An Epic in the Making (D&D Style RP)

First topic message reminder :

[[I’m going to use my Apex intro to introduce the world]]

The Apex. A place that is everywhere and nowhere, in no time and all times at the same moment and at every moment, a place of contradictions and chance and certainty and fate, all at the same and different times. A place of such infinite complexity that a child could grab its simplicity and an adult be left scratching what’s left of their head should they attempt to understand the enormity and miniscullity of it.

Suffice to say, it is removed from our time and space as we see it. A place of infinite possibilities, where- although it is outside of all reality- all reality and all universes and times cross, where they centralise and become one and split all at the same time. The truth behind the mystery of the universe. Every possible world exists here, every possible universe having a representation here that is their entire content and at the same time, not. A place that is unreachable and at the same time the easiest place to get to.

A place where everything is possible. It is impossible to describe what it looks like, as it is all possible looks at the same time, changing to suit the beholder. Some know it as The Void, others as Infinity. Some may even call it Limbo.
It is here that our story begins. Or rather, the place where the beginning is beginning, in a small universe tucked away in the corner and centre of the room. All possible universes exist here, next to and around and nowhere near each other, every possible decision, every possible variation on every possible random and planned event having a universe dedicated to it. There are Hell universes, Heaven universes- glimpses of which gave inspiration to many religions- science universes and magic ones, deserted ones and bursting-to full ones, every possibility is covered somewhere.
This universe is a rarity. It is a completely random universe, created because it was the result of a randominity that occurred and didn’t.

In this small universe, in the corner and centre and side of creation, with its own Gods and Devils, its own Angels and Demons and Hells and Heavens, its own goods and evils and grey areas. Its own worlds that drift in the vast and tiny void of space that the universe contains and is. It is on a small world, orbiting a young star in a small solar system of four planets and two moons that our story takes place in truth. The two moons orbit each other, and they are stuck in turn orbiting a small green and blue planet that is the third from the sun. On this planet – dubbed Arcania by its inhabitants – there are four major landmasses. The first is in the eastern hemisphere, a great continent that stretches across a full two thirds of the planet from north to south, its centre lying on its equator, a giant crescent that dominates the east. This continent is split between three major powers, who have been at war for as long as any of them can remember; the Horselords of Freye to the south, the Legions of Laar in the centre and the hordes of barbarians in Kaar, in the northern tundra. Just west of that great continent is a large island [about the size of Australia] that lies in the middle of that crescent, again on the equator. This is the island of Afraa, home to the Elves – who have built their power on the back of their fleets and their merchants prowess, and who stand aloof from the rest of the worlds petty problems – and the College of Magi on the slopes of Mt. Eytna, a dormant volcano on the northern side of the island. To the west, across the vast Algeian Ocean, there are two continents to the north and south of the equator, separated by only a few hundred miles of ocean, dubbed “The Channel”. The northern Ciolan Republic and the southern Ortan Empire have been at each others throats politically for hundreds of years…it was only a matter of time before the powderkeg blew.

Unannounced, the Republic launched a massive attack on the Empires shores, laying siege to the Port-Fort of Tylea…ambassadors managed to escape before the trap closed, and fled to the far corners of the world to gather support. The Horselords of Freye agreed to aid their longtime allies the Ortanians, and in response the Legions of Laar set out to provide relief to the Republic. The Elves have refused to get involved, and officially the College of Magi have no preference for either side…but there are those mages who have their own sympathies, and have departed of their own accord to fight in the battle.
This is where you come in. There are hundreds of little villages and massive towns and forts where the ambassadors of both sides cry their pleas to sympathetic ears, whether they be glory-seekers, wealth-hunters or do-gooders, be they driven by revenge or personal gain or something else, warriors flock from all over the land to become involved in what is swiftly becoming a World War. You all start in one of those cities, listening to a desperate recruiter…thing is, which side will you join? Little do you know, this is the start of a grand, terrifying…and world-shattering adventure.

