Roleplayer Guild - Forum Roleplaying Games

Natural Selection



Background……

The world of Greambalue is populated by all manner of creatures and entities. It is rife with magic and technology. The land of Little Gream has reached the pinnacle of civilization. Illness has become a thing of the past. All land and ocean borders are protected from enemy invasion by the highest trained soldiers and master strategists. Little Gream is run by three men/women of power. Firstly, the land is governed by the Crown. Second, the citizens are protected by the Master General. Third, the more faithful members of the land are spiritually protected by the Parent. Although technically, these positions are not supposed to possess equal status, they have long since agreed it to be in the best interest of Little Gream to run the land as a Council of Three. Each member has elected a replacement for them should they become unable to fulfil the duties required of them. Each shares no grudge or jealousy to the others yet their followers refuse to let old differences lie. The citizens are almost equally split into the three groups.

Soldiers are first and foremost loyal to the Master General. In the absence of the Master General, they will turn to the leadership of the Crown as their role is to serve their land. Only under severe circumstances will they follow the orders of the Parent. The sights they have faced in battle leave them questioning the existence of a divine being and therefore, making the Parent a pretender.

Religious followers are first and foremost loyal to the Parent. In their absence, they will turn to the leadership of the Master General, who has been charged with protecting ALL citizens. Only under severe circumstances will they follow the orders of the Crown. The religious followers have always suspected the crown of trying to push down the Parent and seize more control over the people.

Citizens are first and foremost loyal to the Crown. In the absence of the crown, they will turn to the leadership of the Parent who, like the crown, is greater than mere mortals. Only under severe circumstances will they follow the orders of the Master General. They believe he only cares about the game of war and will unnecessarily send men to their early graves if it gives him a tactical advantage over his enemy.

The Council of Three now face a new problem. Over the last decade, the rate of people leaving Little Gream has increased. This hasn’t been a problem has the rate of births in the land was still higher than the rate of people leaving the borders. Now however, the number of people leaving has increased to above the replacing births. People are not leaving because they are unhappy with anything but simply feel that they want to. The Council of Three have no explanation to understand the feeling and are most worried because they too feel the need to travel……………



Your Characters

I want this role-play to be a release for any and all creative ideas you have for your characters. You can make them anything you want. From a talking magical elephant, the size of a fly with the same wings, to a huge majestic dragon who’s lived since the dawn of time. All creatures are welcome and all ideas are supported. The only limitation your character must have is which faction they follow. They must be one of the three and act with prejudice towards their opposites, as is explained in the background. The only three characters who are the exception to this are the three who chose to play each of the three members of the Council of Three. It will be first in on who gets to play who. I will not be one of them because I would not be able to act as an equal to the other two (because this RP is my baby ). Instead, I will be the advisor and messenger between the three when they are apart and perhaps suggest possible ways the RP can go.

I want to stress three things before I leave it for you guys to make it your own. First, I want this RP to be about communication between the characters. Three of four different RPers moving together and involving each other. You can hack and slash all you want but just try to keep your characters in close proximity with others please Secondly, BE CREATIVE WITH YOUR CHARACTERS! I’ll put a basic list of things to include in your bio but feel free to add stuff and be whatever you want for each field. Be a taxi driver. Be an octopus. Be whatever you want! I know it’s stressed everywhere so you don’t need to be told but I will anyway, don’t make your character too good. Or else I’ll kill them. Have fun!

Character Bio

Name:
Age:
Species:
Occupation:
Appearance
Weapons/tools:
Skills/spells:
Alignment:
Background:

Name: Phoogli
Age: 38
Species: Half Dwarf, Half Goblin
Occupation: Council of Three Advisor/Messenger

Appearance: A third of the size of a human. Skin has a faint green tinge and has mostly goblin features. Wears a tattered leather jacket, football shorts and sneakers. Fairly stocky and strong. Has a beautiful smile, contrasting all his naturally ugly features.

Weapons/tools: Phoogli carries an array of travelling tools that he uses well enough as weapons. He has a three pronged ice pick, a dagger with a Rune of Fear encrusted on the blade, a walking staff with jars of animal hearts hanging from the top, a home made musket and two kegs of fine whiskey.
Steed: Phoogli has a steed who is half goblin, half pony. She is his faithful steed and companion when he travels between council members. She also is in charge of carrying and protecting his whiskey.

