Guild News 7.6.12

[Lillian Thorne]

General News

RPG's Level Standards

There has been some confusion about the Standards for each of the levels here on Role Player Guild. Below you will find the site standards with links to show you where they are posted. Note that there are no maximums, only minimums and that they aren't as high as many have come to expect. Also note that GMs have the right establish standards unique to their threads.

• Free Roleplay - No standards. For roleplaying involving one-liners, few-liners, speed-posting, and for anyone who doesn't want to worry about standards.
• Casual Roleplay - Some standards. Roleplay here if you enjoy writing at least a paragraph or two, character development, and some depth. Casual RP is more laid back and lighthearted than Advanced RP but more moderated than Free RP. It's a good middle ground. No one-liners.
• Advanced Roleplay - Elevated standards. Advanced RP focuses on longer posts that include character development and elaborate plot development. Minimum 2-3 paragraphs per post.

GM Interview

For this latest installment of the GM Interview we chatted with Overlordroo who is the GM for the long running Tenshi Jigoku Academy 4 which has been going on for almost a year. Read about how this lively GM manages heavy casts and complex plots in this long running series.

We really appreciate all the time that the interviewees put into these interviews, be sure to let them know if you enjoyed it. Want to re-read one of these great interviews again? They are all put into this thread for easy locating.

We are actively looking for GM's to interview so if you know of one you'd love to see interviewed please PM their name to Lillian Thorne.

How long have you been RPing and how long did it take for you to take up the mantle of GM?

I've been roleplaying since I was eight, though it was usually with a small group of friends and was carried out through a number of methods such as texts, instant messaging and even some LARPing. I had barely heard anything about RPing online until a few years ago, and it was only a year and a half ago that my friend Kagamine introduced me to the Guild and encouraged me to try out online RPing.

While I've GMed offline plenty of times before, it took me a little while to get the hang of GMing, and my first few attempts barely got off the ground. For a long time I prefered Co-GMing, and honestly I still kind of do. ^_^;

What inspired you to GM in the first place?

If I have an idea I'm real queer for, I will see it through, which often leads to having to take the initiative to run an RP myself. That's usually the case of why I GM.

The only exception would be Tenshi Jigoku Academy. That RP was original established by my friend Sofyasama, and for a long time I Co-GMed for her. However there came a point where Sofya couldn't manage the RP anymore, and seeing how much TJA means to me I took up the role of GM.

What do you feel is your most successful RP?

That would undoubtedly be Tenshi Jigoku Academy. The current installment alone has been going on for almost a year now!

What do you see as the reason for its success?

All the members of TJA are pretty tight. Many of us have known each other for a long time, and through our OOC we talk to each other every day. So even when the RP itself is having problems, the majority of our members will stick around and see to it that the RP continues on. Sure, we get some who join and then leave without a word, but it's our most faithful members like Captain Ivan, DarkGrey, Zelpheon, Neko, Kagamine, Nocturnia, Goldilocks and Tatoba who have really made Tenshi Jigoku so successful.

How clearly do you plot your RP, do you plan for an end?

I'm more of a "make-it-up-as-I-go" kind of person. I find that starting more open ended allows the RP to be carried out longer, as there's more potential for plot twists and other creative additions to the story that make it all the more interesting and interactive. And I've never planned for an end before.

How much control of the story do you allow your players?

I never really have one consistent plot, rather allow the members to throw in their own sub-plots. Tenshi Jigoku, for example, has a variety of plots ranging from the random appearances of a chaotic deity, the rise of a powerful spider king, a battalion from another dimension and so much more, and each plot is brought in by various members. While I also contribute, I've only got as much control on where our story is going as everybody else.

How have you handled the inevitable dropouts?

Usually drop outs are not a big deal. Most of the long-time members have a plethora of characters at thier disposal, so if one or two get frozen by someone who suddenly disappears, it's not the end of the world. I'll wait a short while, contact them about whether or not they have any intentions of returning, and if I don't get a response or if they decline, then we move the RP along without them and the characters they left behind essentially become playthings for our more bloodthirsty and homicidal characters.

It is extremely rare for someone to stick around for a long enough time to become real valuable to the story and then drop out, though I have had it happen a few times. The original founder of TJA, Sofyasama, has been trying hard to return since she was forced to leave for reasons offline, and in her absence we basically had to do major rearrangements to make up for all the characters she had made to run the academy. And more recently one of our Co-GM's left after staying with us for over a year. We're still figuring things out about what to do with the parts of the RP he controlled, though since many of the members of TJA are so dedicated, we generally build new plots around the drop-outs in order to keep our RP alive.

How do you handle problems, inter-player conflicts etc?

It depends on the situation, I guess. I prefer handling things in a logical and sophisticated manner and talk players into a rationalized solution that works best for the RP and everyone in it.

