OoC 48: Untitled

[Earl of Purple]

Everywhen is a good time for me when it comes to posting.

[Cyber Punk]

I refute your implication that it is my turn to post. I posted on Page Twenty-Three seventeen,

Acknowledged. Holy-Hunter hasn't come online, then.

[Earl of Purple]

Sorry, I have dyscalculia and sometimes mix up my numbers. In this case, I forgot which number it was and became convinced it was a different one.

I didn't get the number wrong?

[Cyber Punk]

Ah, sorry. Didn't mean anything by it.

In my general settings, it's set to show 40 posts per page. So when it's 50 pages to new thread for everyone else, for me it's 36 pages to new thread.

[Earl of Purple]

Any further posts from me shall have to wait till tomorrow. I Deadtime now. Goodnight, sleep tight and don't let the Inoracam bite. Nor the Eseehc.

[Ashen Lilies]

@ VIGIL VAULT SCENE:

WOAH. HOLD THE FRICK FRACK DIDDLY DACK RIGHT THERE.

Felandria and Dao have left the vault. Felandria successfully plowed through the demon blockade in her previous post, and they are now in the corridor outside the vault with Needs and Kr.

This is the current layout of the scene.

Current situation: Kr is currently directly addressing Dao and Felandria. I requested specifically in chat that I get a response. If I and the actions my characters take stop being ignored from here on out, that would be much appreciated.

[Felandria]

I wasn't trying to ignore you.

Is it my turn?

Sorry I haven't been in the chat for a while.

[Ashen Lilies]

Flaming Eagle needs to edit his post first.

[Cyber Punk]

Ah, I didn't see that. I was the one that edited the docs to include KR, but I fell asleep before I could really tweak it.

I'm awake now, though.

I'll edit my post.

[UncleWolf]

Earl? Would you like to post the shrine first, or should I post for Veronica heading there? It's whatever is easier for you.

[Cyber Punk]

Poke series, episode (n+x)

Mee to HALO;
OrchestralHC to GLoG;
Holy-Hunter to Planeside;
Alexandrian to DFI;
Nalix to Outside.

[Earl of Purple]

Deadtime now. And I've got DnD on Roll20 tomorrow, so I probably won't post again until Saturday.

But for now, goodnight, sleep tight and don't let the Cryohydra bite.

[Holy-hunter]

Apologies for my absence in any scenes I'm in but it's going to continue. Please just work me out of them as I don't know when I'll be back.

Sorry and thanks.

[Recaiden]

Good luck with what you're busy with.

In regards to Planeside, we should maybe disperse that scene, because Arlen was the driving force for it.

[UncleWolf]

Well, for anyone who was following Jezebel and Cessie's adventure into Warhammer 40kverse, here's a link to where I've transcribed the time aboard the ship that wasn't posted in Random. Link.

[Lost_Deep]

I was reminded late last night that there's a game convention this weekend that I'm attending. I'll be busy all weekend, sorry for the inconvenience!

[Zefir]

*pokes Recaiden to Skyside*

[Deathkeeper]

Earl, skip me in Outside. Jace is mostly there to protect Veronica, and isn't going to be commenting much thus far.

[Earl of Purple]

Deadtime for me now. Goodnight, sleep tight and don't let the god-killing abomination bite.

[UncleWolf]

Earl, sorry if it causes a bit of confusion as I don't know if you're working on it, but I edited Outside. I didn't see that the man was summoning Prost himself.

[SpeedWitch]

Apologies for my absence in any scenes I'm in but it's going to continue. Please just work me out of them as I don't know when I'll be back.

Sorry and thanks.

Hope you have a good time while you're gone. Our character interactions were awesome and I hope to see you again in another thread.

[5a Violista]

Well!
I exist again.

Now, I have pretty much completely forgotten all the plots and subtleties and things &c that I was involved in, so...yeah.
I recall I was doing something in Those Forged by Flames. Aric, I know it's been a long forever. If you want it continued, remind me what was going on at the moment. If you feel it's just been a long time, we can just handwave a defined conclusion or jump ahead to a specific climax or something else related.


