[The Wasteland]
No one knows what caused the world to burn away the way it did. Some blame it on the avarice of man, digging so deep that a great evil was unleashed. Others simply think that whatever gods exist out there became tired; disenchanted with the world that they created and have decided to start anew. Only it wasn’t quick like one might think an apocalypse should be. No, it was like smoldering embers against the skin, burning and stinging long after the coals are removed.
First, the forests died, and the very essence of magic itself evaporated away. Illnesses spread, killing off thousands until just a handful were left, and a silence descended over the land like a sheet. Then, the rivers dried up, the seasons disappeared, and dry heat reigned supreme. People dispersed into clusters and clung to what life they could. They held on with farming for a while, but eventually their cows lay dead among crumbling fields of wheat. Finally, the clouds covered the sky like a black tarp and people couldn’t even feel the warmth of the sunlight on their skin. The nights became frigid while the days remained just as hot as ever. From then on, people existed in a dim haze. Then, it began to rain. Instead of water, black tar-like liquid fell from the sky. When it touched their skin, it burned, and when it fell into their eyes, they were blinded. People scrambled for shelter, and killed each other just to get out of the rain until it stopped.
This is the world now. The people have become scavengers, thieves, bandits, and warlords. But only the most ruthless are able to rule, and they are almost always cruel. They enslave people to dig and build for them, constructing ziggurats and monoliths out of the bricks of long dead kingdoms. These people cast themselves as gods here to save, when their only true intent is to oppress.
*****
Then there’s the small colony called Tinleaf. Strictly speaking, they are one of the luckier ones. They live in the south, and are a close-knit colony of mostly friendly folk. There is no local warlord to enslave them, and there is usually just enough food and water to prevent everyone from dropping dead of starvation. Usually. Every morning the people of this colony wake up to see the mountains on the western horizon. Perhaps there are some among them that dream of crossing them one day. Maybe there’s a better life on the other side of those rocks.
The younger folk of this colony know nothing of the time before the dry wasteland around them. Most of them don’t care, they only worry about food and water. Why should they long for more? But, there are some who do. Somewhere deep inside they feel an emptiness. Is it in their hearts? Their souls? Either way, all they know is that when they listen to the old blind man tell stories of a time when he could see — when the grass was green, the trees were lush, and the wind whispered sweet nothings into his ear — their heart begins to race and their palms become sweaty. Is it excitement or fear?
Then, one afternoon, the rain watcher comes running into the middle of town. He is out of breath and his eyes are wide. Is this the day their entire life ends? The people fearfully crowd around the man as he pants. “Is it a warlord?” they ask. “Is someone here to enslave us all?”
“No.”
Just as the rain watcher catches his breath, a faint light can be seen bobbing on the horizon. People gasp, they run and hide to watch from the safety of their homes. Others remain rigid in the center of town. The light draws closer. The people of the town hold their breaths as they watch the figure of a man step out of the darkness. The bright light is coming from a staff he is holding in one hand. It is just as refreshing as it is blinding. He walks into the middle of the crowd and his staff dims to a warm glow. The people of the town crowd around him.
“Forgive me for startling you,” he said in a deep voice. “My name is Nikolas Alexander Ivanson, and I am here to repair these lands.”
There is silence among the crowd. No one knows what to say first. But the man continues speaking. He explains that he knows of the old ways, and also knows of a way to bring back the fields and forests. But why he is here, wasting his time in this small colony when he could be out doing the great things he speaks of? People begin to murmur among themselves, suspicious of this stranger. Then, his voice becomes low.
“Sadly, I cannot do this alone,” he says.
A hushed silence falls over the town.
“Is there anyone who is willing to come with me? To fight for the life of these lands?”
[Rules]
Advanced roleplayers only!
No Mary-Sues, Godmodding, or OP characters.
No Smut.
2-3 paragraph minimum per post.
Must have proper spelling and grammar.
(More rules will be added as needed)
If you have any questions, ask the GM.