However, I find that not everybody is interested in working things out peacefully, and for the more melodramatic and boisterous players I tend to take a more dictator-like route, which can get pretty nasty. Fortunately I don't have to use this approach to frequently, as if the problem is blatantly addressed, the players usually strive to find a solution before things get ugly.

Keeping a list of banned people also helps keep out unwanted riffraff.

Do you tend to handle such things in the OOC or via PM?

Unless things get real personal I tend to leave everything out in the open in the OOC. I mean, it's there for discussion, right? Besides, in the OOC I can get the help of other members when solving a problem. A second opinion is always helpful, since I sure as hell can't always fix everything.

Do you take a hands on or hands off approach to GMing? i.e. do you have characters you run that are a little bit more than NPC's

I always play a part in my RPs. It's not like I'd want to sit out of my own creation. In fact often times I make a multitude of characters, which can get a little out of hand on occasion.....

For example?

I may be more or less addicted to creating characters...I've had RPs where the number of characters I had escelated pretty quickly, and before you know it I have almost as much as everyone else combined. It's not that I can't handle a great amount of characters, though it admittedly makes my posting a teensy bit slower, which is why I usually only get involved with casual RPs now. To give you a good idea of how out of control I can get, my record is having over 70 characters in one RP.

How did you manage that many without over-running the RP? Or was it more a matter of them being NCP's vs. GM-PCs?

It rarely gets that extreme, but I've found that the RPs that I've had really massive amounts of characters in, the other members tend to increase the amount of characters they have as well. Afterall, I'm not a big fan of having alot of NPCs. In TJA, for example, it's pretty common for our long time members to have ten to twenty characters, myself included. In Glomp! - a private crossover RP I've been in for quite some time - all four members post for at the very least five characters at a time, often more. I feel an wider assortment of characters leaves members with more posting oppertunities and allows them to interact with the plot from different angles.

Do you have any organizational tips for handling so many characters?

It's best not make your characters interact with eachother too much. Focus on interacting with the other members' charcters instead. You can also have alot of characters and not have to use them all at once, as long as you keep track of what the characters were doing while "off screen", so to speak. Don't make more than you can handle; if you find yourself losing track of where all your characters are, what they're doing and such, then you may want to keep your numbers low. And finally if you're going to have a significantly large number of characters, take advantage of the oppertunity to spread them out; make each of your characters involved all over the plot. Like in my friend Kagamine's RP, Data Spell, we have characters all over the island, and I personally have one flirting around the town, one invading the Aquilia Kingdom, another running through the forests...and having all these characters allows me to be in a variety of places at once.

What would be the best bit of advice you would give a new GM about how to run a successful RP?

It really helps to get to know your members, 'cause if you know eachother outside the RP chances are they won't just abadon ship. I've seen RPs go weeks without a post live on with almost no drop outs because the GM keeps in touch with the players. Also keeping the idea of the RP pretty general and open to new ideas and plot twists from the members is a fantastic way to get everyone involved with the plot and thusly keeps them interested. You'd be surprised how complex even the most generic of RPs can get if you let everyone toss in thier own sub-plots and such.

Role Playing News

Featured Interest checks

Title: League of Elements
GM: Ace Riku
Level: Free

A group of young adults all gain control of a certain element via alien radiation and they decide to form a team known as the League of Elements. Each element wielder is attracted to their opposite (I.e. Fire likes water, shadow likes light) and thus there must be one guy and gal for each opposite (I may allow some lesbian couples XD).. If I remember correctly this was my first RP I ever participated in, so what do you guys think?

Title: Extended WWII/ Occupied territory Int.Check
GM: Host
Level: Casual

Neu Oppenheim, West Amerika, 1961. Formerly Seattle, WA, USA.
There is a crack of a gunshot in the night, and a young boy moans before slumping against a wall, clutching his reddening shirt. He cries softly, before mustering enough hate to toss his can of spray-paint at his assailant. The throw -though passionate- lands halfhazardly at the feet of a well-armed and ill-tempered 'Provisional Civil Officer', only to be kicked aside with one polished boot. The sobbing then resumes for a moment before the black-clad officer briskly raises his MAU5 machine pistol and double-taps the young man with two clean shots to the heart and side of the head. The silence is immediate. The PCO pulls back the bolt of his weapon and exchanges magazines while his partner strides out from the shadows behind him.
With his torch, the second officer casts a light on the scene. The now expended young man's corpse is curled in a fetal position, face planted between the concrete wall and the street. A vivid splatter of his own lifeblood climbs up the wall and punctuates his final masterpiece- the words "Remember Zero Ave" hastily spraypainted against the wall in clear red.
"Pack him up" The torched officer mumbles through his spotless white facemask.
The first PCO reholsters his MAU5 and sighs. "Nein. This sector has been warned about graffiti before. Leave him for the dregs to find."
The pair fades back into the midnight sidestreet, leaving their second warning's gore to paint the side of the local highschool.

---

Do I have your attention? Good. Perhaps some back-story is required...