Also...I need to remember what I was planning on doing. I was planning on doing something very specific and awesome, but...it's not coming to mind at the moment.
Um.

Okay. I'll just ignore and forget it.

If anyone wants me to play a specific character or in a specific place, make sure to tell me so that I can do it.

[goto124]

I have a character that sounds interesting, but I can't quite seem to use her.

Spoiler: Sybil

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Sybil
Brown

Race and Sex: Human Female. She's a ghost at the moment though.

Age: 17 years old (16 is considered adulthood in her world)

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral (Neutral because her world was harsh, so she could not afford the luxury of doing Good or Evil. Used to be Lawful, until she realized the royals were self-serving jerks.)

Appearance: Small petite body, dark brown eyes, chocolate brown hair in a braid. There's a shuriken embedded within her forehead, and a runic throwing knife halfway through her lower left arm.

Clothing: Long modest white cotton dress, simple leather slippers. All her clothes are well-worn with many holes.

Equipment: Bronze spiked shield, iron khopesh, leather weapon belt, a leather backpack containing: a small rusty dagger, a silver ring, a bronze waterbottle, a few steaks, and a piece of flint.

Abilities: Melee fighting, survival skills, a bit of magic.

Power Rating: Weak, especially compared to typical adventurers.

Personality: Hates royals (backstory explains her behavior), slightly psychotic

Spoiler: Long Backstory!

Show

At 16 years old, Sybil left home to start her adult life in Portcity on the continent of Dalara. She lived as a homeless for a while, then made enough money to rent a room at an inn. Sybil saw some members of the Queen's Circle, including the Dalaran royalty (they get out and adventure as much as the lower-downs out of boredom) and aspired to be part of them, so she started working hard to fulfil entry requirements. Sybil later became apparentice to Eugene, a low-ranking but loyal member of the Queen's Circle. Eugene taught her a variety of combat and survival skills, and she developed a crush on him. She also became close friends with Ylea (a medium-ranking Queen's Circle member), and Lilista (who just passed the test to join the Queen's Circle). Ylea disappeared soon however.

The true situation started to reveal itself. There was a large gap between the higher and lower class. The royals hoarded spells and fighting techniques, making sure no one outside the Queen's Circle could get to them, and explicitly said that anyone who practiced special skills, such as hiding and other rogue skills, without the Queen's permission would be killed. Sybil realised that joining the Queen's Circle was more than prestigious- it was necessary for survival.

Sybil's friends started dying mysteriously. The notices posted in Portcity stated 'drowning', 'climbing accident' and 'killer toads'.

Sybil finally fulfilled the entry requirements, and started the test to enter the Queen's Circle. The test typically lasted months, giving the royals plenty of time to examine the applicants' attitudes towards royalty. One day, Sybil took a royal's dagger by mistake. The royal happened to be high-ranking one, and was rather shady, being known only as the Queen's Assistant. He appeared out of nowhere, brought his 'stolen' dagger to Sybil's neck, and threatened to kill her for practicing rogue skills. Luckily, a senior member of the Queen's Circle walked in on them. The Queen's Assistant let go of Sybil, said 'looks like someone doesn't want you dead', and left.

Some time later, Eugene told Sybil the senior member had informed him of the incident, and made her explain herself. Later on, a high-ranking member of the Queen's Circle told Sybil that Eugene had relayed the incident to her, and asked Sybil not to repeat the mistake.

One week, a string of deaths occured. Many of Sybil's friends fell victim, including a high-ranking royal and Lilista. The Queen also posted a notice, reminding the people about how certain skills were outlawed. Distraught, Sybil sought the truth.

