Dervish

The Elder Scrolls: Fruits of Contention - Chapter 1 (Completed)

@Hank

Hush, Mods are not allowed to be bullies D:

@Hellis

The man has Roadhog has his avatar.

Of course he's going to bully people.

The Elder Scrolls: Fruits of Contention - Chapter 1 (Completed)

-Most emotional tear jerker- I will nominate what was meant to be Niernen's last post, lost in the wilderness with her beloved nix-hound dead. Made me feel pretty sad inside.

-Best action sequence- The Fight against Gwinnir - a wicked Mexican Standoff in the fantasy sense, just as deadly and tense.

-Finest dialogue- ''Greetings, this one comes to sp-''

-Most unexpected twist- I will also nominate Farid and Orakh. I think the whole sequence, and how it was built up from beforehand with the Tamrielic Gazette, did a fine job of showing the whole 'Those affected by the consequences shall never understand the decisions' tagline of the RP.

-Funniest comedic moment- Keegan getting KO'd by the Spriggan.

-Dankest meme- Climb Kit 4lyfe

@Peik

I was actually hoping people reacted well to that farewell post for Niernen! I also felt it was some of my finer writing, so the nod is appreciated!

Also, I can't believe you picked the time DK was nominated as a sacrifial lamb/ envoy and nearly got murdered for it as the best dialog. :'D It is ridiculous.

The Elder Scrolls: Fruits of Contention - Chapter 1 (Completed)

@Chrononaut, replied.

Added more graphics to OOC front page, and also tweaked some writing there.

Edit: Start nominating! You guys don't need to have everything lined up like Dervish did; you can drop off whatever cool pieces you found here.

@gcold

I'm just a general overly excitable dinkus who likes things to look purdy and link the posts for others to enjoy. Nobody has to be me.

<Snipped quote by Leidenschaft>

-snip'd-

Just look at this BAMF.

@gcold

You mean DK could have worn a helmet while being an ice climber? I feel robbed.

Best Action Sequence:
There were some awesome action sequences, but the one that sticks out to me the most was written recently; Marcel blowing up an attacker and just splattering blood everywhere. The melting of the Dunmer's brain was fun to read too - it was delightfully gruesome, and the description was well-written and graphic.

Most Emotional Tear-Jerker:
There were a few good moments for this one, but I'm going to go with Do'Karth and Niernen's reunion. It had been so long since she had been written for, and by the time the mission to Bthamz rolled around I had no recollection of any relationships she may have had - but the writing here was so believable and emotional I didn't even need to go back and re-read all the scenes with the pair in the past. Also, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her when Do'Karth let slip about Sevine. This relationship man, it's friendzoning people everywhere.

I will also give an honourable mention for Sevine's reaction to finding Roze and Sagax alive in Windhelm, after their fun little suicide mission. Sevine was sad, relieved, angry, worried, and happy - it caused a whirlwind of emotions, from Sagax wondering if he was going to be throttled to death by the Huntress, and Roze being just so shell-shocked at the fact that Sevine had been so worried about her. I really enjoyed writing this scene with Foxy and Frizzle, and I think in Roze it further instilled the fact that these people weren't just comrades anymore, but family.

Most unexpected twist:
Farid killing Orakh. Even after Farid busting the door down and threatened the Orc, I didn't think he was actually going to succeed in hurting or killing him. This was another brilliantly written bit of action, but for me, was totally unexpected. How naive of me to assume someone would come in to save the day, or that Farid would come to his senses.

Dankest Meme:
Keegan singing the Pokemon theme song when he's casting soul trap on a chaurus. Fuckin nerd.

Also, I think the names of the NPC Khajiit's deserve an honourable mention, as they got me laughing; R'ihanna the bard and S'riracha the hot sauce merchant. All we need now is a Khajiit dressed as a sweet pastry called "Nyan Khat."

@MiddleEarthRoze

The khajiit names were also something I greatly enjoyed and got a giggle out of. I love the picks!

.:: ℤ𝕖𝕝𝕕𝕒 - 𝕎𝕙𝕚𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℕ𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 ::.

@jasonwolf Part of it is because he has no idea exactly what Noi is, which is pretty much the worst for a guy who prides himself on being pretty world wise.

The other part is when he writes his story, he has to keep some things "believable", or at the very least something the reader sympathizes with. ;D

The Elder Scrolls: Fruits of Contention - Chapter 1 (Completed)

Replied to the Kyne's Tear collab (with a question as well, @gcold).

EDIT: Though maybe I should ask @Dervish instead.

@Hank

I'll be on shortly!

The Elder Scrolls: Fruits of Contention - Chapter 1 (Completed)

Alright, this took me about 2.5 hours of digging through the IC to find the individual posts and re-read them, and due to the vast volume of posts we've produced for this game, I'm almost certain there's a number of posts I would have also selected for my votes based on a number of factors.