Skills/spells: Phoogli is an experienced thief and pick pocket. He has mastered stealth and espionage. He is no warrior but he is a hunter so possesses some fighting skills. He has minor shaman abilities through his goblin side and can slightly manipulate nature and people to his will. This is only possible when he wields his walking staff.

Alignment: Phoogli cares for each of the three council members equally yet carries the grudge of a soldier to their followers.

Background: Phoogli is a complete mystery to all before the age of 24. He did nothing of consequence until he was taken from his miserable life by an elf of unknown importance. He was taught how to hunt, sneak, steal and wield a little magic while serving as the elves servant. Phoogli never went with the elf when he had to attend a “special meeting” as he often did at the end of a journey. He was content to stay in the local inn and get wasted on whiskey. He would steal the money from the owner before he went in and then pay for the whiskey with the owner’s money. It served endless delight to Phoogli. The next morning, they would be gone on another journey and he would be far away before anyone realised.

Over the years, Phoogli grew more mature and kind hearted. He would steal the money from an owner, double it on dice (with a little phoo doo) and replace the owners share before drinking all night. He learnt a little about politics from the aging elf on their travels and slowly understood the honour in what the elf was doing with his life. Serving those to keep order and security to those who needed it. Without realising it, Phoogli had given his life to the same cause.

One day, when they reached their destination, something unusual happened. The elf took him to the meeting and asked him to take his place while he went about some other business. Phoogli did what was asked of him and attended the meeting with the Master General. He swore to pass onto his master the message to take to the Parent but when he left the meeting, the elf was gone without a trace. Phoogli understood the passing of the torch and took on the task himself. He has since continued to fulfil his charge, receiving everything he owns as payment from the Council.

Name: Lord Crugeon
Age: 702
Species: Half elf half unknown
Occupation: Council of Three master general

Appearance: tall and build. firece looking and has an air of power around him. his cold hard stare with firery eyes and solid voice can control his masses of followers. he has large pointy ears and has several rings on his fingers with large jewels embeded in them. his skin is a sort of pasty whie light pink colour he wears either long robes or a suit jacket depending on the occasion.

Weapons/tools: Crugeon has many weapons ranging from his dagger like Machiara and Falcata to his his long claymore. he has a trusty long bow which he carries on his back when at war. Crugeon has a belt around his waist which has several compartments carrying many "essentials".

Skills/spells: he posseses somewhat of a magical ability not strong but when his eyes glow red and his rings ges begin to sparkle he can controle the thoughts of those around him and see far distances. Crugeon has many skills which he picked up on his long stugling road to being a lord many which he hides from others and many which are frowned upon and many of which he abused to reach his current status.

Alignment: cares for the power of the 3 and believes himself an equal part as he knows if one should fall then the three shall lose power. he cares for his followers and feels the pain as each fall in battle.

Background: Crugeon grew up as a child in a harsh enviroment fending for himself living in the gutter as he was abandoned as a chiled and abused because of his halfcast status he was finally taked in by a politician of the time as a sign of goodwill towads the community but behind closed doors he was treated like a slave and abused, it was here he learned to steal and hide in the shadows listening in to his masters conversations, in the public eye he was loved but behind closed doors he was no better of than when he liven on the streets, Crugeon never abused his master and never acted against him but he did decieve him and as he grew and his needs grew he stole more and more until he was caught one day by a fellow servant he was betrayed and the politician exiled him for treason an excuse to rid him of the burden of the child, crugeon then spent many years in a gang of crusaders who fought and pillaged and roamed for the next big hit and money making scheme this is where he learned his fighting skills, on these crusades he gained rank in the gang untill whatever they plundered the loot was his to share he gained all his leadership skills from the gang aswell and it is said the rings on his fingers were from a pillage on a gypsey town where he robbed an old woman who warned of the power of the rings but when he placed them on his fingers he never took them off again, one day when he was plundering another town he was reported to have made people kill their friends with one look from his fiery red eyes he never spoke of that day and blew off the act as a lie saying he fought the enemy off killing them with his own blade, Crugeon was picked up and jailed in the town of little gream when he was realeased suddenly he was accepted into the military and gained ranks until his now status of master general. much is unknown about crugeon but from what is known rumours of his formidable past are talked about in the shadows between people in society.

