This looks very interesting indeed. :) I've got a few ideas that I'm waffling between. Hopefully, the answers to these questions shall help me make a decision.
When you mention only accepting a certain number of one race, is that counting accepted characters, or meaning slots still open? (two of my thoughts are Uialien... so that'd almost solve the waffling if there's no more space for one)
Are you expecting that the characters will wind up as one group working together, whether or not their final goal is the same? Or two separate groups: one for and one against the High King? Or just if one character meets another they might team up if they feel like it?
Do slaves, or forced labour, exist outside of Eriston?
What's the technological level? (I'm assuming late medieval) Does it vary between races? (I'm assuming yes)
Can we get a rough picture of the layout of the nations? Map or description, just which ones border which other ones.
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For a moment, a long moment, after they’d finished explaining the ins and outs of getting hired, Nils only looked at them. His expression very clearly confused and wistful. He knew how easy it was to get into the rigs that sailed the water, he’d seen a few of his friends run down to the docks and get caught up in the rush easy as you please. Not half as many folks wanted a job on the water anymore now the ships could take to the air. But there were still so many more floating on the waves than off them. There was a good sight worth of competition to get aboard anything even close to the Annabella’s make, and here these two were sitting there telling him he’d get the job just as soon as he knocked off their captain’s hat!
He’d have been a fool to believe them. What sort of man went around inviting the indignity of getting his hat knocked off his head? He could hear his da calling down a world of trouble on anyone even thinking to try the same with him. “So…” He said, all business now the fun’d been taken out of making mock. “So, you’re after telling me as your cap’s so down on hisself he needs others t’do his believin’ in hisself for ‘im, and now he’s gone and lost hisself somewhere?”
He didn’t see much point in believing in a man who didn’t believe in himself. Why else would he make that a requirement of his crew?
“And I knocks his hat off’n his head, he’ll have me onboard?” The question emerged in a rather rhetorical fashion, he’d heard them the first time, and simply couldn’t express his incredulous opinion without the repetition. “Yous two think I was born yesterday? Pfah, I ain’t never heard such fadoodle. G’wan squiddle someone else’s time.”
He waved his hand dismissively and turned to head back the way he’d come. More annoyed that he even wanted to believe what they were telling him than that they’d turned the game back on him.
He’d have been a fool to believe them. What sort of man went around inviting the indignity of getting his hat knocked off his head? He could hear his da calling down a world of trouble on anyone even thinking to try the same with him. “So…” He said, all business now the fun’d been taken out of making mock. “So, you’re after telling me as your cap’s so down on hisself he needs others t’do his believin’ in hisself for ‘im, and now he’s gone and lost hisself somewhere?”
He didn’t see much point in believing in a man who didn’t believe in himself. Why else would he make that a requirement of his crew?
“And I knocks his hat off’n his head, he’ll have me onboard?” The question emerged in a rather rhetorical fashion, he’d heard them the first time, and simply couldn’t express his incredulous opinion without the repetition. “Yous two think I was born yesterday? Pfah, I ain’t never heard such fadoodle. G’wan squiddle someone else’s time.”
He waved his hand dismissively and turned to head back the way he’d come. More annoyed that he even wanted to believe what they were telling him than that they’d turned the game back on him.
Good luck! Or well, happy writing!
:( I'm not sure what happened with Acrolith, but I'm assuming Lexicon got super busy. The same probably happened with Acrolith.
Collaboration failed. Figured I'd just post something.
Sir was lucky, locked out of any easy way off the battlements as he was, that the Soveni soldiers found themselves distracted by more interesting sights. Though more than one head had turned at his loudly announced frustration, only a few had broken off their given task to deal with him. Over his own barking, along with the general cacaphony from the castle and city, he didn't hear their cautious approach behind him. Riven's shout only barely registered, and then only because he recognised his own name, ears perking up before he even understood why his tail was wagging.
He paused with a forepaw braced against the door and glanced down over the wall, the other paw curling in uncertainly. There were too many figures churning about below to pinpoint who had called him. So, he went back to digging at the door, his efforts redoubled now that they'd been acknowledged. Soon enough, something cracked behind the wall, and a roughened voice proved the man hadn't liked it. Sir was all set to try again when stranger sounds distracted him. First an ear flicked back, then his scrambling paws froze and he lifted his head to find bright silver life behind him in a shape he readily recognised. Along with a few others he did not.
