[OOC] A Wizard's Pilgrimage

[VenatrixXII]

Doctor I love your character frames! What tool have you been using?

[Doctor Belasco]

Photoshop. Basic filter effects because I'm not very good but apparently if you take apart a portrait in the right way, it looks decent anyway. :P

Thanks!

[Imperfectionist]

Imperfectionist said
And they'd both know Veronica, because not only is she Emma's sister, but she also teaches at Beauxbatons! So, a double-connection there, for Lydia.

PrimezTime said
When you say both, who else do you mean other than Lydia?

I meant Amelia, who would know her through Emma. So, not only would Lydia and Amelia know each other, they'd also both be connected to the Robinsons. :) Which is cool.

And, yeah, Belasco, they could be colleagues! If Gertrud is ever introduced into the action of the game, we could do a scene comparing them to their respective younger siblings (especially if Johann and Emma are at each other's throats, and the two older witches are more amiable).

EDIT: Just saw the character thread, and I agree, Belasco, those portrait-graphics are very cool. :) You got mad skillz.

[Doctor Belasco]

Aww, you guys. :3
If I get bored later today I might make some for you (because my exams will prepare for themselves, obviously) if you want. I like to preface IC posts with respective characters' banners so it's super obvious which character is being posted about.

In other news, I may make an NPC sort of sheet for Gertrud if she should ever turn up. And probably give her a nicer name. I like German, but some of the names can be pretty gross.

[Doctor Belasco]

So, I got bored and my exam revision did itself (conveniently) so I had time to play with Photoshop. If any character names or appearances change, I will stop loving you.

Logan

Nymia

Emma

The text annoys me on this now I've made it so if you don't like it, I'm happy to change it.

Lydia

Grant

Dale

I was kind of running out of ideas so I might have another crack at this if you don't like it.

Amelia

The image was already pretty stylised so I, uh, just gave her a shiny thing to vaguely sort of look at. Hmm. I might give it another go.

[VenatrixXII]

Doctor Belasco said
So, I got bored and my exam revision did itself (conveniently) so I had time to play with Photoshop. If any character names or appearances change, I stop loving you.

I like them! But I'll be honest, I don't like the font. The only visual tweaks I'd do, is remove the (crotch shot) for Nym and change the green square for Dale, to her mouth. Pretty close to the point for all of them. I like Dale's, it's perfect, it matches her bubbly personality!
I'd go with these font types though:
Nym
Dale
Lydia
Grant

[Doctor Belasco]

Glad you like them. :)
Unfortunately, if there's any way of me importing fonts into Photoshop, I have no idea how it's to be done and computers make me want to smack my face/the computer in question/both off a wall, so it's unlikely I'll be trying to learn any time soon. If you know how to do it, I'm happy to send you the PSD file so you can finish it up yourself. Alternatively, if you can get me a -really good quality- image of the text exactly how you want it, I can C&P it in.

I did think about putting Dale's mouth in, but I think it centred the graphic too much - the squares haven't been moved; the picture has simply been deleted around them, so the mouth would end up dead centre. It also didn't help that the hands are kind of there, which means the mouth has to be mahoosive or teeny-tiny. Basically, I tried it but I didn't especially like it. Similar thing for Nymia; I didn't want the crotch shot itself, but my brain demanded four bubbles for beautaficity and that three of them be flesh - and I couldn't really find any other skin that was identifiable as, well, skin. Anyway. I'll fix them if you're not going to do anything with them (not that I think they'd actually look better :P), but I really can't do anything with the text beyond removing it altogether.

[VenatrixXII]

Oh no worries, it's not that important, just found it nice to look at. Don't mind my criticism, I'm really picky.

[Sloth]

Everybody be jealous of Logan's all seeing eye.

But on a serious note, I love it, makes me want to brush up on my Photoshop Kung-fu.

[Imperfectionist]

I need to make an edit. Mad skillz to the extreme. Though I agree that the text for Emma's banner isn't the best.

[PrimezTime]

Yo Vena, what's the ETA on the IC? And are those other players in or out?

[Doctor Belasco]

Imperfectionist said
I need to make an edit. Mad skillz . Though I agree that the text for Emma's banner isn't the best.

:3

It's pretty easy. It all comes down to clicking until it looks pretty.
I'm probably just gonna skim the text off all of them.

[Imperfectionist]

:) I forgot to say this earlier, but I love the eye-focus on several of them. Logan, definitely, but also Dale and especially Grant. :P I feel like he's giving me his "ladykiller" look.

[Doctor Belasco]

I think Logan was definitely the winner out of the batch xD
I only discovered half the effects I used as I did it but I think I've already forgotten how to use most of them. D'oh.

Butmoreimportantlywhenarewegettingstarted?

Also, Primez, can you upload Amelia to the character sheet page please?

Edit: de-texted versions. I uploaded them quickly and my internet's crappy, so they may be horrible quality uploads and I can't tell.

Nymia

or

Grant

Emma

Dale

or

or

Amelia

Lydia

Johann

Logan

Michael

[VenatrixXII]

I like the second one for Nym. I also actually like the last one for Dale. I know I asked for her mouth, but now I see what you meant. Looks wrong. Lol.