Spoiler

April 1945- Berlin is burning at the hands of the Red Army, but amid the chaos and suicide of their hopelessly demented Führer, the German forces manage to drive their opponents back, providing some much needed breathing room. For a whole year, the world pulls away from what appears to be a shattered nation during a great stalemate. The massive losses on both sides have left the Allies at almost as much of a disadvantage as the Axis forces. At the end of the grey year of 1946, Germany lashed out at both the East and West fronts with a barrage of the as of yet unseen V3 rockets. The Allied front on the west was forced to retreat to France to recoup, where it was held. The Russians, still broken after the first invasion, were burned to the ground. Newly re-invigorated by a surge of now fatherless child-soldier-zealots, the Wehrmacht tore across the Red empire effortlessly, unleashing upon the Russian people a horrible genocide that would later be known as the 'Kinderblitz.' The Japanese, stunned and shocked by the Nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, were re-emboldened by the failure of the American forces to respond with their ultimatum, and managed to hold back the Pacific fleets and retake much of what the USMC has captured long enough for German and Austrian forces to meet the Imperial Army at China in 1948. Both sides of the Axis forces were now together, fighting on the same front and filled with a burning unquenchable hate the world had not seen since the days of Rome. Fresh faced young Germans who had known nothing but war since the day they were born marched up to Alaska via Northern Russia and breached US territory. The Americans, caught well off guard, would not be able to respond properly with the full force of their armed forces until the Marines had been pulled back to the mainland, by which time the Axis forces had already captured Alaska and much of Western Canada. The front line moved south, protected at its flank by the rockies, while simultaneously being re-stocked by Japanese Merchant ships as they now freely traveled through the Pacific. As the front line moved south towards the border, Insurgent rebel forces would spring up from behind the blitz to strike it at its weakest points. The strikes gathered support from within German occupied North America until the entire invasion force turned around to meet the fledgling revolution with bloody results at the Canadian/American border, resulting in the 'Battle on Zero Avenue.'

It is now 1961, the Axis forces hold a third of North America from the West. Boys who grew up in war are now men who wait at their newly-made border. Instead of a massive cold war with Russia and a Berlin Divided, the Axis forces have torn the USA in half, and are now restrained only by the possibility of a nuclear response. Provisional Civil Officers pulled from the ranks of the same soldiers that murdered the largest nation in the world in cold blood now act as a new Gestapo, keeping the suppressed civilians of 'West-Amerika' under their boot. They know full well that the civilian population serves only as a hostage to deter nuclear retaliation, and treats them as such.

You are a resident of Neu Oppenheim. You have been living under German rule for about a decade, very unsure of your future. You were most likely born into a world that has only known war, and you will probably die in that state. Life is harsh working in the factories, but some people manage to thrive here. The German Sympathizers, the joiners, and the thieves somehow manage to keep the ebb and flow of capitalism alive in N.O, either strictly watched by the PCO or underground in the black markets. Reichmarks and drugs change hands frequently. Prostitutes make a killing when they aren't being beaten half to death by the PCOs.



Life is rough in the big 'N.O.', but rumors are stirring of an internal revolution. Stolen hand grenades seem to be becoming more prevalently found in the hands of smugglers and schoolboys alike. Something big is coming, something fathered by war and tempered by hate. How will you survive caught between the Iron Cross, the threat of Nuclear armageddon, and the shady souls roaming the sidestreets who would willingly slit your throat for a loaf of bread?

Any interst?

Title: With Tooth and Claw
GM: May
Level: Advanced

Plot
For generations, humans and the supernatural have been living in relative peace. Some supernatural beings living among the humans and blending in perfectly, others choosing a life of total seclusion, while others still live in something in between the two.

In a somewhat rural area of the south a small pack of werewolves has set up a home. For years everything was fine, only the occasional human wandered into their midst at the wrong time of the month and they were written off as animal attacks. The pack and the nearby town that started to flourish got along fine, trading with them, but warning their children away from the 'strange men who lived in the woods.' But as time went on, the pack got smaller while the human numbers grew. And now houses threaten to push in on their land, and with shrinking space, more forward humans, and a push from outside forces, the tension between the human's and the werewolves grows.

Is an outright war eventual or will tension settle before things erupt?
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What I want from this isn't me setting out a plot. I want to let it grow as a collective story, something we all tell instead of me just laying out what I want. Roles are open in lots of categories (see below), and I'll try and provide anything that you need to tell the story you want. I'm much more of a character driven sort of story teller than a plot driven one, so fair warning that it might not seem like I have much of a plot.

Groups

Lycans

There are two ways to become a lycan, either through bite transmission or birth. Births are rare as there has been no recorded case of a female lycan conceiving and males rarely mate with humans, and those that do, aren’t as potent. Even those born lycan are typically male, as for whatever reason, women don’t survive either the virus or the first shifting. At either puberty or after being bitten by another werewolf, the soon-to-be -lycan experiences a painful, flu like fever which in some cases ends their life. Those that make it through are forced into their first change by their bodies. And even some that made it through the fever won’t make it through their first shift. After that point, the full moon is the only time they are without choice on their shifting.

