Dreamscape | A World Forgotten
A Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy Roleplay | GM'd by Leslie HallInspired by Dark Souls, Undertale, Journey and heavily influenced by the beautiful culture of the Indigenous Australian people
Amazing artwork by Vennom07 on DeviantArt!
Chapter 1 | A New Horizon
"Men, by nature, are curious beings. So much so that we would forsake everything we ever knew, for even the slightest glimpse at what’s beyond the horizon. We seek an understanding of our existence; the truth..." Anonymous, 24 Cycles after The Silence.
The new world of Eden is quickly approaching it's turnover to a new century, and humanity is slowly starting to recover from the cataclysmic event that changed the world one thousand years ago. The Silence, as it's known, transformed the world into a strange, desolate place filled with unique creatures and environments. Humanity barely managed to cling to life. They lost their homes, their families and their cultures. From the remnants of their fallen societies, a new hope arose among the remaining members of humanity. It is not known why, but the humans were quick to embrace Eden. Despite the circumstances they found themselves in, people were happy. They saw The Silence not as the end, but a new beginning. They slowly started to rebuild their societies, and although mankind's evolution was sent back to a more primal time; the knowledge of those who lived before The Silence combined with humanities unbridled desire for change has caused the human societies to once again rise above the other species even in a few short centuries.
The Anshar tribe is one such human society, situated in a place named the Dreamscape. The Dreamscape is a large desert, spanning thousands of miles from one ocean to the other. There are a handful of small oasis' situated within the Dreamscape where many small tribes reside. The Ansharin Oasis is where our story begins. Strong willed and resourceful, the Ansharin's are trained young to hunt and survive in The Dreamscape. Most are content with their peaceful lives, but there are some among the new generation who yearn for something different. They want to explore beyond the Dreamscape, see the rest of Eden. Their curiosity is frowned upon by their elders, as the histories inform us that it was mankind's curiosity that brought The Silence.
One day, a young Ansharin finds an old weathered journal from a time before The Silence. Will you be able to resist the temptation? Can you truly live in stagnancy? Or will you let your thirst control you, even though you fear it may change the world yet again?
~ Roleplay Rules ~
~ Respect the authority of the GM's as well as each other. ~
~ General roleplaying rules are expected. As well as a casual level of writing. ~
~ One character per person at the moment. Opportunities for additional characters will arise later. ~
~ Magic, as well as other fantasy elements, will become more prominent later in the story. At the start no character will possess magic. ~
~ Rules are subject to change or be added to as I see fit. ~
Known Locations
Will update as we discover them
✦ The Dreamscape | Ansharin Oasis Located in the south-east deserts of The Dreamscape, the Anshar Tribe call this oasis home. Thick bush land accompanies the oasis, remaining luscious and vibrant thanks to the fresh spring water of the Oasis. Many hand crafted huts and statues litter the area around the water. There is one large hut, in which the tribe elders reside and teach The Dreams to the newer generations. In front of this hut, is a large fire pit where the tribe gathers for celebrations and to worship their Gods.
The outskirts of the Oasis is where the majority of the tribe's food is grown to be stored in the elder's hut. Beyond this point, is the Moodjar Plains in the west.
✦ The Dreamscape | Moodjar Plains Expansive, dry plains reaching for miles to the west. The plains act as the Anshar Tribe's hunting grounds, where there is a multitude of fauna and flora for them to hunt for food and pelts. Beyond the plains to the west is nothing as far as the eyes can see, but to the north-west there lies a strange mountain where the tribesmen are forbidden to explore.
The Ansharin Culture
In order to stay authentic, I ask that our characters adhere to this description of the Ansharin Culture. This includes physical traits. If you are uncomfortable with roleplaying as a different ethnicity then perhaps this isn't the roleplay for you.
Like many humans trying to rebuild their lives after The Silence, the Ansharin Tribe surfaced when a group of different individuals from various backgrounds and lifestyles decided to band together and create a new home. While it wasn't the most popular choice, the south-east plains of The Dreamscape would become the base of their lives. The beautiful Oasis along with plentiful wildlife meant they could be more than capable of sustaining themselves for generations. As the generations passed, the Anshar people's appearance and language evolved to become very distinctive and unique to their tribe. The Ansharin have a dark, almost caramel like skin tone and usually sport very prominent features. Their bodies are well suited for hunting and traversing the desert. Their most notable trait, is their bodies natural ability to preserve water. An Ansharin can survive up to three days without water, although this is not recommended. The Ansharin native language is derived heavily from a mixture of multiple languages from before The Silence. You don't have to learn a different language, but please be aware that when you write dialogue in English; it will actually be in the Ansharin tongue.
