NytefallHmm, I'm interested, wondering about species/races though. Should we expect the normal roster of fantasy creatures? You mentioned that the Ventus were a race which formed the government, are they a race of humans?
MelonHead
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Have a post up tonight Melon. Sorry the boy was under the weather.
No problemo, not in any rush.
DID MY SILLY W/L/D THING CATCH ON???
AH, THIS SOUNDS KINDA COOL. I need to lurk around the Arena more often.
You invented scoreboards?
If Skallagrim had one weakness the Fireen could exploit, it was his overconfidence bordering on arrogance. Not for a moment had he doubted in his ability to stop Fury’s projectile dead, and had in fact taken not a single evasive manoeuvre, which Fury had counted on. Skallagrim was not a physical being in the same way Fury was, the Fireen still remembered the vulnerabilities of the flesh and with it the caution that would have significantly altered his response to the plasma blade. Skallagrim however had been separated from anything resembling mortality for so long he did not react as a Fireen or indeed a Human would. The moment Fury felt the resistance of his opponent’s abilities acting on the blade he revealed his trap, like the first strike launched in their battle the Fireen once more had concealed the real threat behind his attack.
The telekinetic aura surrounding the plasma blade sheared away, first from the end still pointed towards Fury, allowing the gas to escape with explosive force. The ensuing burst of momentum saw the remaining plasma, dissipating rapidly as the telekinetic field broke down, hurtling towards Skallagrim anew with many times the force Fury himself could have provided. However, as the last of the plasma dissipated a glowing spear remained, one of the Fireen’s signature attacks, hidden within the blade and propelled by the sudden departure of superheated gas. The energy spear was an ability distinctly Fury’s own, and Skallagrim had no power over it, his chosen defence would fail. It followed its original path, Skallagrim’s only evasive action being a single step backwards, which to the spears new and terrifying speed would offer only milliseconds extra respite before it pierced the skeletal figure of his hated enemy.
Meanwhile, Fury utilized the energy he had drawn into his body to combat the mesh, his energy laced sight offering him some insight into its capabilities before it had unleashed itself upon him he was at least somewhat prepared. Relying in truth upon Skallagrim soon being pierced by his spear, or failing that momentarily distracted, he used the stolen energy in his typical fashion, drawing it into his hands to bolster the shielding there. With a burst of sudden speed he pushed forward, reaching both hands into the hole in the mesh he himself had created with the blade and forcing his departure on the point where the mesh was weakest. All the while the threat of the net and instant death loomed over him, time slowed as the Fireen fought to reach his hated foe, the glowing spear hurtled towards its target, and the Dreamer’s designs made their presence known.
The telekinetic aura surrounding the plasma blade sheared away, first from the end still pointed towards Fury, allowing the gas to escape with explosive force. The ensuing burst of momentum saw the remaining plasma, dissipating rapidly as the telekinetic field broke down, hurtling towards Skallagrim anew with many times the force Fury himself could have provided. However, as the last of the plasma dissipated a glowing spear remained, one of the Fireen’s signature attacks, hidden within the blade and propelled by the sudden departure of superheated gas. The energy spear was an ability distinctly Fury’s own, and Skallagrim had no power over it, his chosen defence would fail. It followed its original path, Skallagrim’s only evasive action being a single step backwards, which to the spears new and terrifying speed would offer only milliseconds extra respite before it pierced the skeletal figure of his hated enemy.
Meanwhile, Fury utilized the energy he had drawn into his body to combat the mesh, his energy laced sight offering him some insight into its capabilities before it had unleashed itself upon him he was at least somewhat prepared. Relying in truth upon Skallagrim soon being pierced by his spear, or failing that momentarily distracted, he used the stolen energy in his typical fashion, drawing it into his hands to bolster the shielding there. With a burst of sudden speed he pushed forward, reaching both hands into the hole in the mesh he himself had created with the blade and forcing his departure on the point where the mesh was weakest. All the while the threat of the net and instant death loomed over him, time slowed as the Fireen fought to reach his hated foe, the glowing spear hurtled towards its target, and the Dreamer’s designs made their presence known.
With his quarry slowed by pain and hunger and taking frequent pauses to alleviate those debilitating symptoms Alexandros caught it in short order. Coming to the edge of the forest and into the plains, which was unexpected as he believed the gorge to be mostly forested, he spotted the great form of his prey. He settled in concealment and pondered for a moment what it was he had laid eyes upon. It was like no monster he had yet seen, and he’d seen more than his fair share. Curiosity drew him on as much as heroic duty as he meandered after it, crouching low in the tall grass. It was simplicity in itself to ensure he approached from down-wind, for though he was young and cocky he was also growing into an exceptional hunter. Of course the situation was far from ideal, when hunting large beasts like bears or monsters forested terrain was almost always preferable to open fields. Alexandros knew he was a particularly impressive runner, but running on two legs always sets humans at a disadvantage against their animal brothers. One look at the monster told him that while it was unlikely to be agile, it was likely capable of maintaining a terrifying speed on open ground such as this, and without obstructions he could be ran down and killed with ease.