Lycans aren’t immortal, but long lived. Their aging is slowed massively, the only sign of real age is often an elongating of the ears and bit of the jaw, making them more canine looking, and those that are born are more likely to change that way.

On the whole, most lycans in their wolf form are not excessively bigger than normal wolves, though most are on the larger end of the spectrum. Often size in wolf form is proportional to size in human form. Conservation of mass and all.

The Society

The Society is a group of men and women that specialized in the mythological creatures, specifically in keeping them under control. When one group gets out of control and either begins to expose the Society and those under their control or begins to hurt or kill humans, than the Society will step in to take care of the problem. The Hunter family has been head of the Society since its establishment, passing down the top placement to sons and daughters for generations.

Most Society operatives are human, but there are those among them of the supernatural ilk as well. Mostly humanoid creatures, but others as well work within the Society who aren’t able to be out in the field as it were because of their inability to blend in visually.

Humans
Pretty self explanatory. For the most part, normal, unknowing of any of the super natural things that go on around them every day.

Others
I'm totally open for other mythical creatures to play a part, either on their own, or within the bounds of the Society. Just ask first, and I'll let you know if your idea's mesh with mine. Probably will though.



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I'm only open for a hand full more PCs as I've already got an IC and OOC going, neither of which are very far along. The pace is likely to be slow. I ask that you be mature (preferable 18+), and able to deal with adult themes (ie violence and such) both IC and OOC.

Featured Roleplays

Title:Take Flight
GM: WestwoodOmega
Level: Free

You are an Experiment. Half-Man, Half-Bird. You were raised in a lab called the school, where they put you through devious and painful tests, to stretch your abilities. But what would you do on your own?

Title: The Scars of Sayer
GM: ★LunaLight★
Level: Casual

This roleplay runs on the same mechanics introduced by The Art of Magic, and the plot focuses in on a group known as The Scarred. The Scarred are a group of mages who have one thing in common, they all had their lives ruined by the ghost of the original magi, the person who brought magic to the world, Sayer. Not much is known about Sayer, but anyone in the Scarred will tell you how scary his magic is. Sayer approaches people in times of weakness, and then tells them something terrible about themselves. Whatever he says, then becomes the truth.

The Scarred band together because they will go to any ends to defeat Sayer, and they search the world for clues as to learn anything they can about Sayer. All the while, they lend a helping hand to anyone who needs it. They travel wherever they might find hints, and more often than not run into trouble. With all this trouble, could it be just coincidence, or is someone else working in the shadows?

Our story begins with our group arriving at the old town of Digan, where The Scarred's fearless leader is briefing everyone on a mission to take down a claw shade that has been slaughtering villagers who walk the night streets. It is implied this is not their first mention, but the group is not familiar with each other quite yet.

As the RP continues, our group will learn more and more about Sayer and the cause of his hauntings; all the while completing exciting and tragic missions, learning to deal with their curse and past, and growing close. Can these mages defeat Sayer, or will they be driven to death and despair?

Title: The Game of Thrones
GM: Ruby
Level: Advanced

It all goes back and back, to our mothers and fathers and theirs before them. We are puppets dancing on the strings of those who came before us, and one day our own children will take up our strings and dance in our steads. - Tyrion Lannister

This is a game set in the world of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy series, as well as the short stories of the Hedge Knight, and most recently HBO's adaption series 'Game of Thrones'. Credit and thanks goes to Mr. Martin himself. And of course to those taking the time to participate.

This is, however, an 'Alternate Universe' game. While canon is where our story begins...it will certainly not be where it ends.

King Aegon IV Targaryen sits atop the Iron Throne, disconnected from and disinterested in his Kingdom. The stories of what the King does do ranges from the inappropriate, whoring and drinking, to the outright strange with rumors of 'Dragons of wood and fire' in secret camps around King's Landing. Like no time in memory has there been a more unpopular King with nearly all aspects of Westeros society.

A long, harsh, famine has left certain regions of Westeros especially hard hit. When Lords effected by the famine sent a request of formal assistance to King Aegon IV, his response was scornful and unhelpful. While immediate reaction to the response is unknown, there are whispers of calling banners and preparing to march on King's Landing.

Play as a Lords high and small, Knights of the Kingsguard to Knights of the Hedge, Peasants to Grand Maesters.

This is an Advanced Game, and will require a level of creativity and interaction on each player's part to get the most out of it. While standards will be upheld, I'm not looking for a page of words in each post. Let's be honest; most posts don't require full pages. Most only require two to three paragraphs. Quality is our focus, not quantity.

Arena

Way of the Warrior II has completed the first round of fights, offer a round of congratulations to those who made it as they await the names of those they will face in the second round.