-------------------------------------------------


Everything you need to know is on this page; it details everything you need to know.
https://anonymatrix.forumotion.com/t1193-an-epic-in-the-making-info-page#35000

This thread is for bio’s; I will post your bio’s here AFTER YOU’VE PMed ME for approval.
https://anonymatrix.forumotion.com/t1194-an-epic-in-the-making-bio-page#35001

LET ME MAKE THIS CLEAR:

After you’ve chosen your race and class, you don’t need to pay attention to the modifiers. I will take care of that…I will tell you when and what to roll. You guys get on with the roleplaying…though I would suggest checking up on your inventory from time to time to keep an eye on it.


BTW, post your rolls in a separate post to your message post, and do NOT edit it to cheat. I'm trusting you guys.


Current Party:
[Note: I will be giving out "titles" during the RP...watch out for yours!]

- Bruhamoff, High Elf College Mage (Danny)
- Vilia Torel, High Elf Warrior (Kristie)
- Harona Ogirn, Dwarf Hunter (Faith)
- Fealan, Dark Elf Scout (Wraith)

-Inventories will be tracked on the bio page here:

https://anonymatrix.forumotion.com/t1194-an-epic-in-the-making-bio-page#35001

DO NOT POST ON IT!
If you wish to join, PM me your bio first for approval.

For all of the relevant information on how to play, visit the info page here:

https://anonymatrix.forumotion.com/t1193-an-epic-in-the-making-info-page#35000


And finally, I have drawn a map of the world for your reference.

https://2img.net/h/i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww181/ninjabreadman1993/P1000069.jpg


ONE MORE THING!

The current posting order is as follows:

Danny
Kristie
Wraith
Faith

I may interject with events or requests to roll, and if you wish to skip your go, you may do so once without penalty...the next time, you kinda need a reason.

While I waited for the very social bartender to make her way to me, I killed the time by looking at the town’s people in the bar I could see in my direction. There was nothing special or unique about any of them, what I guess you would call average. People here with a few friends, laughing, celebrating, and some quietly talking amongst themselves ignoring the fuss. I do hate drunk people.. and alcohol all together for that matter. This is why I’ll wait for the bartender instead of asking one of them.. the smell off their breath and tone of voice would drive me insane. And I’m not a patient person when it comes to pests, I’d rather just exterminate them on site.

That’s when one man stood out, sitting on the corner of the bar table to the far side, opposite to me. The people around him tried to start conversations as he was unlucky to take a seat amongst the part. He kindly smiled, gave a quick response and went silent again, reading his book with what looks to just be a glass of water in front of him. Now, my opinion tells me that if you’re looking for a quiet place to read, the bar at any time of day is not the place to do it. So, why is he here? His attire doesn’t look off, well from what I know about how these people dress. I haven’t seen him look up at the bartender or anyone else other than who disturb him.. so he’s not here for anyone special. If he was waiting for someone, you’d think with the noise level in this room he’d be looking over at the door more often. It’s sparked a very strong curiosity..

Finally the bartender heads my way, and she couldn’t do so any slower. An older women, maybe mid-thirties who has aged very well – I’m sure that’s a bonus for attracting business. “Sorry ‘bout the wait Miss. The men, they could gab on for hours, worse than we are..” She kept talking about something else.. I let her go, not wanting to interrupt. I kept my eyes on the man, still reading his book, not acknowledging her presence for a moment. Once she finished talking, probably noticing that I wasn’t paying attention I looked at her with a hopefully friendly smile, “Who is that gentlemen sitting on the corner, with the book?” I asked, nudging my head in the man’s direction.

OOC - I stopped here because I don’t know if I have to roll or something before she can tell me who he is? Lol

ooc: good girl You'll need to roll a persuasion attempt. You'll need to roll 1D4 at a -2 penalty, as per your charisma modifiers, with a minimum result of 1. The NPC will roll 1d2, on account of being a bartender in a small town.

Random number (1,2) : 1

Ooc: Yeah, you win. Go ahead and roll just so I can see *how* persuasive you were (if it's a tie, my post will be different to if you win).