Most of my votes were based off of how much they impacted me and stuck with me, and in some cases it might have simply been the pay off after build up from existing story arcs and/ or plot points. This is not to say they are the finest writing of all, or that other players and their characters may or may not have more profound scenes that weren't something I would have selected, I simply had to narrow it down to what resonated with me, even after all of these months. And at the end of the day, isn't that a big reason we all share this hobby, for the memories we make in this story together?

Without further rambling preface, here's my picks, their links, and why I selected them:

-Most emotional tear jerker: During the escape from Windhelm, Solveig is forced to sacrifice a woman to save herself and struggles with balancing the will to survive at all costs with her own morality: roleplayerguild.com/posts/3518331

This scene really stuck out to me because it was one of the most effective scenes I've seen in this game at capturing the absolute desperation and despair that have been articulated so far, and Solveig's experiences are genuinely harrowing and haunting. For as much as Do'Karth tries to assure Jorwen that she is a good person who will choose her own destiny, this really smacks of exactly what Jorwen was afraid of, and the toll it's taking on her. This more than anything really cemented that the characters in this story aren't necessarily heroic, and there's going to be some real dark moments even among the "good guys".

-Best action sequence: Sagax and Roze’s suicidal bombing mission to destroy the Kamal ship at Windhelm. roleplayerguild.com/posts/3376669

I absolutely, positively adore this scene and it was done in such a way that really captured the chaotic personalities of both Sagax and Roze, and the absolutely insane lengths they were willing to go through for this small victory. It was beautifully written, easy to put myself in the scene, and it was definitely the point that I fell in love with both of these characters.

(Honourable mention: Dax duels Farid in trial by combat: roleplayerguild.com/posts/3902986

I really want to give a shout out to this post because of both how well written it was, but just how visceral and brutal the whole affair was. gcold has done a fantastic job incorporating dropped characters as meaningful NPCs, and Farid's murder of Orakh still managed to be hard hitting even without player involvement, it still felt like something that would have shook the entire company. It was also Poohead's debut in the group dynamics with Dax with one hell of a striking introduction to the company at large that set the argonian in a position where many of the mercenaries were not sure if they could trust him or not. Just fantastic overall.)

-Finest dialogue:
Jorwen and Solveig finally make peace: roleplayerguild.com/posts/3940114

There have been a number of really amazing conversations in this game, as well as some of the best character development I've seen in a roleplay, but the reason I am nominating this scene is because a very constant bit of conflict that Jorwen has struggled with is his relationship with Solveig, and it has been that way since the very beginning of the game. All the fights they've had, all the fears and doubts, both of them finally, in this moment, had the courage to have such a small, simple gesture of love and affection towards each other that really spoke volumes more than a monologue ever could about how they both were flawed, but were willing to try to make up for all those lost years and hardships. I really just want to give a shout out to Shaft for making Jorwen, Solveig, and Halla a really believable and true to life family unit.

(As much as I’m super proud of where Sevine and Do’Karth first confided in each other, I’m not voting for anything I wrote on principle, but I’m giving it an honourable mention, damn it: roleplayerguild.com/posts/3502098)

I honestly was not expecting to have Do'Karth have revealed his past so soon into the game, but just the way this scene flowed, and how everything lined up with the chemistry between Sevine and Do'Karth, it just ended up being a bit of writing that I still feel very strongly to this day, and while it was never my intention from the outset, this definitely planted the scenes for a romantic subplot between this two characters that has been rather whirlwind, but hey! Stranger things have happened.

-Most unexpected twist: The loss of almost every single mage during the mission to rescue them: roleplayerguild.com/posts/3716470

What more can I say about this than how bitter of a loss it was? After so much prep, so much risk and loss, the very people the company tried to rescue die in a matter of minutes in such a stupid, tragic way that really was not expected. This wasn't like Windhelm, where we knew we were facing a losing battle that we'd have to cut our losses; this was a case where we succeeded and just had to head home only to have everything go to hell in an instant.

-Funniest comedic moment: Keegan’s heroic failure against the Spriggan: roleplayerguild.com/posts/3931547

This scene will always stick out to me as one of the most comedic scenes of the game, from Keegan's inner monologue, his heroic but utterly baffling manner of trying to attack the Spriggan, to getting his ass kicked in the worst possible way, it all pulled together to make a post that I legitimately laughed out loud reading.

-Dankest meme: Climb Kit, forever may it reign.

.:: ℤ𝕖𝕝𝕕𝕒 - 𝕎𝕙𝕚𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℕ𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 ::.

And away Lev goes, up into the endless darkness that is absolutely, positively going to be safe and eventless, right Baklava?