[Plot]
The goal of this story is to rebuild the wasteland. It is set in a Post-Apocalyptic StamPunk Fantasy world, and everything will be told in a series of episodes or chapters. Each chapter will have a specific goal in mind that will be accomplished by either a single string of quests, or one major quest line.
The actions our characters take in this world will have an impact upon everything. This plot is about adventure, discovery, action, and restoring the wasteland to its former glory.
I will control the pacing. This is a world shaped by choices, and I intend to place our characters into situations where they need to work together in order to survive.
[Technology]
After the apocalypse, technology has been largely wiped out or buried. The only thing that exists is a rudimentary steam engine that can hardly power a single person vehicle, or maybe a single, clunky automaton. There is room to create and rediscover technology that has been lost over time. Perhaps, even, if enough resources are collected, things like airships, steam-driven mechs, and clockwork soldiers will be possible, it all depends on the choices made throughout the roleplay.
That being said, I will have power over when things are discovered. My character (as you will see) is an engineer, and much of the inventions will come from him. That is not to say that your character cannot be an engineer as well, just run it by me first. I don’t want 6 engineers and nothing else.
[Weapons]
All manner of fantasy weapons are available here. Spears, swords, shields, bows, etc. Guns are also available, but they are going to be simple from the start; muskets and flintlocks, that is all. I intend to keep shields and armor relevant even when facing off against a gunslinging marksman. New guns may be discovered along the way, but I’m going to work hard on keeping swords and whatnot relevant all the time.
Be aware, if you choose to use a ranged weapon, you will have to explain how you get ammo. There aren’t going to be any shops or marketplaces, so scavenging is your friend in this case.
[Characters]
As I said before, making choices is an important part of this roleplay. Therefore, it is my intent to have your characters start out as mostly blank slates aside from their personality and whatnot. They have spent their whole lives in the colony having no knowledge of the world that came before this abysmal wasteland. As the roleplay and storyline continues, your characters will be presented with choices that will shape who they become. Things like weapons, magic, and even pets can be obtained, but must be chosen over other things.
When your character has something happen that is important for them, I will give you a small paragraph that you will put under the [Event] section of your character sheet. Something along the lines of:
During (quest line) Sally found an injured boar and fixed its leg. From that point onward, the boar became her companion.
These events will build up, and eventually you will have a library of accomplishments, weapons, and maybe even titles that have been gained by your characters over the course of the adventure.
One final thing to keep in mind before we get to the actual character sheets: if your character finds something like a sword on their adventure, bear in mind that they won’t be a master from the start. They will have to work on getting better and, over time, they might be able to achieve mastery. I’ll explain more about this as we get into the roleplay.
[Character Sheet]
Basic Info
Name: (First name only, the colonies lost the use of multiple names over time.)
Age: (Approximate if necessary. Characters between 20-35 are preferred.)
Appearance
Height: (In feet and inches.)
Weight: (In pounds.)
Build: (This can vary — slender athletic, slender, bulky, husky — it’s what you think describes your character the best as far as body type. Try to use no more than three words.)
Short Description: (As short as you can make it while still being clear. If you want to include a picture, you’re more than welcome to.)
History
(Something long enough for us to get an idea of what your character went through growing up in the colonies. Who were their parents? What was their situation growing up? Things like that.)
Personality
(This also can be short. Heck, if you can do it in three words, go for it. Nothing longer than a page, please.)
Equipment
Clothing: (No armor, just basic clothing descriptions. If you want to add clothing preferences here as well, go ahead.)
Other: (Trinkets, mementos, etc. If your character carries a journal, a necklace, or a picture of their grandma, put that here. No weapons, no magical artifacts.)
Events
(To be added as the RP goes on)
*****
Below is my character sheet so you have an idea of what to go off of. Take note of the fact that yours will begin to look more like mine as your character travels, taking up things like an Occupation, Weapons, and Powers. Like yours, my character will also have an Event section at the bottom, and can grow along with everyone else.
