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[b][url=http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/81963-stones/ooc]OOC is up![/url][/b]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/8n1lYJC.jpg[/img][/center]

[b]UPDATE:[/b] New characters may be summoned into the current events of the RP with no prior knowledge or reason for being there. As of now our heroes have discovered hidden traps and stone guardians at the heart of a colossal forest in the middle of nowhere. Their leader has betrayed them and now lies unconscious. There is no way to go back; the forest has confused the trail behind them. There are several devices hidden throughout the masked ruins, one of which may summon assistance from across the continent.

In other words, we're looking for new players! :)

[color=gray][s][h3]A Crumpled Letter Arrives[/h3][hr]
You’ve just received a letter from Kettle, an old acquaintance of yours. She is an anthropologist, a painter, a scholar of mythology and the founder of the Potoo Preservation Association; she has traveled to every corner of the planet, and claims friendship with quite a few talented and curious people. Several of those prominent acquaintances might have received the same sort of letter -- typed by a faulty typewriter on the back of a menu for the wild and remote [i]Blunderbuss Cafe[/i], delivered in a wax-sealed envelope by a dubious messenger -- which read thusly:

[indent][i]Salutations! It has been quite awhile since we’ve spoken, hasn’t it? I do hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits; and if it does not, I hope to brighten your day just a tad with this note. I believe myself to be on the cusp of a revolutionary discovery, one that may shatter the current boundaries of scientific possibility, and I’d like you to be a part of it. You’ll find me at the reverse location on the fifth of March, if you’re up for a bit of fame and fortune. Please tell no one where you’re going, and use the utmost secrecy in your travels. Watch out for magpies.  Yours, Kettle[/i][/indent]

[h3]Concept[/h3][hr]
This is a fantasy sandbox RP with a plot woven into the background. The characters are anticipated to go on an expedition to uncharted ruins, which could be the remains of a legendary city sought for centuries by explorers. Kettle is being uncharacteristically secretive about it, however, and has sent cryptic invitations by private courier instead of enlisting the help of the locals. She is not the only one seeking the ruins, and her every move is being watched.[/s][/color]

[h3]Guidelines[/h3][hr]
[indent][b]The Setting:[/b] This world is not Earth. It is primarily fantasy, but there is no magic. Most of the world sees little need for more than tents and fire pits, while the more developed cities enjoy steampunk-like technology levels. Players are encouraged to develop the world around their characters -- to create environments, creatures, and societies that affect their characters' backstories -- as long as the players remain aware that any worldbuilding may or may not be used in the RP. During character creation, the GM might make suggestions for characters to further tie them into the plot and to the setting.

[b]The Gameplay:[/b] For Every Action There Is An Equal And Opposite Reaction. This game is based on exploration, investigation, interaction, and mystery. In order to get the most out of the game, the character must be observant, goal-oriented, and willing to act in order to meet those goals. Everything -- [i]everything[/i] -- is a potential plot-changer, from a light in the distance to a passing comment by an NPC. It is up to the PC to pick up on important clues in the scene, to make their own conclusions, and to act upon those conclusions. How the PCs act and react determines the course of the story. Every post shall be a step forward; characters who [i]wait[/i] for something to happen to them will be standing in the same place for a very long while.

[b]The Characters:[/b] All characters start out acquainted with Kettle and with at least one other character. Players are encouraged to be creative with this, and to make enemies as well as friends, idols, and rivals. Characters may come from any type of environment or society (tribe, village, prison, palace, city) which is up to you to describe. Non-human characters are welcome, as long as they are of a commonly recognizable race. No character shall have any magical abilities whatsoever.
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[h3]Character Creation[/h3][hr]
During gameplay, characters will always surprise you: they'll make decisions you never expected, they'll whip out skills you didn't know they had, they'll get into all sorts of trouble you never anticipated during the CS phase. Therefore, players are encouraged to keep their sheets simple and open-ended.

(The character sheet has been adjusted for new characters who will not have been with the expedition from the beginning)

[indent][color=#D59772]NAME:

ABSTRACT:[/color]
[color=gray]Write one sentence to define your character.[/color]

[color=#D59772]DETAIL:[/color]
[color=gray]Tell us anything and everything about your character.[/color]
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[h3]Some Thoughts[/h3][hr]
Inspirations for this RP come as far and wide as H.P. Lovecraft, Myst, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, Avatar TLA and Korra, Tolkien, Marvel, FIASCO, Mushi-Shi, Firefly . . . Essentially the world and setting is a soup of whatever I think is awesome. When thinking of the world your character grew up in, just go with whatever you think is awesome, with a technology cap of steampunk level (anything below that is just fine).

A lot of the made-up creatures in this RP will probably use the Avatar style of creature mash-up: dogotters, hawkcats, lionlizards, duckpandas. Feel free to do the same if you're making creatures. Mystical animals are available for mashups too, but again keep in mind the no-magic rule when developing pets.