Great character. Just a few small things i'm gonna pick up on, run it through a Word Spell Check cause i noticed a few typos that might get a little confusing Also, about controlling people, not allowed to do it to other RPers. Go for gold on NPC (Non Player Characters) but if you use it on another RPer, i will have to kill you Apart from that, it's great to have you on board and i'm looking forward to RPing with you!


The role playing thread is now open! Go and have fun!

Name: Myxius
Age: 21
Species: Human
Occupation: Inventor (person who can build anything they need provided they have the right parts)

Appearance: Small and slender. She has brown hair and tanned skin and looks like a basic human woman except that her arms are longer and more muscular than average and her fingers are longer and more dextrous than average

Weapons/Tools: Myxius wears a tool belt slung low on her hips which contains all the basic tools of an Inventor, and she also wears what she calls her Combo-Stick or Combo strapped to her back. It originally looks like a cricket bat with the top thicker part connected to the thinner base with a long vine.
Myxius uses this combination as a club and a tourniquet and a strangulation device. The vine is extremely strong and is very hard to cut through.
The top part can be removed, like it’s a sheath, and underneath is a sword attached to the thinner base. She places her other arm up the sheath and uses this as a shield.
Attached to her tool belt is a pouch of sorts which she places various items that she thinks she might need later.

Skills/Spells: As an Inventor, Myxius has a quick mind and an amazing knowledge of how things work. Therefore, no matter the object or machine, even if she has never seen it before, within seconds, Myxius is capable of using it. Myxius has no affinity for magic. She has never been taught it and has never wanted to learn. She does not like magic and much prefers the powers of technology.

Alignment: Myxius supports the Crown. She has ever since she was a little girl. Mondo opened her eyes more to the Parent, but she still follows the crown.

Background: Myxius grew up running wild in the forest with her family. She would befriend animals quickly, and tended to prefer the small, nimble animals, over large and bumbling ones. She was very clever and quick thinking, just like her animal friends. Her favourite animal was the monkey, and she would spend hours swinging through the trees with them. As she grew older, her body slowly enhanced what she used most: her arms and hands. She now looks like an average human, except for longer and more muscular arms, and quite dextrous fingers. She, like a monkey, was exceptionally curious while growing up, and despite protests from her family, she eventually wandered to the outskirts of the forest and met Mondo, an old man who lived in a cabin there. They gradually learned to trust each other and became friends, and he taught her the skills of an inventor. Myxius was a natural – her dextrous hands and quick mind had her building faster and better than the man in no time. Eventually he died, and Myxius took over his cabin and his business, building things for people who came from the nearby town. She was soon known to be the most reliable inventor in the town, despite being quite shy and strange. She ventured into town only when she needed extra parts, but most of the time she could fashion a basic machine with parts she’d make from forest items. Her family grew used to other people as Myxius gradually introduced them to the world outside the forest, the town of Greambalue. Eventually, with Myxius’s earnings, they took up residence in a small villa on the other side of town. Myxius preferred the quiet solitude of her cabin, so she stayed there and had frequent visits from her brother, and occasional visits from her parents. It was a basic life, but she was happy.

It's good to have you with us Mountaineer. I like your character! Sounds familiar......... Start posting whenever you're ready. Things should start rolling soon...

Name: Gray Scale (har de har har har…)

Age: At least as old as Little Gleam if not older.

Species: Hydra

Occupation: The true Crown that acts behind the puppet he’s chosen to represent him on the council. His other role is that of the villainous monster that routinely harasses the kingdom he’d helped to set up. By playing himself against himself he’s actually helped Little Gleam become a stronger nation and a better place to live.

Appearance: (This is what first inspired me.)
Gray’s natural form is that of a seven-headed hydra with gray scales and an off white underbelly. Roughly the size of a young dragon, Gray has a stocky upper body that tapers down near his hind legs and split tail. Unlike some other hydras, each of Gray’s heads have a unique feature except that all of their eyes burn with a ghostly white light and all possess a head frill and ear frills.