Still, such was the hand that fate had dealt him. He had his weapons, his abilities and the strength of his arm. Such should be enough to face any man or monster, particularly one such as the brute before him. He could smell fresh blood as he followed its path through the plains, the creature itself was a goodly way off but the mutilated remains of a boar told its own story. Apparently the monster wasn’t a fussy eater, but it was a ravenous one. A plan immediately sprang to the young hero’s mind. He could more or less predict that the monster would eat again very soon, and now it was within sight he could make a move on it while it fed. It was a rudimentary plan, and if the creature came across a human he’d have to attack pre-emptively, but so long as they were wandering the wilds it should be relatively safe. With a goal in mind Alexandros stalked the creature from the distance, fairly confident it wouldn’t detect him.
Still, such was the hand that fate had dealt him. He had his weapons, his abilities and the strength of his arm. Such should be enough to face any man or monster, particularly one such as the brute before him. He could smell fresh blood as he followed its path through the plains, the creature itself was a goodly way off but the mutilated remains of a boar told its own story. Apparently the monster wasn’t a fussy eater, but it was a ravenous one. A plan immediately sprang to the young hero’s mind. He could more or less predict that the monster would eat again very soon, and now it was within sight he could make a move on it while it fed. It was a rudimentary plan, and if the creature came across a human he’d have to attack pre-emptively, but so long as they were wandering the wilds it should be relatively safe. With a goal in mind Alexandros stalked the creature from the distance, fairly confident it wouldn’t detect him.
@MelonHead
I like the idea.
For stuff like that it also might be best just to plan the battle out for a story and allow characters to fall for stuff, but if we wanted an actual battle from it where you can win or lose, that may be the best way to do it.
Yeah that would be an option, but what I'm talking about is almost the complete antithesis of this, where the OOC is almost entirely removed from the experience, complete immersion in the RP if you will. As there is a judge present by necessity as well the potential for fighting and arguing would be diminished to the point of almost a non-factor.
And yes, the main issue would be the difficulty in assembling three dedicated individuals, but I do think it would be an amazing experience. If any two people were willing to try it I'd happily play the role of the DM/Judge for a test run. Might need some more thought but I'll definitely be working on this for a while.
Also LeeRoy, you owe me a post as your giant rhino-lizard.
Something I was thinking about the other day, unsure if it would even be possible.
I was contemplating how the Arena is made up of interesting fights, but that the actual capacity to really utilize subterfuge and other less standardized forms of combat is really lacking, due to the nature of unconscious meta-gaming. To clarify, I mean that if an opponent chooses to lie in wait in a particular spot, their opponent can't unknow that knowledge, and will therefore be biased in their actions to a varying extent. This is just one example of this, but still.
I was thinking, a potential method for overcoming it would be a 'Hardcore Mode', which would essentially consist of three participants. The first two are responsible for posting and fighting, the third is the judge and mediator who also plays a special role, similar to that of a dungeon master they alone receive the complete posts from each player, and use these to describe the scene as the opponent would be able to see it. They may include subtle clues or remarks if they feel a character would have revealed their position in some way, and can reward smart play by giving a character an advantage on their attack.
It would be difficult to realize, but I think an Arena battle where you truly see through your own character's perspective and have only that to work with would really make for excellent combat, particularly at lower tiers.
I was contemplating how the Arena is made up of interesting fights, but that the actual capacity to really utilize subterfuge and other less standardized forms of combat is really lacking, due to the nature of unconscious meta-gaming. To clarify, I mean that if an opponent chooses to lie in wait in a particular spot, their opponent can't unknow that knowledge, and will therefore be biased in their actions to a varying extent. This is just one example of this, but still.
I was thinking, a potential method for overcoming it would be a 'Hardcore Mode', which would essentially consist of three participants. The first two are responsible for posting and fighting, the third is the judge and mediator who also plays a special role, similar to that of a dungeon master they alone receive the complete posts from each player, and use these to describe the scene as the opponent would be able to see it. They may include subtle clues or remarks if they feel a character would have revealed their position in some way, and can reward smart play by giving a character an advantage on their attack.
It would be difficult to realize, but I think an Arena battle where you truly see through your own character's perspective and have only that to work with would really make for excellent combat, particularly at lower tiers.
The plasma pierced the Dreamer’s designs, energy sparked and flashed in a display of two cataclysmic forces meeting. Fury’s power intensified then, as he sensed the moment of his vengeance at hand great volumes of stolen energy poured into his body from the World Machine. Skallagirm had the gall to insult him then, perhaps at the worst possible moment, as the blade of plasma flashed and spat before him, he looked at the Dreamer.
“Hypocrite!” He roared, and with a pulse he thrust his right hand further forward, his body coming closer to the mesh he forced his impromptu blade forth with telekinetic power. It sheared directly through with ease and hurtled towards Skallagrim, who was backing up at the time. Clearing the gap near instantaneously, the burning blade would pose a threat by merit of the shear intensity of the super-heated gas. More importantly, it would not react like an ordinary blade, existing simply as gas it could not be blocked by mundane means but would simply slip past the majority of defences that most could muster.