The bartender looked at her suspiciously; there were so many outsiders in town that day, and all of them wanted something...drink, food, information...why did everybody think coming to the bartender was a good idea? He works behind a bar all day, it wasn't like he was going to know any more than the average passer by in the street. He glanced behind him at the man sitting on the stool, reading a book, and snorted; the sooner he answers her question, the sooner the Elf would leave him alone.
"Don't know," he answered "some guy that came in here this morning. All he's done is read his book and barely drink anything...now, are you going to order anything, or can I get back to my patrons?"

If you want to purchase something, you must use your gold. Check your inventory for the gold remaining in your purse. The bartender sells:

Ale: 2 Gold pieces
Assorted snacks: 2 Gold Pieces

[[Just quickly, because I don't think I explained it: Once we get out of the intro area, I'll control most plot-central or secondary NPC's. You guys can create and control NPC's as well, of course, but only if they don't impact the plot at all. If you wish to create a subplot or character arc, message me first and we'll work it out. Also, I've had time to reflect on the combat, and have decided to alter it slightly...I'l let you know when I have the new combat system all worked out. Until then, happy hunting!]]

I knew that I had come to find the market place when my ability to walk seemed to lessen even more. People seemed to be all crowded around vendors and traders and many other people selling items of importance. Most of the people buying looked to be people off the ships; there had been too many of the same types of men on the boat I had ridden over in.

The crowd began to disperse and move a little more fluidly once we got to an intersection with another street. People branched off left and right, knowing of where they were going. I on the other hand was clueless. I walked down the street past the mercers, the medicine men and apothecaries, and the fortune tellers. The farther down the street I walked the more intricate the goods seemed to become.
The street wasn’t very long, but the length of my legs granted me very little speed I could use to push through the people that were ahead of me.

I looked through the bodies of people until the cloth and herb that hung from the overhangs of the stalls turned into meats and fish and vegetables. Then, I did the same as all the others that had business in the area. I turned slightly, moving out of the little current of people that were still going farther down the street. I looked around until I found on of the only stalls in sight that had a great massing of mushrooms on display. Of course, theirs was nowhere near as grandiose as mine were. I made my way across the crowd to the stall. It was covered in many different kinds of fungus. I could point out all of the ones that grew in caves and even most of the ones that grew in the darker parts of the different forests.

I pulled the sack off my back, slowly untying the knot that kept the bag closed, and looking down into the darkness to see that all my little beauties were all still relatively safe in their damp moss beds. I grunt quietly, gripping my hand around the neck of the bag as I walk the few more feet to the front of the stall.

The vendor didn’t have any customers at the present time, so he had been sitting back, looking around the clamor of people trying to make out the mess. It took him a fairly long time to see the two eyes practically glaring at him. It took him even longer to realize that the face looking at him wasn’t a child’s face and the person in front of him actually wanted to do business with him. Slowly, he pulled himself to his feet and he walked forward.

“I am here to trade with you”

The vendor does indeed take a while to notice her, and even longer to realise what he's looking at. At first, he simply assumes that it's some small, chubby child and is about to chase her off, when he notices something...strange about her. She's not chubby, for one; rather, she's stout and her face is not one of a child. At least, not a human child; he has no idea what a dwarf child looks like. You could forgive him for his ignorance, however; even with the Legion here, Krya rarely gets more exotic than a few tanned elves. To see a Dwarf in a port town on a small island with no known Dwarven communities is strange, to say the least.
That being said, he decides to be as polite as possible; he doesn't get many customers, and it's rumored that Dwarves love mushrooms. He leans forwards.
"What can I get for you then, ma'am?"