The large Anan let out a quiet huff at odds with his earlier enthusiasm and cocked his head while she ignored him. The strange soldiers were between him and her anyway, though they were also looking at her now, and the arrows he'd already decided he did not like were trying to hit her. He snapped at one quick flash of grey as it went past his muzzle and then lifted his head in surprise when he realised Taula was no longer standing where he'd last seen her. Sir let out a little whuffle of air in confusion until the crack of breaking ice slammed through his eardrums and made him bounce nervously. A moment later, as the soldiers all ran to the edge of the wall, he caught a breath of dead water and snorted.
She'd gone swimming.
She wasn't going to open the door for him.
Sir turned back to it, determined to finish what he'd started as shouts sounded behind him and arrows struck stone too close for comfort. When it opened of its own accord, he had to freeze his immediate lunge and stifled the growl in his throat before Riven noticed his threat. And yipped excitedly. She had dealt with the door. And the man he wanted... She would tell him what to do next. His tail ticked once, twice and then she was spinning, barking her own angry sounds and saying his name. The Anan looked at her to prove he was listening, though he could not ignore the soldiers this time as they closed in. He was growling before she gave up giving an order, and he followed her to the edge, but baulked there, teetering.
He turned a worried circle, snapping at the strange faces surrounding him, hesitating to follow her when that wasn't where he knew his master was. Another circle, and he lunged at the men closing in to force them back. But while they moved out of reach, two strings twanged and he yelped as arrows slammed into his flank, turning to bite the offending twigs as though they were insects he could nibble free. A sword struck his other side and the Anan, though still caught between his desires, chose the lesser of two difficulties and hesitated no more, but launched himself after Riven and Taula.
Fear-stiffened legs struck the ice and spidering fractures exploded apart, engulfing him momentarily in breath stealing cold before he bobbed back to the surface through the shattered blocks of ice. He'd landed near enough to Riven that there was a rather wide area of blocks that bounced off his muzzle and back as he thrashed at the water, large paws automatically moving in a pattern that would keep him from sinking. Snorting and huffing to clear his nose of water, the Anan scrambled at the ice, pushing chunks beneath the surface as he tried to climb onto them until he reached the edge.
The more solid ice there let him get both forepaws up before it gave beneath his weight and he went splashing back down. He tried again to get out of the water, again and again, rising sometimes halfway clear of the water before the ice gave out. But each time falling back. The moat smelled of wet rot, heavy and thick with dead plants. The cold had quickly crept through his wet coat though Sir's efforts kept him warm for the moment, the heat wouldn't last. At least his injuries had grown numb.
His efforts, more blinded by desparation than aided, had him scrambling parallel to the wall rather than away from it. He was heading a little off to the side of the hole Taula had created, and managing to crack and splinter the ice across a wide surface until the hole he'd made had become a dark line contrasting against the snow and water splashed up through the ice on either side in little pressure made geysers as pieces shifted and slid against each other.
He paused with a forepaw braced against the door and glanced down over the wall, the other paw curling in uncertainly. There were too many figures churning about below to pinpoint who had called him. So, he went back to digging at the door, his efforts redoubled now that they'd been acknowledged. Soon enough, something cracked behind the wall, and a roughened voice proved the man hadn't liked it. Sir was all set to try again when stranger sounds distracted him. First an ear flicked back, then his scrambling paws froze and he lifted his head to find bright silver life behind him in a shape he readily recognised. Along with a few others he did not.
The large Anan let out a quiet huff at odds with his earlier enthusiasm and cocked his head while she ignored him. The strange soldiers were between him and her anyway, though they were also looking at her now, and the arrows he'd already decided he did not like were trying to hit her. He snapped at one quick flash of grey as it went past his muzzle and then lifted his head in surprise when he realised Taula was no longer standing where he'd last seen her. Sir let out a little whuffle of air in confusion until the crack of breaking ice slammed through his eardrums and made him bounce nervously. A moment later, as the soldiers all ran to the edge of the wall, he caught a breath of dead water and snorted.
She'd gone swimming.
She wasn't going to open the door for him.
