shield, under his robes is a set of dwarven chain-mail.

Powers: Cure Minor Wounds, Light, Comprehend Languages, Bless

Rauðulfz is here in Wyndshire on a sabbatical, he is visiting the smaller churches across the empire to roust some new believers.

[Tipico]

he does magic?

kill him!!!

[Christalnightshade]

Can I jion, Even when I joined gallants game, he didn't play my character into the game... Please.

[Tipico]

my guy is like a bull if he sees red he charges, *snorts and pounds hoof to dusty floor, and clasps huge axe in both hands*

[shy_blu_eyes]

Cristalnightshade: You are more than welcome to join. Let me know about your character (please see the guidelines above).

Tipico: If that is the way you want to play your character, that is up to you. Just remember that there is always someone bigger and nastier, and they usually bring alot of friends.

[Jyoukage]

ok, is my character acceptable as edited?

[shy_blu_eyes]

Sounds great now Jyoukage. Just one thing, you aren't tied to just those spells. Basically, you have X spell slots per day and can choose which ones to cast on the fly without having to prepare them.

[Jyoukage]

ok, sounds great! :D

[shy_blu_eyes]

Sir Arthur Gawaine, Knight of Heironious and Templar of the Church at Wyndshire finished giving "Red" the tour of the church...

"Thank Heironious you've come." said the tall, middle-aged knight. "As I said, we've been without a proper Cleric for years. I do the best I can, but..."

The statement hung in the air as Gawaine appraised Red through his blue eyes. Gawaine's reputation as a crusader for Heironious in his youth had won him membership in both of the church's knightly orders, but the lines of age and despair were etched into his features.

"Monsignor Fauste at the Church of Hextor is a much younger man, the people see vitality and ambition in him. It gives them hope where tradition cannot. I fear that without your help, Wyndshire may soon be lost to the true faith. I pray that you can stay Prelate Rockfeather, but if you cannot be delayed, would you write to Bastion (the holy city of Heironious) and inform them of our plight? If Wyndshire is to fall, I desire only to ensure that it is by the will of Heironius and not the frailty of Gawaine."

[Jyoukage]

"Sir Gawaine, it would be a pleasure and a blessing if I could remain here. I would truly hate to see Hextor prevail in a beautiful place such as this" the dwarf replies, trying to hide his pride at being asked to be a cleric behind formal speech.

"Pray tell me more of my adversary, the Monsignor Fauste, he sounds like a rather interesting fellow, using his youth to spread the message of such an evil god. People are stifled by rigid tradition, they do not understand why things must be the way they are. if Monsignor Fauste uses this against them, it will be a hard uphill batlle to save this church."

Rauthulfz cracks his knuckles and rolls his shoulders "actually, the first thing I need is a bath, a meal, some mead" he looks at the suddenly imposing figure of the former crusader, "ok, hold the mead, but it's still been a while since I've had a warm belly."

[Tipico]

fine ill get drunk pass outand wake up in the church :-D

[shy_blu_eyes]

Ca't-arik felt his lids scrape against his dry eyes. The dryness of his mouth made his tongue feel swollen, like a giant slug had taken up residence in it's place. His head throbbed as the blood pounded in his temples likes infernal drums. The only comfort was in the darkness of this place, and the coolness of the stone floor against his cheek.

Through the darkness above and behind him an unfamiliar voice asked, "Can I help you?"

....................................................................................................................................

A grin crossed the big knight's features.

"I've was known to partake in a cup in my fighting days, or when telling war stories," Gawaine said with a wink. You are more than welcome to stay here, there's an extra room. I'll have a bath drawn while you unpack and the I'll introduce you to our tavern."

...

The tavern was called the Lock-n-Pocket. A wooden building with a stone foundation, wooden walls, and shingled roof. Even at this hour the contrast between light and dark caused newcomers to stand blinking for a moment while the patrons had a chance to size them up. The inn was a bustle of shopkeepers and peasents. By the door, a Half-orc watched the scene irritably, huge arms crossing his chest as he leaned against the wall...

"that's Krusk, the bouncer here, and the Baron's executioner. Although there hasn't been a need for one in years," explained Gawaine as he led his way through the crowd, "Robert Pick, the bartender, owns the Inn and his daughter cooks. He's a good man, but not religiously inclined," whispered Gawaine in a warning tone, "so the inn tends to draw some undesirable elements. Pick considers the inn to be neutral ground so we're expected to leave religion and politics at the door." A slight smile crossed the knight's face, "Fortunately, he extends the same policy to Fauste, so he never comes in. In reality, this is the one place where we can do Heironius' work unchallenged, so long as we play by Pick's rules."

[Jyoukage]

As soon as Rauðulfz walks into the tavern he stops and takes a deep breath, holds it, lets it go with a slight sigh as if sad to see his first impression of this place already gone. He then nods to Krusk and heads straight for the bar.

"hello, Mr. Pick, I'd like a quart of your best mead, some fire ale and a tripleshot of Patròn." when the mead comes he takes a slug of it and grins, "that's more like it, now that business is taken care of...on to pleasure. You say that Fauste never comes here and this is the only place that is safe from his entropic influence...well, I can see why. If you preserve liquor long enough, it reaches a stage of sublime perfection, but if you let entropy have its way, the fine liquor turns to vinegar. Thus it is with all things."

[Tipico]

Ca't-arik groaned, rolled over and sat up and gasped in agny 's'mater, wer am I?'
the effort of talking was too muck , his head swam and his vision blurred "fink i might av drunk a bit to mush'

[shy_blu_eyes]

Gawaine gave the Dwarf a catious smile, as if unsure whether the words were more wit or wisdom.

"it's just Pick, or Bobby if you prefer," the bartender interupted. "Whose your friend Art? Not traveling with that fella who came in earlier I hope..."

....................................................................................................................................

"I am Dante Fauste, Cleric of Hextor and Monsignor of this church," said the man wrapped in black robes. His dark eyes and hair gave him a ghostly appearence in the large room lit only by dusk through stained glass.

"Often have I laid offerings at the foot of Hextor's alter, but this is the first time he's left me anything in return. Do you have a name?" Fauste's cold, subtle smile would have seemed somewhat preditory under the best conditions but the surroundings amplified the effect, giving him an aura of menace...

[Tipico]

Ca't-arik grimaced "ummmm, leme fink bout dat, oh yeh dats it 'm Ca't-arik," he frowned and squinted at Dante Fauste and asked suspiciosly "say you aint on o' dem mahiky priest chaps are ya?"

[shy_blu_eyes]

"Hextor grants many gifts to his followers. If you will allow me, I believe I can ease your suffering." As he says the words, Fauste reaches into his robes and draws forth an amulet of bronze on a bronze chain. The amulet seems to be an intricite depiction of a dragon's skull.


***Everyone, I'm going to be out of contact for a couple of days, so if I don't respond to your posts right away please don't get discouraged. I should be back and caught up by Tuesday the third. Tipico and Jyoukage, thank you for making this into something I look forward to collaborating with you on. To everyone else, if you're still interested in giving things a try I'd be honored to have you join. Take care!
-Shyes***