For Captain Cal Strand, the gravy train done left the station. He’s stuck on Persephone, high an’ dry, with a boat needs tendin’ an’ all his crew in the wind. Seein’ as he’s pulled more’n his share of fast ones on the Alliance, the thought of hightailin’ it to the black is all kinds of pleasin’. Of course, he wasn’t countin’ on an engine held together with duct tape and bailing wire, a crime boss sportin’ a grudge, a pithy AI, or a cranky teenager with an itchy trigger finger. The China Doll could be that gift horse whose mouth he shoulda checked, dohn mah?
The year’s 2521. War ended a decade ago. Been 3 years since the Miranda Broadwave riled some folk up, but the Alliance put the boot down on that right quick. It ain’t easy for “naughty men to slip about” these days, but there’s still work as can be had, long’s the price is right an’ you ain’t the curious type.
“Firefly – Second ‘Verse” is an episodic PBP game. Character and plot development will be encouraged and written over the course of each episode. Certain adventures will involve “capers,” live action scenes played out in chat by member players. These scenes could vary from crimes to action to something as simple as everyone talking over the galley table.
We got need of First Mate, Pilot, Mechanic, Medic, and a couple deckhands what know cargo straps and how to shoot. Always room for a Companion, or if you hear the callin’, a shepherd don’t hurt. Passengers, too, but don’t let none of this fence you in. There’s lots of different folk out there. After all...it’s a mighty big ‘verse.
Writers will submit a bio for each character they choose to play. Typical bio information will include:
Name Physical appearance (gender, age, height, physical build, etc. Photos are welcome.) Skill set, mannerisms Character Back Story
Members may create NPC’s to move their personal character arcs. NPC’s may be shared by other member writers.
Posting Frequency:
Some of us can obsessively post every day, while others don’t have the luxury. While we encourage all members to post frequently, we’ll begin with a minimum rate of 1 post every 3 days.
Post length/quality:
The more you bring to the party, the more others are inspired to interact with you. We suggest a 2 paragraph minimum per post. While we encourage our writers to check spelling and grammar, this is Firefly. Sometimes, words just don’t go right… Use your best judgment.
A few thoughts on creating characters:
The Firefly ‘verse contains no alien life forms. Unless you want to portray the ship’s dog, cat, or goldfish, plan on writing a human being.
Humans are great! They can have more than one skill, and plenty of interests. Capt. Cal is likely to hire a pilot who can handle themselves in a dustup or a gunfight, as well as being able to whip up a mean pot of beans and rice. Humans are also messy, insecure, neurotic, and prone to mistakes. You think you’re weird? Lemme tell ya…
If you’re a super soldier/kung fu master/neurosurgeon who is impervious to pain and has never suffered a loss, there are plenty of other games for that character type. Yonder’s the door.
Looking for inspiration?
We suggest the following: “Firefly” TV series…14 episodes of awesome.
“Serenity” feature film…picks up where the series left off.
There’s also a decent series of graphic novels and a Firefly RPG kit out there. Nice, but not necessary.
For a deeper dive:
Western films. Some of our favorites include ‘Tombstone,’ ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,’ ‘The Magnificent Seven’ (I like the Denzel Washington version). It’s a long list. What’s your favorite?
American history from post Civil War to 1900.
Sounds like a powerful lot, don’t it? The Firefly plot was created with all those inspirations in mind, but they never got the chance to build on that foundation. What that leaves us is a mighty big ‘verse with a wealth of character and story types to play out.
I personally, am a veteran and feel comfortable creating characters who are also veterans. My guy is a veteran and knows how to fight. He will be a veteran of the Unification War, but I'll wait for your CS on Cal Strand before I develop his back story. I have written everything else to include a small cache of (3) firearms. I believe Jayne's arsenal was more elaborate than My character's. He is a deck hand, but could be used in another capacity if necessary; definitely a fighter. As well as being a veteran, I have a martial arts back ground. I am no Kung Fu master, but I trained in Krav Maga for almost seven years and can write those skills into any post if necessary. As a seasoned writer I would often write injuries and failures that befall my characters. They may appear OP on paper, but never exhibit those qualities in character. I try to write flaws into their actions. Writing Gary Stu's are extremely boring. Writing about a character who loses is so much better for the reader and the writer.
The more you bring to the party, the more others are inspired to interact with you. We suggest a 2 paragraph minimum per post. While we encourage our writers to check spelling and grammar, this is Firefly. Sometimes, words just don’t go right… Use your best judgment.
Spelling inside quotations should be according to the character’s dialect in accordance with the Firefly story. Text outside quotations belongs to the author. This spelling/grammar should be according to your standards. I tend to write in advanced standards. What the character says, just might be unintelligent gibberish.