• Guru
• Rilla
• Lyzan
• GrievousKhan
• Melonhead
• Alphakoka
• Yoshua171
• Tasuke

Off-Topic News

Role Playing Discussion

Interesting discussions are always going on, come join in and chat about our mutual hobby

Where do you get your inspiration?

Rose Swan asks what you use for inspiration when roleplaying and if you have any tactics to coming up with roleplaying ideas. Be sure to drop in and let them know if you have any methods when coming up with ideas for roleplays.

Featured Galleries

RPG has a lovely Gallery section that doesn’t see enough encouragement and attention. If you have some scribbles lying around or some art you’d like to share start up a gallery and show people what you can do outside of an RP! While you are there take a moment to offer some encouragement and insight in another user's gallery, maybe they will return the favor. If you'd like your gallery to be featured be sure to send a PM to either Lillian Thorne or Guru.

Art Gallery: Lettie's Graphic Art

LetsFly has a gallery showcasing what she's been practising in hope to open up a shop and she sought for advice or critiques from fellow artist to help her get better. So drop by and please share your thoughts!

Writing Gallery: Where I Belong

CoffeePixie have shared with us a bit of her novels where she wished to have it published within the next few years. Do visit it and it'll be helpful to leave some feedbacks!

Official Contests

Don’t forget about RPG’s Official Monthly contests: Artists of the Month & Writer of the Month, the prize is a nifty colored user title not to mention the glory. The contestants work really hard and put out some outstanding work. Stop by and check it out and while you are there don’t forget to vote and comment on the contest entries. The more votes and comments, the more satisfying the victory is! The contests could always use more people. If you want to get involved and send in an entry, please see the Contest section of the site for rules and directions. Remember the more, the merrier!

This month's theme for WOTM is Betrayal and is accepting entries until July 12th.

This Month's theme for AOTM is Old School Gaming/Disney Character and is accepting entries until July 20th.

June's WOTM casual winner, Kizubu.

To my dear friends whom'll I'll miss dearly
I know this is going to be the last time I write anything, truthfully I am sure all of you have noticed my strange habits by now. Leaving your houses early, not staying around for the rest of you to arrive. "Usually you're the life of the party" is what you always used to tell me. Ironic choice of expression to use now it seems.


None of you are idiots, so thus I am not going to write this as if it was to one, and you know something is seriously wrong by this point in reading. I don't have long left, but knowing I have the chance to write my last thoughts is perhaps one of my wishes, it's nice to have it granted. When I heard I was going to die, my initially reaction was to feel bad for myself, to die so young. But then I got to thinking I had such a great life, among my friends, who I consider my family. All my possessions will be given to you all, though I know it's not much. Or even really worth having. I don't care what you do with it truthfully. My greatest possession was our times and history together. Remember that time we all stayed up drinking watching classic horror movies when we were younger?


See. Those smiles. No possession could outweigh that, or those moments we shared together. So do what you want with the simple things, such as games. My only regret is I looked back on all the times I had spent wasting time watching TV, playing video games. When I could be making memories. Thinking about it, that truly isn't much wasted time. That is why I feel so lucky I suppose, because I feel like I have done so much.


My last wish is for all of you to be happy, don't feel bad for me, now I get all the time off work I want. Please tell Anne (no snide comments you guys this is serious remember) to keep her chin up. She'll need you guys now. More so than ever, in fact, you'll need each other to get over this. It is a great pain knowing I am the cause of this grief, but in time the wound will heal. Part of the reason for me not letting you see me like this is because I wanted you to remember me as I was. Not knowing me now, it would only pain you greatly, even if in my heart I all want you here.


So I guess it is game over for me now. I know one of you guys is going to shout "snaaaaaake!" You were always jokers like that.


I don't need any of you to sort of any arrangements or anything like that. I've sorted everything out. You'll find all the details enclosed in this letter. (Not that any of you could sort this out anyway :P)





Yours truly
The gamer enthusiast :P
P.S Don't play any lame music at my funeral, nothing too depressing either. You know what music I love.

4. I enjoyed reading your's the most, hence why you got my vote. In the simple style you've written your piece, you managed to captivate me and enjoy reading through to the end. Well written in easy to read language and yet still enjoyment to be gained from reading it. Also captivated was a sort of sadness, and a sort of joy. These too emotions don't usually mix, yet you managed to make me sad that this person was to die, and yet joyous that he lived life making memories that he/she was proud of. so good job

4. This piece was able to keep my attention, and also keep me from predicting what was about to happen next. I wasn't confused, as it flowed smoothly, and it certainly seemed to adhere to the majority of the components. It was emotional, but not emotional in the sense that I found my creep-o-meter being peaked. I actually want to know the backstory to this story. I'll have to admit, though, this was an incredibly close tie between this entry and the second.

June's WOTM advanced winner, SgtKlum.

June 6th, 1942

Dear Diary,

I woke up two days ago on a hospital ship. Apparently they pulled us out of Dunkirk by the skin of our teeth. They had to amputate my leg.. the gangrene was too far gone. At least they managed to save my knee, the nurses reckon it's harder to learn to walk again without the knee. Dr Conway says I have to spend two weeks healing before I can be fitted for a prosthetic though... it's going to be a long two weeks.