In his other forms he usually takes on the appearance of a normal human. Being as prideful and vain as he is Gray only wears the best clothes, eats the finest food, and sleeps in the best inn when in his alternate forms. He has no particular traits other than that. He’s very careful to assume a form infrequently to keep prying eyes away from his affairs.

Weapons/tools: In his natural form Gray Scale possesses formidable claws and teeth that he uses to rip apart more common foes or would be heroes. In his other forms he’s a passable swordsman, seeing the weapon as a poor replacement for what he was born with. But this pales before Gray’s real weapon in the form of his extensive network of informants and henchmen. Because of this, when Gray Scale is forced into hiding or retreat he can quickly rebuild his financial and political power to once again menace his citizens. The greatest of these are his puppet Crowns.

Skills/spells: Long ago Gray Scale learned the arts of sorcery and his used them to gain the ability to change his form. His favorite tactic when retreating is to discorporate into thousands of snakes. At some later point when he isn’t being tracked the surviving snakes gather back together and reform into his hydra state. Usually some of the snakes don’t make it so he has to spend some time regenerating those parts of him as most hydra are capable of doing.

Gray Scale’s most important skills, however, are his keen mind and his ability to manipulate others to his liking. The keen mind is obvious, but through a combination of threats, bribes, and double talk Gray usually gets people to give up and just give the frustrating creature what he wants.

Alignment: Gray Scale is most definitely evil in his outlook and his actions. He wants what he wants and very little beyond the power of the council as a whole stops him from taking what he wants. He greatly enjoys playing the role of the villain to the hilt. But all of this seems to cloud an almost motherly concern for what he considers to be “his” lands. With a well formed concept of how to push the people of Little Gleam into the roles he wants them to play is it any wonder that he’s aligned with the Crown.

In a way this makes him a strange bedfellow to any expedition to save Little Gleam. His reputation as a terrible beast is well known, but he’ll need the others if he wants to really find out what’s going on without exposing his many plots.

Background: Gray Scale began life as most of his kind do, growing quickly and feeding off of the locals. But while the rest of Gray’s kin were either killed or captured, Gray managed to evade his hunters and learn some valuable lessons about being in situations where one has no power. He also began to learn about the world and how it works.

From these early days Gray Scale received something that few hydra even dreamed about. He became truly intelligent. With his mind opening to more and more possibilities everyday he set a goal for himself that would seem audacious if he didn’t achieve it. He wanted to become the Crown and rule over those that sought to kill him.

The first part of his plan involved getting caught by a local beastly mage that used his magic to change forms. For years Gray let the mage think he’d bound the hydra to his will before Gray struck, killing the mage and taking over the beast man’s home and research. Soon Gray became just as adept at changing his appearance as the mage and used the magically warded home as his new base of operations. Through these he convinced others that the beast man had passed on and he was the new heir to the property.

From there Gray made a grab for the Crown while the position still ruled above the others. It was a disaster. In the public spotlight Gray was exposed for the monster he truly was and in the end he had to flee. In the wilds again, Gray nursed his wounds and began contemplating what had exactly gone wrong. He realized that it was his yearning for attention and power that was his downfall. Instead of trying to grab the crown again, gray set himself up as a local legend over the next few centuries. He was a creature that the brave and the foolish would face for his riches and that the desperate could go to for help.

Occasionally he’d feign his death whenever he’d hear from his budding information network that the army was being prepped to move against him. For months or years he’d hide among the populace of Little Gleam until the threat died down. When it did, he’d “rise again” to menace the land. This pattern has kept him safe and spread the misconception that he was truly unbeatable.

About two centuries ago Gray finally realized his dream when he maneuvered one of his pawns into the position of the Crown. Afterwards he killed anyone who knew of his connection to the fake Crown and began to rule the land as part of the Council in secret. The next Crowns up to this day were his puppets as well, chosen by the previous one as directed by Gray Scale. The current Crown, Cynthia Drellholme, is his newest puppet and currently Gray’s most prized possession. Unlike her predecessors she is much more willful and actually makes controlling the land a little more of a challenge. For this he adores (although he makes a big show of being irate) her since she has actually cast away the boredom that was beginning to come with his false rule.