@Gunther Sounds like a mighty fine plan. Character sheets are up and expect some intro posts in the next few days. Feel free to fill out a sheet of your own and post it here when you’re ready.
Never seen Firefly but this was recommended by a friend and it looks interesting. Posting on my cell phone so I hope the format doesn't go crazy on me
NAME| Alana Lysanger
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE| The young woman is a 28 year old female, standing at approximately 5 feet, 4 inches in height. She has blonde hair and blue eyes, normal features that got unnoticed were it not for her prominent eyebrows. Alana has the occasional scar acquired throughout the years but she is blemish-free. She does, however, have a tattoo of a sunflower on the back of her right shoulder.
Fashion wise, Alana dresses for comfort a little more so than for looks. She is practical but that doesn't mean her choice in clothing is poor.
SKILL SET, MANNERISMS| A bit of a recluse and distant. Alana is not all that much for conversation unless actively busy in the performance of her duties. Nonetheless, she's friendly and welcoming, typically not one to turn away from a conversation when engaged. Despite her past, Alana is able to work well under pressure, having saved quite a few lives in the past. During stressful situations, she'll push aside any form of emotion or feelings. She's honest about who she is, as well as the work she does, and considers herself to be a realist rather than an optimist.
CHARACTER BACKSTORY| Born and raised in a moderately stable home to Zak and Dev Lysanger, Alana had a happy life during her childhood years. Her older brother of 5 years her senior, Tyson Lysanger, was quite the trouble-maker, though she still loved him regardless. She looked up to him, and even though they went at each other's throats every now and then, the two grew fond of each other with time, shifting from sibling rivalry to a bond that would make them nearly inseparable despite whatever challenges were thrown their way.
Growing up, the siblings were raised with the right values and teachings that shaped them into the adults they would eventually become, or at least, that was the case for Alana. When Tyson was of age, he went to war. The family as a whole was not happy about the decision, but they were well aware of the fact that it was not up to them. Time went on for the remaining Lysangers, going on about their business as usual. One random day out of the blue, Tyson showed up home without any sort of prior notification. Not that they were unhappy to see him, they just weren't expecting him. But once the initial surprise subsided, Zak, Dev, and Alana noticed that something wasn't right. Tyson was different, the person there with them not the Tyson they knew before his deployment. That odd feeling lasted for a few days before the unthinkable happened. As the family was having a quiet supper, Tyson, without so much as a warning, pulled a small weapon from his waistband and subsequently proceeded to shoot his father in the head followed by his mother. Alana sat frozen and wide-eyed, having just witnessed her parents' murder carried out by her older brother. He aimed the gun at her, but he didn't pull the trigger even though his finger was resting on it. Instead, a single tear escaped his left eye before placing the tip of the gun against the side of his head and shooting himself dead.
Needless to say, Alana's traumatic experience led her to experience a level of grief not quite known to her before. She developed depression as a result, and even went through a phase of constant criminal activity. But after all was said and done, Alana knew she had to move on with her life. Given she couldn't do anything to save her family's life on that god awful evening, Alana decided she'd join the medical field, a profession which she'd considered in the past. Still somewhat numb from her trauma, Alana up and left home once she had her career in order, deciding that new adventures would do her some good.
She's currently one of the newer crew members, having being onboard for only a few months.
@Xandrya Hello and welcome to FF2V! We're about to start dropping story posts to help everyone get their bearings. Once that's done, we'll post an OOC note.
Alana's CS looks like a great start, but we might drop a PM with minor adjustments to her time aboard the boat. Wolf and I are currently engaged in high level discussions on the topic (including whiskey and baseball bats...it's a thing.)
One thing we strongly encourage would be your familiarization with the Firefly story. There are 14 TV episodes, and the feature film "Serenity" continues the tale. It's all available on Amazon Prime, and about the right length to binge over a holiday weekend!
"God grant me the serenity to accept things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the firepower to make the difference."
Name: Joseph Hooker (Nickname: Joe, Jo-Jo, or Hook) Age: 36
Physical appearance: Joe Hooker stands 6’ 1” tall and weighs 200 Lbs. He has dark African colored skin with black African hair and beard. He often wears dirty old blue coveralls or tan canvas trousers with cargo pockets, black T-shirt and work boots. He has a heavy dark brown corduroy jacket he prefers to wear on inclement planets with the necessary accoutrements, hat, gloves and goggles as needed. His appearance is not meticulous, nor slovenly; simply less than noteworthy.