This vendor sells [I'm not even going to pretend to know anything about mushrooms]:

Small Mushroom [Chance to restore 1 wound]: 1 gold
Medium Mushroom [Chance to restore 2 wounds]: 3 gold
Large Mushroom [Chance to restore 3 wounds]: 5 gold
Pack of mushroom [5, Chance to restore 1 wound each]: 4 gold

This vendor buys items at selling price-1 [minimum 1].


ooc:

Just as a reminder, the posting order is temporarily not in effect to see how we do without one. Also, I have almost finished the overhaul of the combat...I'm just finishing up the special skills side of things (for leveling up) but I think I should warn you, the overhaul does require you to actually pay attention to your inventory and the skills you've learned. I will put the overhaul up when I've finished writing it, and ask for your opinions on what could work, what could be changed, etc etc.

As the last goblin falls dead at my feet i survey the caravan I've been traveling with for the last tenday. "Ho elf, another band of goblins dispatched by your vigilance." Jakins the lead driver comes over to look over the wagons and assess any losses. "We chould reach kyra within the hourr. What are your plans once we reach our destination?"

"I plan to find more work within the city perhaps or maybe on the sea. I have not honestly given too much thought to it though." Rumors of war drifted through my head, promises of riches from both sides appealing to the mercenary i used to be. Satisfied that nothing is out of place i wipe my daggers on the clothing of the last goblin and move to retrieve my arrows.

Jakins, following me, taps my shoulder. "I know that we can't pay the price we agreed upon a tenday ago, but i wouldnt feel right if you only had the worthless baubles and so forth from the bands of goblin raiders we dealt with along the way." He pulls a small pouch from his pocket and hands it to me.

"Thank you jakins. If i can't find work in the city i may well just make the return trip with you." I finish collecting my arrows while he sets the wagons moving again. An hour later without incident puts the troop and myself waiting for the clearance from the head guard granting permission to enter. Ten minutes later we enter the city proper and i split from the band in search of mor favorable work.

I glared up at the bartender for a second, a little stunned by his rude and rush attitude. Am I keeping you? I thought. It’s not like you were doing much to begin with before you finally came in my direction. Yes, I’m sure you have a lot of socializing to do with your already drunken customers.
I waved him away with my hand, “No, that’s all. Go.” Figuring I could be just as rude to him. Oh how I wish you were worth the effort and/or the cost of killing you. Maybe I can find someone with pockets big enough and a hate great enough to rid the world of him.. Sadly I can’t see that happening in this lifetime.

My attention was back to the man at the bar stool, and only now have I realised one other detail. He’s either the slowest reader known to man, or he hasn’t turned the page once in the last 15 minutes I’ve been in this bar. So, if you’re not reading that book, and you’re not waiting for anybody or looking for anybody.. Maybe the reason you’re here, is already here. God why is he so fascinating? Am I really this bored? One of the young gentlemen has just left the seat beside him.. Maybe I should g-

Just in the middle of my thoughts, an older heavier set man – who also appears to be drunk – collapses from his table situated just next to the bar. He coughs violently, and if Im not mistaken there’s a bit of blood spitting out of his mouth. His grabs at his chest as if he were trying to pull it off, and everyone around him has now crowded to try and help the poor man. However, after a few moments of the coughing he goes quiet, his death grip in his chest gone and he lies there, eyes wide open sprawled on the floor. Stone dead. Ah, so I do get to see some death today!

Just as Im getting all worked up however, I look to the man at the bar stool and that small hardly noticeable smirk on his face once the man gave his last dying cough. And its no smirk of humour.. No, I recognise that same type of happiness that comes from a perfect accomplishment. I know this, because it’s the same one I experience when a target it taken down precisely according to plan. The man stands up from the barstool, closes his book and shoves it quickly into his inside jacket pocket. While the commotion of the now very dead townsmen continues, he shuffles his way through the crowd and heads for the door. And I fully intend to follow him, it’s not every day you get to meet someone exactly like you – that’s if I’m right of course.