June 8th, 1942

Dear Diary,

It may not end up being such a long haul after all. Yesterday I met Sergeant Erik Arundell. Erik's a great guy, he lost a leg to gangrene as well, though his was a lot worse. We spent the whole day playing cards and he taught me a few new games he picked up from the Poles in the Artillery Brigade. I have no idea what 'Wojtek' means, but the rules are kind-of like 'Bridge' only a little different. Today we limped out into the courtyard and he shared some of his cigarettes with me that he managed to sneak off of one of the orderlies. I have a feeling this could be the start of a beautiful friendship.


June 9th, 1942

Dear Diary,

Today was a little different. Me and Erik went down to the garden to get some fresh air and found some of the guys from the Minor Injuries Unit playing football. We watched for a little while, but then they invited us to join in! Me and Erik, the leg-less wonders! We had our crutches, so we could sort-of limp around and keep up, but in the end we went on opposite teams and became the goalkeepers. Not so great for the diving saves, but our crutches did give us a bit of extra reach, so in all we weren't even that handicapped. It was great to be out and doing normal things again, and I can tell Erik enjoyed it because he hasn't stopped talking since we came back up. He keeps telling every nurse that will listen about all his 'brilliant saves'. Anyway, I think we made a few friends. Corporal Jackson from the MIU said we're welcome to go and play with them again any time.


June 11th, 1942

Dear Diary,

Erik went in for his prosthetic leg today. I wish I'd had a camera to take a picture of his face when he came out of the office wearing it. He had this massive smile across his face, like any second he would just fling his crutch away and start dancing around the ward. It's cheered me up quite a bit seeing how well he's healing, it's given me some hope for when it's my turn around. Though he did tell me that the fitting process wasn't exactly comfortable. Still, got to be better than hopping around on a crutch for the rest of my life, right?


June 13th, 1942

Dear Diary,

Not much to report today. Though I could have beaten Erik to death with a crutch today. After about the seventy fifth time he reminded me that he was having his first physio session tomorrow, I started formulating plans for how to smother him with a pillow and make it look like an accident.


June 14th, 1942

Dear Diary,

Erik was very upset today. He was with the physiotherapist doing his first daily session in the gym when he had this blinding pain in his leg. They went for some tests and the doctors say it doesn't look good. If the gangrene is back then they'll have to take more of his leg and he'll have to have another two weeks laid up. I feel really sorry for him.. I just wish there was something I could do. On the plus side, only a week before I get a prosthetic of my own. Here's hoping things go better for me than for poor Erik...


June 21st, 1942

Dear Diary,

It's been a week since I last wrote here, but I haven't really felt like it. The tests came back that Erik's gangrene was back. He had to go in for some more surgery. The look on his face when he came out... it was enough to break your heart. He barely ate for the first couple of days afterwards, but I think he's cheered up a bit now. I got him playing cards earlier and then we took turns rating the nurses on scales of 1 to 10 for all their different attributes, like attractiveness, kindness, how good they are at nursing.. all that kind of thing. We both agreed that Nurse Barbara is the best. I think Erik likes her more than I do though, since he's been making eyes at her all day. Perhaps she's what perked him up?


June 22nd, 1942

Dear Diary,

I got my prosthetic leg today and it hurt like buggery. Erik's grin when I limped out wearing it was almost devilish... the little git knew how bad it was going to be and didn't tell me! 'A little uncomfortable' my arse!


June 23rd, 1942

Dear Diary,

More tests for Erik today. Dr Conway says he's optimistic, but we shouldn't get our hopes up. I think Erik's more interested in Nurse Barbara than he is in his leg though. Then again, I probably would be too if she kept making eyes at me like she has been at him. I think there might be something going on between those two, but if there is then Erik hasn't told me. Perhaps he's worried that I'd let it slip to one of the other nurses? I bet Barbara would probably get in trouble if I did... best if I don't know, to be honest. I'm the sort to blurt things like that out.


June 24th, 1942

Dear Diary,

Last night, Jackson and Reynholm from down in MIU came up and asked me and Erik to hide a bottle of scotch they'd managed to sneak in. Apparently someone downstairs snitched on them and the Matron called for a search of their lockers and matresses. Erik stashed it inside one of his pillows and spent the night crapping himself every time an orderly walked past. It was both hilarious and a little scary, since we both knew that if either of us was found with it we'd both be in hot water. In the end, Jackson snuck back up around midnight and took the bottle back, then gave us a nip each as payment. It wasn't bad stuff, though I'd be lying if I said it was worth risking official reprimand over. I suppose when you're not allowed any alcohol for three months then some people will decide even sub-par whisky is worth getting into a little trouble over.