Courtesy: Donald Glover
Skills: Joe is a hardworking man, focused on his assignments. Having been spit out on the wrong side of the Unification War, Joe Hooker or “Hook” as his comrades called him, learned many lessons on how to fight, from hand-to-hand combat to the use of rifles and pistols. Due to his lack of trust in most everyone he comes in contact with he maintains a small cache of weapons and ammunition including a Ruger Red Hawk stainless revolver chambered in .44 caliber, an M1 Carbine, .30 caliber with walnut stock, and an H&K 770 gas operated .308 caliber rifle with telescopic sight and walnut finish. On his duty belt he carries a K-Bar knife in a scabbard along with a multi-tool. Combat in the outer planets has taught him a few things about defending himself and others. He can identify many of the vehicles, weapon systems and methods of operations used by the Alliance soldiers of the inner planets. Joe Hooker has loaded and unloaded several cargo bays since the war ended, learning the most efficient way to stack supplies. He has learned a few things about chemical compounds to, what can be stacked near what and so on; at least the hazardous compounds the ship might carry. Before attaining adulthood, Joe spent time in the kitchen learning how to cook a few simple recipes and has been perfecting his culinary skills. He often doubles as a cook on the ships he works on.
Personality: Hook is a quiet man, keeping his thoughts to himself. He enjoys traveling and the menial labor as a deckhand is well suited for him. It is not that he doesn’t mind it, he actually enjoys menial labor, a rare breed indeed. Hook is suspicious of most people, keeping to himself. One of the reasons he is the cook, is because he doesn’t trust others to prepare a meal for him. Hook enjoys gambling, cards or dice. When intoxicated, Hook goes through three phases. First, he is a happy drunk dancing, yelling and telling the world anything and everything. Second, he becomes a mean drunk wanting to fight all takers, trash talking people and making disparaging comments about folk he knows or doesn’t. Third, if he drinks too much, he passes out and falls into a comatose like slumber.
Character Back Story: Hook never knew his parents. His earliest memories are on the farm on Hera. The farm was an orphanage. The boys who lived there, toiled the land as farmhands. Working the farm taught him a strong work ethic. It is a trait that has followed him into adulthood. He values hard work in those around him.
As a young boy, he received a minimal education; he can read, write and perform simple arithmetic. He is not a learned man but knows enough to get by.
Life at the farm / orphanage was tough for young, Jo-Jo. He had to learn to fight seemingly on a daily basis. As appearances are reality, the other boys liked to play and often they turned to fighting as a means of amusement. For Joe Hooker, fighting became a game. He learned various techniques from the other boys or ship’s crews who took the time to share their knowledge with the boys. Even though life was tough, he adapted well.
When the Unification War came to the border planets, Joe Hooker was already in his 20s. He and several of the boys from the farm, joined a local militia unit. The boys had grown accustomed to using firearms as taught to them by the McGinnis family who ran the farm and fed the boys. They appreciated the McGinnis Family, but received no love from them. It was only their brotherhood. Seven boys left the farm to fight for the Browncoats.
Hook, as he was called by his mates in the unit, was haunted by a few horrifying experiences during the war. Mainly, he blamed himself for surviving when his six brothers from the farm did not. It was a feeling he would never shake. He would remember Jake, Paul, Winston, Derek, Carl and Theo for the rest of his life.
When the war ended, he had not much left to his name, hiring onto a passing merchant ship as a deckhand. He worked the job for the next decade or more carrying boxes and whatever else the captain of the ship agreed to haul for the right price. He accumulated a small sum of cash and promptly spent it about as fast as he could earn it. He cooked meals for the crew using recipes he learned on the farm. Occasionally, he lost his money in a game of chance or at some distant brothel. Joe Hooker didn’t care if he had money. He had no plan for the future; just to work and make whatever money he could to satisfying his current urges. He did save enough for his weapons, ammunition and equipment he used on the ship.
Joe found himself on Persephone out of work, doing the duffel bag shuffle. He caught wind of a man named Calvin Strand looking for crewmembers for his ship, China Doll. “Ahm shore if it pays good, it’ll do.” Joe made his way to the berthing port for the Doll to introduce himself to Cap’n Strand.
I invited @Xandrya and @Kalleth if they were interested. It is a great show, Xandrya! Not sure how much exposure to the show you guys were looking for. Although I watched it quite a bit last year, I still refer to the Wiki for details.
@Gunther Thanks for a well detailed CS! I'm pretty sure that our Cap'n and I will have starter posts up by tomorrow night. In the meantime, if you both want to move your CS into the "Character" tab, that'll inch us closer to start. Here's the crew as we have it:
Captain - Cal Strand Medic - Alana Lysanger Deckhand #1 - Joe Hooker (Hook) Deckhand #2 - Abby Travis
To roll the game forward, we might add a couple NPC's to crucial positions until other folk join in. In the meantime, we're so glad to have you on board, and we hope everyone has a great holiday weekend.