Ooc - mhmm... I suppose you should eventually meet together at some point right? (Sorry. Not really sure what my character should be doing now)

Bic - Bruhamoff wandered through the streets of town, looking past shops and and merchants. There seemed to be more people in the town now then when Bruhamoff first arrived a couple days ago. It didn't matter much to him really, but it was an odd thing to see in a town that seemed so small. There were a number of different races wandering the streets as well. At this point in time, this town seems to be the most multicultural town in the country. Surprising there hadn't been more fights.
Burhamoff stopped outside of a shop, eyeing the contents inside. It was a potion shop and Burhamoff was low on potions from his travels. Checking his gold pieces before entering, he walked through the door to see the selection this shop had.

The interior was larger than he had expected. It was deeper than it appeared from the outside and the walls were lined with different types of potions with various strengths. Burhamoff smiled. It wasn't as large as the potions shops back at the Collage, but it had a larger collection than he anticipated. Burhamoff walked up to the shop keeper, looked around a final time, then spoke to him. "Afternoon. What do we have for sale here today?"

Ooc - I know it's a short post. I'm just killing time until we actually meet each other.

OOC- I was waiting for you to post Danny lol, so I could see where you were. I'll be joining you in my next post, which unforunately will not be until tomorrow evening, midterms have started.. And I have one tomorrow morning and afternoon.

Ooc: Ok, Dream has withdrawn for the foreseeable future. Post at will.

I followed the human man out the door, waiting a few seconds for him to leave before I got up. So as to not look too obvious.. When I left the streets were busy, busier than I hoped they’d be. Dressed so commonly it was hard to pull him out of the crowd, but my eyes caught him just in time to see what direction he was headed in. I don’t know where he, and now I, are going but I’ll worry about that when we get there. It was difficult to see him over the crowds – I was short for an Elf – but I was managing just well, until trying to see over the towering people bit me in the ass. I wasn’t paying attention to what was at my feet, and a small girl, probably 9 or 10, tripped over my feet almost bringing me down with her. Although now I do reject it, I stopped my rush to make sure she was standing up right and walking away before I left her. Someone that small in this crowd is likely to get trampled..
But, now I’ve lost the human. All I know is a general direction he was headed in, and a face. Hmm.. Do I sprint after him? No.. My impulsive curiosity got the better of me. I should have a plan for when I catch up with the character. Answers, that’s really all I want. Just answers to a few questions.. Honest answers. Ah! And there we have it, all I need it something to make certain that my answers are honest, and there`s only one way to ensure that without putting a blade to their heads – and even then people can still be stubborn. I look around my area searching for the sign of what I hoped would be a place to buy potions. The truth is hard to come by.. So a little help would go far. When I spotted the general sign hanging above a door, I made my way through the crowd and passed through the door to the shop.
Inside there was a very.. Extravagantly dressed ma- Elf, standing in front of the counter. I haven`t seen another of myself in quite a while.. and the ones I do see are certainly not in this good of condition. I wonder how long the boy has been here.
“A lot nicer than the outside predicts.” I said clearly, with a very ‘pleased with myself’ smile on my face. I walked up to the counter beside the Elf – who I now see is better fitted to Elven height than myself – and smiled the same at the merchant. “When you’re done with the boy, I’d like to know if you have anything in stock that will help me sort out the liars.” I asked, removing my hood.

"For the last time, I cannot offer a refund if you have no proof of the side effects!" The merchant is, in fact, arguing with the elf; something about unintended side effects of a potion. There's no clue as to what those side effects were or what potion it was, but as soon as Vilia Torel walked in, he looked back nervously and glanced from her to the merchant.
"I...I can't..." he muttered quietly.
"Then get out of here before I have you thrown out!" And with that, he turns away from the Elf pointedly, his attention being redirected towards Torel. "As for you..." he purses his lips. He is wearing a simple belted tunic and breeches, green in colour, with a leather belt strapped across his chest, running from his right shoulder to the left side of his waist. On it are strapped several potions, herbs...and a knife or two, just in case. Upon closer inspection, it's obvious that the man is a half breed; half elf and half human...ostracized by both, with the agility of an elf but the short life of a human. This particular one is in his 40's, by the look of it, and is far from skinny and fresh faced. He's wrinkly, his eyes narrow and shifty as if perpetually distrustful, and he has a belly that suggests he frequents the pub more often than the practice yard.