June 26th, 1942

Dear Diary,

First session with the physio today. That also hurt like hell, but just being able to stand up straight without that crutch will be worth it in the end. They had me on a sort of flat surface with mats on it, I suppose so I don't hurt myself if I fall over, and a big sort-of bannister thing on either side. The idea was that I hold onto the bannisters and use my good leg for balance, and get the hang of walking along with the prosthetic on. It went well for my first session, I think. Managed to get all the way to the end and about half way back again before my leg gave out and I needed a rest. Erik insisted on coming to watch my second try, but I was still tired from my first one and only made it about half as far. Still, Dr Conway said it was very impressive for my first time. I'll be able to go dancing before you know it. Maybe when Erik is better, me and him can go to a dance and he can take Nurse Barbara with him?


June 28th, 1942

Dear Diary,

Today I found out just how much of a dog Erik is! That sneaky little pup confessed to me today that he and Nurse Barbara have been seeing each other for the last week or so. I knew it must have been her that cheered him up after his second surgery! That lucky bastard! Here I am having to settle for a damp sponge bath from Nurse Audrey, who looks like a bulldog chewing on a wasp, and he's off having fun with that leggy blonde Barbara. Then again, I guess after what he's been through he deserves a bit of fun.


June 30th, 1942

Dear Diary,

Erik isn't speaking to me. Apparently one of the orderlies read my diary and found out about him and Barbara and she got transferred to another hospital because of it. How was I supposed to know that these people are morally corrupt enough to read a legless man's diary? I mean, they're supposed to be healers for christ's sake! Anyway, I've found a better place to hide it now. Thinking about it, -everyone- hides their diary under their mattress so it wasn't really the most secure place I could have been putting it. From now on I'll be stashing it in my photo tin, right at the bottom underneath that postcard from my Uncles in Gibraltar. I doubt anyone will go looking in there for it.


July 2nd, 1942

Dear Diary,

Erik is speaking to me again. Just. He was in a funk for a few days, but he perked up again when Conway said he'll be going in for another prosthetic tomorrow. All I had to do was give him a pack of cigarettes and a couple of pages from a nude mag one of Jackson's friends managed to sneak in. They've sent off some more bloodwork today, so it won't be back for a week, but he says it all looks promising. I'm doing much better as well. Getting used to my prosthetic now, even managed to stand up straight without my crutch today! It was an amazing feeling to be able to just stand for the first time in a month. I've promised the guys that if I get confident enough on it that I'll run a marathon to raise money for the hospital. I don't think they think I'll see it through, but I reckon I probably will.


July 3rd, 1942

Dear Diary,

Not much to report today. Erik's been in bed most of the day, he's said he's not feeling well. Matron said it's not likely to be anything too serious and that he just needs some rest. Perkins joked that he must have caught something off of Nurse Barbara... I think Erik must be feeling bad, otherwise I know for sure that he'd have thumped him for that.


July 5th, 1942

Dear Diary,

I don't know what happened, but Erik wasn't in his bed this morning and when I asked, they said he'd been taken up to an 'I see you'. I don't know what that means, but I'll ask Dr Conway about it first thing tomorrow. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit worried about him, he did still seem a little pale yesterday...


July 6th, 1942

Dear Diary,

Apparently an ICU is a place they take the most sick people. Dr Conway told me that in the night Erik stopped breathing! They took him up to this ICU and put him on some very powerful drugs to keep him alive. He said that Erik's gangrene is probably back and that it's allowed an infection to get to his heart. I'm not a doctor, but that sounds bad. And from the look on Doc Conway's face, he thought it sounded bad as well. I really hope Erik's all right... I've still got to take him and Barbara dancing when we're both fit again! And I'll be damned if he doesn't run that marathon next to me!


July 9th, 1942

Dear Diary,

I hadn't had the heart to write anything until today.. two nights ago, Erik took a turn for the worse. Dr Conway said that the infection in his heart was too far gone and.. well..


July 12th, 1942

Dear Diary,

Erik's sister, Hannah, came to the hospital today with an undertaker. They're taking him up to Birmingham for the funeral. I asked Dr Conway and he said that one of the nurses could take me up for the day, but I'd have to pay for both of our busfare out of my sick pay. Of course that's not a problem, I'm sure Erik would have done the same for me. And I suppose I'll get to test out my new leg properly. Hannah said I'd be welcome at the funeral. She said something about some letters he'd been sending her and that he'd wrote about me. Hope he didn't say anything too embarrassing!