His strike was made as such to thrust his burning blade directly through his enemy’s chest, spear-like, and to then release the barrier surrounding the gas to let it burst forth within Skallagrim. However, Fury was more than capable of manipulating the blade how he saw fit, and could threaten Skallagrim in any number of ways depending on how he deemed it wise to defend himself from the Fireen’s projectile.
“Hypocrite!” He roared, and with a pulse he thrust his right hand further forward, his body coming closer to the mesh he forced his impromptu blade forth with telekinetic power. It sheared directly through with ease and hurtled towards Skallagrim, who was backing up at the time. Clearing the gap near instantaneously, the burning blade would pose a threat by merit of the shear intensity of the super-heated gas. More importantly, it would not react like an ordinary blade, existing simply as gas it could not be blocked by mundane means but would simply slip past the majority of defences that most could muster.
His strike was made as such to thrust his burning blade directly through his enemy’s chest, spear-like, and to then release the barrier surrounding the gas to let it burst forth within Skallagrim. However, Fury was more than capable of manipulating the blade how he saw fit, and could threaten Skallagrim in any number of ways depending on how he deemed it wise to defend himself from the Fireen’s projectile.
Awesome
Alexandros was gifted with perfect eye-sight, perhaps a by-product of his duel heritage, perhaps simply luck, it was none-the-less an important tool for any warrior or hunter. He utilized his sight then, at the top of the small hill, staring down onto a mostly bare forested region. If it had not been for the seasons change Alexandros would have had a poor chance of spotting anything save the smoke he was expecting, which considering the circumstances would have ultimately left him disappointed. However, when he abandoned the search for smoke he could in fact make out a goodly distance through the trees by his elevation and their lack of leafiness. The fruit of his labour was his eventual making out of some indistinct but evidently large square shapes roughly lined up a good mile north of his position.
“Carts?” he muttered quietly to himself. Then his young mind recounted the short filling in it had acquired from the Village Chief who hired him. At first the Chief was sceptical of the single mercenary, but a brief tourney on the streets had swiftly proven Alexandros’ skill. From there he was hired alongside two others who worked as a duo to hunt down what was expected to be bandits killing merchantmen. That was the relevance of the carts then, he had likely just discovered an ambush sight. With a boyish yelp of excitement he started down the hill in a short jog, before speeding along through the forest in the direction of the carts.
He arrived four minutes later, slightly out of breath. The enthusiasm in his eyes dimmed briefly as he took stock of the devastation that had been left behind whoever or whatever ambushed the poor merchants. Their remains were horribly mutilated, so much so that Alexandros immediately began to suspect that a Monster was responsible, rather than common bandits. Monsters were incredibly rare in Epirus, with perhaps a single sighting a month, so to find one here was an unexpected predicament for the young warrior. He took stock of the scene, noting scratch marks on the trees where bark had been ripped away from the trunks by a passing creature. From these signs he could quickly gain some idea of how big the monster he was facing stood, almost man-height and from footprints, four legged. The stride was massive, he guessed it could easily be as long as eight feet, and the devastation was evidence to its tastes. A man-eater then, Alexandros was in for a challenge.
The creature was not a difficult one to track, for indeed it seemed to have little need nor capability of stealth. He set off after it, it could easily have been up to half an hour since it left the area, so he had to pick up the pace. There was a Monster to slay.
“Carts?” he muttered quietly to himself. Then his young mind recounted the short filling in it had acquired from the Village Chief who hired him. At first the Chief was sceptical of the single mercenary, but a brief tourney on the streets had swiftly proven Alexandros’ skill. From there he was hired alongside two others who worked as a duo to hunt down what was expected to be bandits killing merchantmen. That was the relevance of the carts then, he had likely just discovered an ambush sight. With a boyish yelp of excitement he started down the hill in a short jog, before speeding along through the forest in the direction of the carts.
He arrived four minutes later, slightly out of breath. The enthusiasm in his eyes dimmed briefly as he took stock of the devastation that had been left behind whoever or whatever ambushed the poor merchants. Their remains were horribly mutilated, so much so that Alexandros immediately began to suspect that a Monster was responsible, rather than common bandits. Monsters were incredibly rare in Epirus, with perhaps a single sighting a month, so to find one here was an unexpected predicament for the young warrior. He took stock of the scene, noting scratch marks on the trees where bark had been ripped away from the trunks by a passing creature. From these signs he could quickly gain some idea of how big the monster he was facing stood, almost man-height and from footprints, four legged. The stride was massive, he guessed it could easily be as long as eight feet, and the devastation was evidence to its tastes. A man-eater then, Alexandros was in for a challenge.
The creature was not a difficult one to track, for indeed it seemed to have little need nor capability of stealth. He set off after it, it could easily have been up to half an hour since it left the area, so he had to pick up the pace. There was a Monster to slay.
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