The Ansharin are known for their skilled hunters and resourcefulness. It is considered a great sign of disrespect in the Anshar tribe to be wasteful of anything the land presents to them. They make use of everything; gathering fruit and then using the strong, sturdy leaves of certain plants to weave other tools such as baskets and nets. They use every part of the animals they hunt, even the fur pelts for clothing. They attribute this respect of nature to their God, Kedalup. This is the name given to the land, and they are taught young that taking the generosity of Kedalup in vain is a sin so great that it may bring about another Silence. There are many mysteries about The Silence that the newer generation of the Anshar Tribe are left in the dark about. The elder's forbid the teaching of the time before The Silence, treating it as the ultimate taboo.
The Ansharin traditional garments consist of mostly a set of shin guards from the pelt of various animals, a leather belt adorned with pelts and feathers to wear around the waist and a large shawl made from the skin of a Ngarlak. The pelt is surprisingly light, and offers sufficient protection from the desert sun and the chilling cold of The Dreamscape's harsh nights. In order to hunt, the Ansharin use hand crafted spears, bows and daggers. These are often carved from the sturdy tusks of the Ngarlak and tied to sturdy pieces of wood. The female and male attire are the same, as the Ansharin do not value one gender over the other. All are equal in the eyes of Kedalup.
The Ansharin people sport a very rich culture of music, dance and art. It isn't uncommon for Ansharin to go out on hunts wearing ceremonial paints. Some of the even more skilled hunters are given tattoos to represent their strength and to prove that they are a warrior. These people are remembered in the Dream; the oral recollection of the tribes history that is passed from the elders to the new generation through a series of song, dances and folk stories. The Ansharin have no written language, and they tell their story through art and performance, as well as word of mouth.
The Dream
Here is a brief description of what the Ansharin Dream really is.
Being a culture with no written forms of communication, the Ansharin people rely heavily on oral recollections of their history. This is told through song, dance, art and sometimes just spoken aloud to the tribe by the pensive elders. This tale is known as the Dream, and every Ansharin possesses a spiritual connection to it. To think of the Dream as just simple stories is considered a sign of ignorance. Any one who recounts the Dream will tell you that their is a strange connection between the Anshar Tribe and the Dream; as if it is a more tangible substance than just folk lore. It is for this reason that every Ansharin aspires to be recognised within the Dream. To become remembered in the Dream an Ansharin must perform a feat that displays their devotion to Kedalup. This can come in many forms, such as through the actions of a skilled hunter or a hard working labourer. Sometimes a person only ever performs one great feat in their life, but it is grand enough for it to be remembered for generations.
Being remembered in the Dream is more than just having stories told about you for years to come. Any who are remembered receive a spiritual ascension so great that their name is changed. The Elders bestow a new name upon them, and annoint their flesh with tattoos depicting the tale of their namesake. The Ansharin are usually renamed for various animals or plants within the Dreamscape. Most Ansharin don't feel incredibly different after being named, but the Elders of the tribe are able to see that a change has taken place within them. The Dream is spiritual concept unique to the Ansharin, and it is considered sacred to them.
Character Sheet
This is just the very basic CS. Feel free to change the formatting to make your CS more aesthetically pleasing if you'd like.
Name - There is no strict naming convention for the characters. However if you don't mind doing a quick google search, Indigenous Australian names would be preferred.
Gender - Male, Female or specify if those aren't applicable.
Age - This is very much a coming of age story, so I would like the characters to be between 14 and 25.
Appearance - A brief description of what your character looks like. Please refer to the cultural summary when writing this. I kept the appearance details VERY brief because I would like you guys to have some freedom with how you portray your character. You can also use an image if you'd like, but please avoid using anime unless you find an absolutely perfect image that fits your character AND is appropriate to the tribal theme.
Personality - A brief description of what your character values. What inspires them, and how they are seen by others. This can be revealed in the IC if you'd like; but I would at least appreciate a few key words describing them as well as a short little passage about why they wish to see Eden. Why are they so tempted to leave the tribe and explore this strange new world?
Skills - What is your character good at? Remember to keep it culturally appropriate to the Ansharin people. If you want to put something that you're not sure about here, please ask a GM. Later on in the roleplay, magic will become more prominent. However it remains as an unknown skill and will be left out until further notice.
Equipment - What does your character carry? Keep it realistic. Remember, the Ansharin aren't the most advanced people. We don't have access to weapon smiths.
Biography - This roleplay is more about the journey, rather than what came before. So the bio is completely optional. I won't mind if you leave it out, but of coarse I won't stop you from adding one if you desire so! Again, this can also be revealed in the IC.