July 14th, 1942

Dear Diary,

The service was great. I think Erik would have really liked it. The sun was out and it was just a really nice day, which was fitting I think, because Erik was a very cheerful kind of person most of the time, even when he didn't have very much to be cheerful about. Hannah was there as well, and his mother and aunts. It's a shame his father couldn't be there, but he's away down in El Alamein giving Jerry a sound spanking for us. Here's hoping he kills a Nazi or two for Erik. Anyway.. at the end, Hannah came over and thanked me for coming and took me to one side. She showed me these letters that he'd sent her, the first one was dated June 8th, the day after I first met Erik in the hospital. It said he'd been feeling really down, but that he'd met a new friend and that he'd been feeling a lot better because of it. Over the course of the letters, I read about all our exploits from his point of view, and he'd written about how much better I'd made him feel about his situation and how glad he was to have found a friend in such a godawful place. I had to stop myself from crying a few times.. not very manly to cry in front of a woman, especially since Hannah had tears streaming down her face as well. Once I'd read them all, I thanked her and she thanked me and we said our goodbyes. She made me promise to stay in touch and I think I probably will. I think that's what he would have wanted, and I owe him that much. Erik helped me through a very difficult time and I'll never forget him.


June 6th, 1952

Dear Diary,

Tomorrow is the tenth aniversary of the day I met Erik for the first time. I told you I'd never forget him, and that's a promise I intend to keep. Tomorrow, I'll be running that marathon I told you about all those years ago.. and I won't be running it alone either. As I promised, I kept in touch with Hannah and two years ago we got married. Six months ago, she gave birth to our daughter, little Erika. So tomorrow when I run a marathon around Birmingham, I'll be doing it with my wife at my side. My wife, my daughter, my life... I owe it all to you, Erik. I said I'd never forget you... I don't think I could if I tried. Thank you, my friend. For everything.

I really enjoyed Entry #3. The story had a nice, original touch to it - but I liked it's originality because it wasn't flamboyant or in-your-face unique, just a subtly clever story. It was written very well, and I thought the character's voice was refreshingly clear throughout. Whoever wrote it, I think you did a fantastic job.

#3 Was really enjoyable, it hit pretty close to home with what it was about so I could relate somewhat with their characters. So You could call it bias, but that doesn't take away from how well it was written and how it put a smile on your face at the end.

June's AOTM combined winner, Bela.

All three entries are quite beautiful and imaginative, but I think Entry #3 has that "wow factor" to it that makes it stand out the most for me. It's a very elegant, dazzling image to look at. I love the detail put into the scenery, and the obvious contrast that gives it a very clear definition made it my instant favorite.

3. The fact that I voted for this one only because the other two missed the theme is not to be misinterpreted as me disliking it. I don't. I think you tackled the theme and hit the nail very much on the head. I like the symmetry (or lack thereof) in the piece and I think you've done very well. There are one or two things that look a little off, but in general the presentation is good and the theme is represented well. You deserve the vote, well done!

Other News

Completed RP Archive

StormHaiku has started up a Completed RP Archive in the Articles Section as a place to store and read that rarest of beasts: The RP that lasted long enough to have an end! Go poke through and see the few that have made it there. Also, if you know of any or are in possession of some feel free to PM them to StormHaiku so that all may enjoy them.

Back Into the Habit

Squee has started an interesting project called Back into the Habit to help you get your creative juices going.

If you’re anything like me, then you struggle with putting words on a page. Not all the time, no. But sometimes you struggle. Back into the Habit was created when I strove to break through my “writer’s block” and when I discovered that my method was fun, challenging, and effective; I decided to bring it to RPG.

Back into the Habit is not a negative place. This place is to help you get back into writing in a positive way. This isn’t about what you can’t do in the time given to you. It’s about what you CAN do in such a short amount of time.

Head on over, join the fun and see what you can do.

__________________________________________________ ____

All featured RPs and Linked threads have been chosen by random based on the number of responses to the thread and how active they are. If you'd like to have a IntChk, Roleplay, or Gallery featured in the next Newsletter, please send a message to Guru. Your thread may or may not be used, depending on the number of entries and random choice. We are also always looking for banners to top the newsletter.

This Newsletter is brought to you by your Comrades. Enjoy!
Guru, Lillian Thorne, Grif of Hearts, Lyzan

Next Guild News: July, 20th 2012

[Alphakoka]

FIRST!

Interesting read as usual, bots.. Say, did you ever feature a shop when asked? I kinda forgot.

[Lillian Thorne]

And fast. Jeeze!

---------- Post added at 09:40 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:38 AM ----------

I believe the consensus was Yes, if asked we'll do our best to feature it.

[Alphakoka]

And fast. Jeeze!

What can I say, I read fast. Lies, I post then read. :P

And I see. Also, Luna's RP is called Scars of Sayers as far as I've seen.

[Lillian Thorne]

So it is. Thanks for the heads up.

[XxRikaxX]

I have noticed that the Roleplayer Guild news is the only news most of us read. XD

[Evil Tofu]

I have noticed that the Roleplayer Guild news is the only news most of us read. XD

It's all the current affairs I'll need.

[XxRikaxX]

RPG= Escape from sad, sad reality.

[Jorick]

The clarification on how the level standards work is nice, here's hoping people actually read it and stop trying to claim Advanced requires massive posts.

Also, you've got a little typo in the Other News part. Habbit.

[Lillian Thorne]

See what comes of posting before I've had my coffee? Thanks for pointing that out.