"Liars, eh? I'm guessing, Elf, that you want a truth potion rather than a poison to deal with a liar...I warn ya, they aren't cheap. The ingredients are rare, it's difficult to make and it's illegal in more than a few cities...but it's lucky for you that I have one left over. Veritas, it's called. You can apply it orally, or inject it straight into the blood stream. Either way, one dose and they will be unable to lie for half an hour. The beauty of Veritas is that they'll think they're about to tell a lie, and then speak the truth instead." He grins. "So how about it?"

Veritas Potion: 60 Gold.

ooc - .... was I the elf that got thrown out...?

No, it was the other Elf, the one that you're next to. That's why I said "he turned his attention towards Torel [IE, your character]"

I venture down a side street the guards said ran into the market and town square. As i draw closer to the end of the alley i notice a large gathering near a fountain. As i cant think of any place to pick up work at the moment i decide to join the crowd and hear the speaker out. On the fringe of the crowd i cant see very wl over the men and women towards the front but make a note of that a majority of the crowd seems to be adventerous young males with scattered women. After a few moments i walk away wondering when the war will reach me and i am forced to choose a side. Turning back to the market i make note of a homely looking tavern and make my way towards it. Taking a seat at the bar i listen to a couple rather hard to miss, drunken conversations about the war to the east.
After a few moments the tavern fills well beyond what it should he with all the young and single men of listeners from the fountain. The noise inside doubles with all the conversations becoming too jumbled to listen to. Seeing the barkeep i waves to get his attention and wait still trying to get details.

OOC- Would it be possible to just skip Faith for the time being? Im sure catching up won't be hard.. just to keep it from dying.

Yeah, the posting order isn't in effect, remember? Just post whenever it seems appropriate.

Really? Come on guys! > : (

OOC- I was waiting for Danny to post.. But I can without him I guess. I'll do so when I get back a bit later today.

60 gold is a little much for only carrying about 200 on me.. I can’t say I didn’t expect it though. He tells the truth, the ingredients are difficult to come by, and it’s even harder to correctly make the potion. Ive tried it many times in the past.. and it’s something I’ve never been able to do. Ever. Not even remotely successful. Then again potion making has never been one of my strengths.. Making money to buy them is what I’ve always relied on. With no work presenting itself yet though, I'm a little tight on the gold.

“60 gold eh? I didn’t expect such a generous price, honestly. I was expecting worse.. But I'm afraid I'm a little short on gold to spending that kind of money still. I wonder if there’s anything that could be done to.. bring the price down a couple notches? “

Ok, please roll 1D4. After you've rolled 1D4, I will be -2 from it due to your "-2 to charisma rolls" modifier. If I roll a 1 or a 2 on the upcoming roll, then you still have a chance of succeeding...or at least tying.

Random number (1,4) : 4

Yeeeaaah, don't bother; there is no feasible way you could win this roll.


The shopkeeper looks her up and down, pausing for a moment. He could lower the price a little, given that this kind of potion is not that sought after in a small town like this, and he would get in a lot of trouble if he was caught with it in his possession. However, he is a business, and he is out to make a profit; the potion cost a lot of money to make, and he is selling it at only a slight mark up anyway. If he lowers the price any more, he'll actually be taking a loss. He shakes his head slowly and apologetically. "I am sorry," he says simply, "but I can't. As you just noted, this price is very generous, and I am already making very little profit on it. Any cheaper and I would be selling at a loss, which is just not an option for me." He shrugs. "60 gold or no sale. I will say, however, that the potion only requires a few drops for it to work...so you could easily get two or three uses out of it."

After a half hour sitting at the bar listening to the going-ons of the locals i get up to stretch my legs and lood for the only decent source of information in a poace like this. A couple minutes searching pays off as i see the barkeep leaving a table where a few men are gossiping. I approach and lightly tap the man on the shoulder. "Excuse me sir, im looking for a drink and perhaps some work. Do you have warm cider mead?"