Recently he has begun to feel an almost undeniable pull to leave Little Gleam and all his centuries of work behind. This pull infuriates and frightens Gray. For one so used to being in control, to have that control taken from him by an unknown force is a truly terrifying prospect.

__________________
I wouldn't touch it. That thing is made out of like 95% pure, unadulterated, badger-in-my-pants crazy...
-Geist Panik

My scroll

I think that was the longest profile I've ever made. I'll create a sheet for Cynthia as well. I don't think I made Gray too powerful, just powerful enough to act as a little bit of a hidden mastermind and to fill the prejudicial ideal of followers of the Parent that the Crown is trying to control them.

Edit: A player named Synara asked to play Cynthia. So if I'm ok she would like to play the puppet crown.

__________________
I wouldn't touch it. That thing is made out of like 95% pure, unadulterated, badger-in-my-pants crazy...
-Geist Panik

My scroll

Name: Cynthia Drellholme
Age: 23
Species: Human
Occupation: Council of Three Crown

Appearance: Cynthia stands just over five feet tall, but despites her diminutive stature she commands respect and obedience at any gathering at which she speaks. Only in the presence of her peers, the Parent and the Master General – and in that of her hidden master – does her will go challenged. Her dark eyes hold confidence that reassures her subjects, and a tinge of sadness that goes unnoticed by all but the keenest observers. Her flowing, black hair is adorned with the bejeweled crown worn by rulers of Little Gleam for centuries. Her skin is pale from long hours spent learning to wield magic and to rule, but that only adds to her regal beauty. She wears modern but modest dresses of the highest quality under the traditional violet robe of the Crown.

Weapons/Tools: Cynthia carries a staff made of gold and lined with silver. It is marked with a draconic serpent slithering along its length in spirals. A bronze flame rests upon its top, absorbing light to make the fire seem alive. It helps Cynthia to focus her magic and it empowers her spells.

Skills/Spells: To harm others never appealed to Cynthia. During her youth, her magical training focused on defensive spells and healing. In these areas she excels; she can heal many illnesses and wounds, and only magicians with far more training than she can break her shields unaided. But although she has skill in those areas and with a few other spells, she can do little in terms of attacking. She loathes violence, and all that she was forced to learn of offense during her training was quickly forgotten.

Alignment: As her oaths require, Cynthia’s allegiance is to her people, to the citizens of Little Gleam. However, her ability to rule is restricted by the pull of the villainous Gray Scale, who she can do little to resist. But she tries despite the unlikelihood of success.

Background: Born to a wealthy family in Little Gleam, Cynthia was used to getting her way from her childhood, when she received all dolls and ponies she demanded of her parents. As she got older, her father sought to ensure that his only daughter would command the same respect – and power – that he was so used to receiving as a servant of The Parent. Like most rich children with the ability, Cynthia was encouraged to learn something of magic, as knowing spells helped one to advance in politics.

For three years, Cynthia’s primary focus was to study magic. Of course, she learned of writing, numbers, and politics on the side, but neither of those skills required much study at all compared to healing magic. Her teachers found her to have some skill; not enough to rise to the highest ranks among magicians, but enough to teach the wealthy, which was prestigious enough. But Cynthia’s studies came to an abrupt end when she was named heir to the Crown during a visit to the royal court. After that, the focus of her learning became how to rule. But the position of Crown came at a steep price.

It was not long after she had been named heir that the legendary hydra Gray Scale, disguised as a human, forced her to obey through threats and blackmail just as he had that of the, at the time, current Crown. Cynthia learned that Gray Scale was the Crown in truth, and that she would have less power on the throne than she might have had as a teacher of magic. She could do nothing to reveal the hydra’s plot, nothing to rescue Little Gleam from its secret peril. Even after her coronation she was helpless, though she tried to defy her master. She knew there was little hope, but she would not give up. She served her kingdom, and she would try to serve it well. She only needed to free herself of the hydra's hold.

I like that twist Red Nail. The thought of a secret ruler hadn't entered my mind. Characters are well thought up. No problems. Red Nail and Synara are good to post. Synara, i'll wait to post again so you can post up your enitial thoughts on the problem without us all running off