Sir turned back to it, determined to finish what he'd started as shouts sounded behind him and arrows struck stone too close for comfort. When it opened of its own accord, he had to freeze his immediate lunge and stifled the growl in his throat before Riven noticed his threat. And yipped excitedly. She had dealt with the door. And the man he wanted... She would tell him what to do next. His tail ticked once, twice and then she was spinning, barking her own angry sounds and saying his name. The Anan looked at her to prove he was listening, though he could not ignore the soldiers this time as they closed in. He was growling before she gave up giving an order, and he followed her to the edge, but baulked there, teetering.
He turned a worried circle, snapping at the strange faces surrounding him, hesitating to follow her when that wasn't where he knew his master was. Another circle, and he lunged at the men closing in to force them back. But while they moved out of reach, two strings twanged and he yelped as arrows slammed into his flank, turning to bite the offending twigs as though they were insects he could nibble free. A sword struck his other side and the Anan, though still caught between his desires, chose the lesser of two difficulties and hesitated no more, but launched himself after Riven and Taula.
Fear-stiffened legs struck the ice and spidering fractures exploded apart, engulfing him momentarily in breath stealing cold before he bobbed back to the surface through the shattered blocks of ice. He'd landed near enough to Riven that there was a rather wide area of blocks that bounced off his muzzle and back as he thrashed at the water, large paws automatically moving in a pattern that would keep him from sinking. Snorting and huffing to clear his nose of water, the Anan scrambled at the ice, pushing chunks beneath the surface as he tried to climb onto them until he reached the edge.
The more solid ice there let him get both forepaws up before it gave beneath his weight and he went splashing back down. He tried again to get out of the water, again and again, rising sometimes halfway clear of the water before the ice gave out. But each time falling back. The moat smelled of wet rot, heavy and thick with dead plants. The cold had quickly crept through his wet coat though Sir's efforts kept him warm for the moment, the heat wouldn't last. At least his injuries had grown numb.
His efforts, more blinded by desparation than aided, had him scrambling parallel to the wall rather than away from it. He was heading a little off to the side of the hole Taula had created, and managing to crack and splinter the ice across a wide surface until the hole he'd made had become a dark line contrasting against the snow and water splashed up through the ice on either side in little pressure made geysers as pieces shifted and slid against each other.
I'm curious. If you don't and never have felt engaged by the characters, what is it that keeps you, personally, roleplaying?
I only ask because to me, if I'm not at least a little invested in the characters other than my own, I'm usually not interested in carrying on the story. Though sometimes it was the story itself I wanted to read about rather than the people in the story. So, I'm just wondering what keeps you invested. :)
I only ask because to me, if I'm not at least a little invested in the characters other than my own, I'm usually not interested in carrying on the story. Though sometimes it was the story itself I wanted to read about rather than the people in the story. So, I'm just wondering what keeps you invested. :)
I'd be happy either way. I like reading. :) I don't have any ideas at the moment to flesh out the other nations though, so I wouldn't be much help if you leave it up to us.
Reworking what we were going with, the collaboration seems to have failed, though hopefully we'll still have something soon. If all else fails, I'll just get in a post on my own. :P
Reworking what we were going with, the collaboration seems to have failed, though hopefully we'll still have something soon. If all else fails, I'll just get in a post on my own. :P
Now he was getting somewhere! Always knew he’d struck a nerve when someone told him to do something stupid and life threatening. Hard to miss that particular sign. Kept his grin pasted right front and center brilliant too. It was the bald man’s answer that made him hesitate, smile fading as he also wondered where this was going now.
Useless was exactly the sort of insult he’d been wanting to throw at them. What’d this fellow mean, going about calling it down on himself instead of getting uppity? Where was the fun in that? Well, no fun, but it might get him the answers he’d thought to look for. The explanation blew him away so thoroughly that he stood there blinking for a full ten seconds before throwing up his hands in exasperation. “Pfah! Time was right two hours gone and you’re set there telling me the cap were being partikler about his own crew believing in him?”
He was scowling as fiercely as he knew how, almost as fed up as he had been enjoying himself moments ago. He couldn’t tell if they were playing him or not. But core… If they weren’t, the notion of a spot on board the Annabella was damnably tempting. And there wasn’t anyone as could tell him no, either. Well, not anyone nearby anyway. “What’s he supposed to be anyhow, the bogeyman? You saying there’s openings?”
The second question emerged a good sight less scornful than the first, though he remained extremely suspicious. It was probably too good to be true.