*****
Basic Info
Name: Nikolas Alexander Ivanson
Age: ~85
Occupation: Engineer, warrior, traveler
Appearance
Height: 5’10’’
Weight: 140-150 lbs
Build: Slender Athletic
Short Description: In spite of his age, Nikolas looks as if he is still in his mid 20s, and he has the energy to match. He has a soft face, pale skin, and a stubbly chin. His hair is short, thick, and dark brown. His eyes are a striking electric blue color.
History
Nikolas grew up in the time before the world began to burn off. He was the son of a blacksmith, and grew to love metalwork, weapons, and tinkering. When he was 15, he became the apprentice to an engineer, and took upon the study of lightning. Then, the forests began to die out, drying up and becoming so brittle that they would fall apart.
Like many others, Nikolas saw this as just a phase, and ignored it in favor of his studies. Then, one day when he was in his mid 20s, there was a great forest fire and the electrical battery prototype that Nikolas had been constructing exploded, nearly killing him. When he awoke, his fingers carried the tingle of electricity, and any living creature he touched ran the risk of dying.
Because of this, Nikolas hid himself away in exile. For years he watched the world decay around him while he remained young and spry. Feeling as if he had been cursed by some sort of higher power, Nikolas vowed to right the wrongs that his ignorance had helped to bring. He came out of exile with the sole intention of repairing the land.
Personality
Nikolas is friendly and cheerful. Anything that bothers him he bottles up and tries to ignore. He is not one to show his emotions readily to anyone, and he takes a great deal of time to really warm up to people. He is a natural leader and teacher, but his overwhelming compassion for others has led to great disappointments in the past.
Equipment
Clothing: Nikolas travels in a set of light leather and cloth armor and a deep red hooded cloak to keep him warm at night. He is not one for heavier sets of plated armor unless the situation specifically calls for such a thing. Nikolas prefers to remain light on his feet.
Weapons: In spite of the large library of weapons that he has collected, Nikolas usually chooses to travel with just his claymore and bow.
Other: Nikolas never goes anywhere without his light staff. The large bulb on top is powered by his electricity, but he is free to change the brightness with dials on the side. At it’s highest setting, the staff can illuminate an extremely wide area and also potentially blind foes.
To carry everything, Nikolas has a leather backpack and several pouches around his belt. Most of the things he takes with him are small trinkets. Nikolas is a collector, and often can’t help himself. He is almost always carrying a book or novel on him, and will read to occupy his spare time. As a traveler, he also carries basic survival gear with him. Any food he has is scavenged for along the way.
Powers/Abilities
Electric touch
Thanks to the explosion that gave him his extended lifespan, Nikolas has the ability to electrocute any living thing he touches. Unfortunately, this also does damage to him, and he cannot control how electricity flows through his fingertips. This is an inconsistent ability that could prick someone or kill them without warning. In the end, this isn’t so much of an ability as it is a curse. Nikolas currently has no control over this.
Expanded Lifespan
Also a result of the explosion, Nikolas has retained his youth for longer than normal. It is unknown how much his lifespan has been extended for.
Engineer
Nikolas is an accomplished and genius-level engineer. He works with great speed and dexterity and has been studying the design of automatons, and has a prototype in his workshop that runs off of the most basic steam engine. The only setback to this ability is the fact that Nikolas spent so much time studying electricity that is a bit of a novice at the construction of steam engines. He is learning.
Fighter - Claymore
Although not an expert, Nikolas can wield his claymore well enough to hold his own against most opponents. He has limited experience, however, and still has much learning to go.
Marksman - Basic Bow
On his travels, Nikolas has needed to use a bow in order to find food. From fishing to small game hunting. Over time, he has become increasingly accurate, and can hold his own well enough with bow combat.
Events
(to be added)
[About your GM]
I’m 22 years old, Male, and a recent college graduate. I roleplay as a hobby, but I write as a career. I have been roleplaying for a solid 7+ years now, and I have experience doing group work.
If you have any questions, or are interested, let me know! This RP is probably not going to officially start for another week or so, leaving us plenty of time to work out kinks.
Cheers!
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