We've got our first 2 posts up, which should give you an idea of the situation. If your CS has been signed off by the megalomaniacs who put this outfit together, please go ahead and make sure it's posted to the "Crew" tab.
If you're new to the boat and looking for work, Abby's the first one you'll meet. Her writer is available for JP's or back and forth posting, but both will be a bit delayed through the holiday weekend.
Hey all! I figured I'd provide some information that I would have found helpful out of the gate when I started RPing with a group like this.
As you all can probably tell, we have a habit of writing joint posts together, and in order to include everyone on the fun I thought I'd address it explicitly. Joint posts (JP's) are a great way to keep the chemistry rolling from one interaction to the next in order to frame a scene together between two or more writers (yes, we could all do one together!). This typically happens in a shared Google Doc where we can set the stage, add our character's actions, then leave a <Tag> for another writer to jump in for their character. Upon consensus, we can end the scene and one of the writers is cleared to post. It's that easy! Feel free to invite any of your fellow writers or GM's to JP with you.
Another tidbit I'd like to pass on is the wisdom of letting your GM's know any personal character plots you'd like to see brought to fruition. We want to get to know your characters as much as you do, and thus we definitely want to provide room for your characters to grow. Fill Sail or me in on what sort of arc you're thinking, or we'll just blindly lead you through our own personal plots and vendettas! That's a promise.
Sail and I are often chatting on Google Chat (formerly Hangouts), but we'd be willing to change the medium if others wanted to chat in another location. Let us know!
And that's all the wisdom I've been blessed with. Happy Fourth of July!
JP/Joint Post is what is traditionally known as a Collaboration. At least that's what it has been for the past 10 years or so; before and after the crash (12/2012).
I offer this discord channel for conversations if you wish... Firefly Second Verse
If I don't do something tomorrow, it will definitely be on Monday. The wife is home tomorrow. I usually don't get into RPs much when she is around.
I haven't been on RPGuild in a while due to having a baby monopolize my time now (which I don't mind at all - he's adorable, and 4 months old now! <3) I am starting to get a tiny bit of free time here and there, but honestly probably not enough to properly join an RP. I did want to say that I am so~ beyond~ sad~ that a decent Firefly RP has popped up, it's the first thing I see when I log in, and I can't join. *insert tragic figure here* It's my ultimate favorite thing, and it seems like this would be an awesome group to be with! Good luck guys!! I may creep-read, and if pacing between you guys's posts are well enough for me to pop in, then I'll apply if there is still room.
@Aalakrys Great hearing from you, and thanks for the kind wishes. More important, congratulations on your little one!
If you do feel you’d like to give it a go, we’d love to have you aboard. Perhaps you could join as a passenger, to test the waters without an overt commitment.
Regardless, Wolf and I are glad you dropped by, and we hope to sail with you soon.
@Aalakrys Congratulations on the bundle of joy! I have four and was the stay-at-home parent for 12 years. It is the best job in the whole world. I totally understand the withdrawals you are experiencing. There is nap time depending on your child. My first child (girl) slept 16 hours out of a 24-hour day. I had a lot of free time. Often times I would park her near me when I was on the PC writing.
Thank you both so much! That's so sweet of you. <3
@Gunther Wow!! I'm lucky if this little guy takes a nap at all during the day that isn't more than 20 minutes. He fights sleep so bad, then gets mad about being tired. He may~ take after me on that, but since he looks like my husband's mini-me I suppose he has to have something from me. xD What is so rude is that he'll nap for hours at a time at daycare. But on the weekends, nope, has to spend the. whole. day. with Mommy and Daddy. Which is sweet, and his cry face is so funny and adorable, but ... c'mon. xD
Anyway~ Yes!! I talked to my husband about it. I can definitely make the minimum mentioned in the game info. Since my little guy passed out (probably because today was the refusal to sleep at all, all day Day), I can get started on a CS. That is what takes me the longest, if I'm honest... Settling on a character in creation. I'm one of those who will spend hours making a character in a game then have to go to bed before even playing because Adult-Life. Sigh~ =P
~edit~
I am seriously considering the option of the ship's dog. Or cat. xD
@wanderingwolf@sail3695 I just finished reading the first two posts. Well done. I like what I have seen thus far. I would like to collaborate with sail; essentially a conversation between Abby and Hook. We can set up a google doc and write there is you like.