Useless was exactly the sort of insult he’d been wanting to throw at them. What’d this fellow mean, going about calling it down on himself instead of getting uppity? Where was the fun in that? Well, no fun, but it might get him the answers he’d thought to look for. The explanation blew him away so thoroughly that he stood there blinking for a full ten seconds before throwing up his hands in exasperation. “Pfah! Time was right two hours gone and you’re set there telling me the cap were being partikler about his own crew believing in him?”
He was scowling as fiercely as he knew how, almost as fed up as he had been enjoying himself moments ago. He couldn’t tell if they were playing him or not. But core… If they weren’t, the notion of a spot on board the Annabella was damnably tempting. And there wasn’t anyone as could tell him no, either. Well, not anyone nearby anyway. “What’s he supposed to be anyhow, the bogeyman? You saying there’s openings?”
The second question emerged a good sight less scornful than the first, though he remained extremely suspicious. It was probably too good to be true.
Wankery... Good word, that.
Honestly, I doubt there's any firm and solid answer to this hypothetical question without turning it into an actual experiment and IC with other players. I can only say that for myself, I think people can be capable of playing a separate species they didn't come up with. After all, there are plenty of rpers who write as wolves, or warrior cats, or horses, or dragons.
Whether or not they'd be able to rp the mindset of these aliens to your satisfaction would be a secondary, but also important, question. If, in making this alien race you want to allow the rpers to play around a bit and help them grow, they've got a slightly easier time of pleasing you, but there's also a chance things won't go in the direction you might have thought they would. If you start with a very firm grasp of the mind and mannerisms and methods of communication and social structures, etc. that's great for you, and there might be some willing to still give it a try, but they're far more likely to disappoint simply by missing the crucial details that can't necessarily be set into written words without oodles of explanation. There's a good chance they'd be just as frustrated trying to figure it out as you might be in having to read them not managing it quite the way you envisionned. (I keep saying you, it's a hypothetical you, yep)
Multiple people could agree to play a certain mindset, though I'm sure they'd all like the chance to individualise it at least a little, unless they're playing the same overall mind in different bodies and it's basically the same character. That might get iffy... Or crazy fun, I dunno.
Eusocial is probably the easiest to understand and the simplest to explain. It's a group structure, so it would also make it easy to have plenty of characters in one spot and plenty of NPC examples for them to follow. People know about ants and wasps and molerats, and about their caste system, and it's not hard to look up if they want to.
I don't think it's necessary to make aliens like humans to be playable, they just have to be understandable for humans. This does limit the options alittle, but there's still a huge range of variables that can make a mindset alien to most humans' way of thinking without making it impossible for a human to understand the thought process that reaches that point.
Honestly, I doubt there's any firm and solid answer to this hypothetical question without turning it into an actual experiment and IC with other players. I can only say that for myself, I think people can be capable of playing a separate species they didn't come up with. After all, there are plenty of rpers who write as wolves, or warrior cats, or horses, or dragons.
Whether or not they'd be able to rp the mindset of these aliens to your satisfaction would be a secondary, but also important, question. If, in making this alien race you want to allow the rpers to play around a bit and help them grow, they've got a slightly easier time of pleasing you, but there's also a chance things won't go in the direction you might have thought they would. If you start with a very firm grasp of the mind and mannerisms and methods of communication and social structures, etc. that's great for you, and there might be some willing to still give it a try, but they're far more likely to disappoint simply by missing the crucial details that can't necessarily be set into written words without oodles of explanation. There's a good chance they'd be just as frustrated trying to figure it out as you might be in having to read them not managing it quite the way you envisionned. (I keep saying you, it's a hypothetical you, yep)
Multiple people could agree to play a certain mindset, though I'm sure they'd all like the chance to individualise it at least a little, unless they're playing the same overall mind in different bodies and it's basically the same character. That might get iffy... Or crazy fun, I dunno.
Eusocial is probably the easiest to understand and the simplest to explain. It's a group structure, so it would also make it easy to have plenty of characters in one spot and plenty of NPC examples for them to follow. People know about ants and wasps and molerats, and about their caste system, and it's not hard to look up if they want to.
I don't think it's necessary to make aliens like humans to be playable, they just have to be understandable for humans. This does limit the options alittle, but there's still a huge range of variables that can make a mindset alien to most humans' way of thinking without making it impossible for a human to understand the thought process that reaches that point.
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