.:: ℤ𝕖𝕝𝕕𝕒 - 𝕎𝕙𝕚𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℕ𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 ::.

Team Din, as Lev was beginning to think of his odd assortment of immediate companions, was more or less sorted out and proceeded to press forward, the Poe fascinated by Noi's transformation, for a lack of better term, and the true mechanical nature of the creature, machination, Unidentified Stomping Object, became quite apparent when a facsimile of a face was visible, followed by the pouring of a water skin into a glowing port in his chest. Lev had dared venture closer to the machine, studying him under his lantern light with renown curiosity. He'd spent countless years consuming whatever literary tomes he could get his hands on, and not once did he come across anything that described what he was seeing now.

Superficially, Lev recalled the Iron Knuckles that were associated with the Gerudo Tribes and how some accounts made them seem less than human with poor women forced to be bonded with the suits whereas others simply described them as specially trained warriors who wore a hulking suit of armour like any other. There was a Gerudo among the group, wasn't there? Lev would have to inquire with her when they were free of this wretched place. He looked back and made eye contact with Veitaru. Well, the older one, anyways. he thought, leading the way once more when Noi seemed to be back into a more or less mobile condition.

The tunnel opened up not long after and it became quite apparent that things were not going to get more pleasant as they ventured deeper into the bowels of the Temple. Finding a single lit torch in the center of the chamber, which upon approaching turned out to reveal something that probably was making a few people consider snuffing the flame out to spare their eyes. Skeletal remains and the very obvious signs of what had killed them, a variety of weapons and torture implements, dotted the room, along with cages and piles of hay that were the makeshift beds for the poor bastards that had lived out their remaining days here before their Sheikah guards managed to make them perish. Did any of them become Poes, he wondered, inspecting the iron maidens from afar. He didn't care to open the heavy iron doors to find out what lied within. Best case scenario, nothing. Worst case...

Some shelving caught his eye with a variety of inventory that actually still looked usable. Lev regarded the contents for a moment, and his eyes were drawn to a jar of blue flame that burnt without air or a source of fuel, against all logic or reason. It was a fascinating thing, and one the Poe found himself drawn inexplicably towards. He recalled that there was blue magic fire that could freeze things, or was it melt a magical sort of ice? His memory of the passages was foggy at best, and without asking if anyone else was interested in it, Lev stuffed it way in the same ether within his robes where he stored his journal.

Hanging from a ceiling without a roof were three large cages that swayed without reason, something that considering everything else in the room, probably had a good reason for although not one that anyone would care to find out. With a half-annoyed, somewhat concerned grunt, Lev decided he should probably go figure out what was causing them to sway, or if there was another chamber above. Unless someone like Felicia or Veitaru planned on climbing the chains (he doubted Jaege or Noi were up to such a task), Lev was the only one suited for such an endeavor. "May I say that I am not at all pleased with being the kind of person who has to act like the first victim of about 25% of horror stories? I'm going to go check where those chains are hanging from to make sure that nothing horrible is waiting for us. I should be able to defend myself, unlike people who need both hands for not falling to their deaths. But hey, take it from the undead fellow, it's not so bad." he said, knowing that if he were physically capable of sighing, he would be at this juncture as he floated up to the opening above. "Wish me luck." he pleaded, ascending the shaft, lantern lighting the way, although not nearly as efficiently as Lev was strictly comfortable with.

The Jolly Roughers ~ Dervish & MacabreFox

"Oh, you need not worry about being outclassed, Vera. I've not stepped foot on the ice since I was a boy." Shay replied with a smile, grabbing the door for Vera and helping her with an outstretched hand into the Peugeot. Once he closed the door behind her, he made his way around to the driver's seat and like an old glove, he slipped into the now familiar cab in a smooth and practiced motion.

What Shay wasn't expecting was the sudden serious turn of conversation. Shay blinked slowly, trying to recall what was said to him. Normally it would have come readily, as strange situations such as being mended in a living room by a strange old Gypsy woman was a fairly remarkable event in anyone's day, but it was also the day Vera and himself made love and the explosive argument between her and Sam that threatened to tear their relationship apart. The entire day was just an emotional vortex that threatened to suck the air out of one's lungs if they stayed too long.

"Forgive me if my memory is foggy, but Silas was able to translate what she was saying to me, didn't speak a damn word of English, through him she said she could smell our, ah, lovemaking..." Shay trailed off, a bashful expression and a red hue forming across his face. "Other than that, no, I can't recall anything in particular. To be honest, I try not to remember that night much." Shay concluded, running a hand across his face and through the stubble that dominated his face.

The Elder Scrolls: Fruits of Contention - Chapter 1 (Completed)

I'm going to vote for things that don't involve my character in favour of being non-biased.

@gcold Should we post the votes here or PM?