After months of lonely and extensive preparation with what little she had, Sybil went down to the catacombs, a dangerous area filled with monsters, and the perfect place to trap restless souls. It was also against the Queen's law for anyone outside the Queen's Circle to enter the catacombs, so Sybil found a hidden entrance and remained undetected. After a long and ardous search, she found what she was looking for- her dead friends, Ylea and Lilista.

Spoiler

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In a safe spot deep within the catacombs, they told her everything. How the Queen ruled over Dalara with an iron fist. How Ylea committed suicide because he got sick of the system that bestowed riches upon the 'haves', and left the 'have-nots' high and dry. How Lilista got caught teaching rogue skills to her friend. How they were caught by the Queen's Assistant. How the Assistant gloated about his 'catches' to the Queen. How he'd trapped their souls in soul jars, leaving her with only 1 way to escape: suicide, which mean being dead forever. Lilista went for it.

They also talked about more joyful things, such as how to access teachers of forbidden spells and skills, things that anyone outside the Queen's Circle should not know. Sybil found a way to get to Lilista and Ylea easily, and soon she was visiting them regularly, picking up all sorts of useful advice from them.

Dalara's equivalent of Valentines' day came. On that day, Sybil gave Eugene 2 things: a swordstick, made by Sybil herself, and a kiss. Unfortunately, Eugene had business to do. After they got inside a room, he sealed the door, said 'sorry', and killed Sybil with a throwing star and knife. Sybil saw Eugene cleaning up the mess before her soul floated away into an interdimensional plane, where she stayed for a while before finding herself in the Nexus.

What sort of place or situation would be good for her? I just figured that characterization would come naturally, but... When I played her, she just turned into a whiny ghost because I couldn't find any other way of making her backstory relevant. It didn't help that her backstory pretty much defines her, and there's not much else to her. I can't quite put a finger on her personality, and how to make it something that's actually playable.

For one thing, she's practically powerless, weaker than a level one DnD adventurer. Maybe a way for her to gain some powers? Maybe some psionic ones, to interact with objects since she's a ghost? I just thought that her obtaining abilities in the Nexus would make for nice character-building.

I'm not sure what to do with her, really.

[5a Violista]

With many characters, a big defining moment is overcoming their back-story.

If you choose to continue to roleplay her somewhere, you should have her almost-immediately remind herself "Hey. Screw this. I won't let myself be defined by who I was anymore; I'll be someone new" any time you feel that she starts to get whiny.

[goto124]

Hmm. Maybe less of overcoming backstory, and more of 'using' (??) the backstory without having to mention it word for word. Such as her attitude towards nobility.

Does your character in Trog's work well for Sybil?

There's nothing important with the penguin, by the way. I just like penguins.

[5a Violista]

Penguins are kind-of cute.

My Trog's character might work well with Sybil, yes.

Also, definitely yes. Describing the same backstory word for word every time is a sure way to get you annoyed and bored with playing her. You can just have her say "I just don't like nobles" and leave it at that, talking about something different.

[Felandria]

Who's turn in VIgIL?

[Cyber Punk]

Turn? Should be either yours or Magtok's, Fel.

To continue with what Violist said, goto124, my characters have backstories, but I use those backstories to define a part of their personality. I only paraphrase a part of their backstory when asked IC. For example, Fixer's backstory explains his powers, his distrust of magic and Felicity, and he's growing out of that second part.

Since Fixer and Sybil have RP'd, I'd say the main reason why she's boring and whiny (like Violist said) is that she mentions her backstory every other sentence. Her being 'newly dead' explains it a bit, but she seems to have a curious nature. Maybe focus on that instead of her being 'newly dead'.

[UncleWolf]

@ Earl: And here Veronica was feeling glad she'd gotten the box and demon back to the right people. That feeling has gone to hell in a handbasket.

[Earl of Purple]

The problem is, that Illuminarch Prost is not the most competent god around. He's good at fighting demons, and binding them away, not so good at actual thinking.

Otherwise, he'd have taken off the chain whilst surrounded by angels with the binding ritual prepared.