ETA. I want to wait for a few more days, if that's alright with you all. Jannah is close to finishing his essay, or if you would all rather he join later on, then we can start soon. Still never got a group vote on our meeting place. France, and we all already know each other (or at least to a degree)? Arlear and Fowlishness have not replied to my pm's but, again, if it's cool with everyone, they can join later. Drama could hinder their departing, etc.

How would you all like this to start out? Instant, pulled to the core of the climax by being present when something crazy happens? Treat it like a vacation and wander until we get into trouble? Would you like to try and blend in with Muggle's and we all take a flight on a plane? Dale would probably give them all away though, seeing she's more like Steve Irwin/Brick. I guess at this point I don't have any leads for Grant, seeing Arlear and Fowlishness won't be joining us, this means no Ravenclaw jokster pal or fellow Slytherin.

[Doctor Belasco]

VenatrixXII said
Jannah is close to finishing his essay, or if you would all rather he join later on, then we can start soon.

Still never got a group vote on our meeting place. France, and we all already know each other (or at least to a degree)?

Arlear and Fowlishness have not replied to my pm's but, again, if it's cool with everyone, they can join later. Drama could hinder their departing, etc.

How would you all like this to start out? Instant, pulled to the core of the climax by being present when something crazy happens? Treat it like a vacation and wander until we get into trouble? Would you like to try and blend in with Muggle's and we all take a flight on a plane?

If Jannah has to wait a few days to upload a character it'll take a few days after that before the character is accepted and the RP begins - knowing RP's, it'd be another week before we can begin! I, at least, can't wait that long. :P

France is a good place to start for me. Johann can be staying with his sister and he'll meet y'all there.

Don't see why not.

No idea; clearly there are some old plots from the last incarnation I'm not aware of so I'll go with whatever. I'd be surprised if a group of wizards wouldn't take a portkey, but if we start a little way in it almost doesn't matter.

[VenatrixXII]

I wanna leave the RP open for a while, but we will start without them. Personally feel like we need at least two Ravenclaws, another Slytherin, and probably an exchange grad from the US and Asia. Like I said, despite my GM responsibilities, I want everyone to partake in plot and destination. Later on I'll have a few of you Co-GM if you'd like.

Catchamber is no longer with us, but not much of a loss since they initially intended to never create a CS and only come up with NPC villians and plot. Which was honestly fine with me, seeing that any individual's writing skills doesn't always constitue for character building, but le sigh.

Anywho, I'll try to explain the gist of our trip.

We start in France and flee to the Black Forest (unknown atm, but leaning more to Logan being half leprechaun and how much Veela's detest them. Then we can go two ways: North or South.
North through whatever countries, and definitely Germany, to Russia, and then a lovely hike through the Plateau to India and Asian countries. Where we'd then head back to Arab countries and Africa.
Or South through Europe, like Italy, Greece, Spain, Isreal, Egypt, then to India and Asia. After that we head to Australia and then Cape Horn where we discover a secret Wizarding world, seeing no human could live in such climate without aided magic. When we've finished there we migrate North through South America to the US. We definitely need to road trip to major cities and hopefully come across more secret Wizarding communities.

Oh! I wanted to keep this on the down low but the idea is so exciting for me that I can't keep it secret until then. In LA we run into hippie wizards who came up with a new twist, surfing Quidditch! Heeee. X3

When we've tired of the US we explore Canada and then go back to France. I really liked Imp/Primez's idea (can't remeber who said it in the old RP) on our return to France. It won't be awkwardly romancy and it'll show the drastic changes between everyone. To end it all, we all go our own ways.

Currently on my cell so I can't access files to locations, but there are a few awesone ones I've mentioned before in the old RP where magical creatures could live. I'll post them tomorrow, but let me know where else you all had in mind to go.

I want a few devious villians that we need to overcome, but they won't quite be on Voldy's level. Also really want a Muggle or two to witness/catch on to us but, instead of altering their memories, our characters learn that some are open minded and accepting enough to trust, thus they tag along for a bit. Undercover wizards in the Muggle technological work place also sounds cool and I want to influence a wizard web which works on magical frequencies, kind of like the radio stations in the books. I know I'm missing something that I just typed before my cell refreshed the page, but I'm sure everything will come back to me when I wake up... Lol

I'll start working on the first IC post tomorrow. Honestly stressing out though... I hate being so broke in this economy! Constantly struggling to make ends meet, but always end up paying rent and bills really late.

[PrimezTime]

Sounds fun, Vena. I definitely have some ideas in mind for various countries and regions, especially in regards to locations and beasts.

As for a roadmap, I recommend starting like at Paris, France? Let's say everyone that was at Hogwarts discussed in detail about meeting somewhere in Paris and waiting x amount of days before heading North. Perhaps we go North to Amsterdam and then swing East to Bulgaria and continue to Moscow. From Moscow, let's say something draws us to head South to Greece. From there, Egypt and then onto South Africa. From there... well Australia, India, South America.

[VenatrixXII]

I'm not sure what you guys want for the intro. Do we all know one another and have already met up to discuss our next move? Or we start mid-action as we run into mischief?

[Doctor Belasco]

Most characters will surely already know one another, having all gone to school together and presumably been aware that everybody else is going on the trip. I'm not sure about Lydia, but I'll throw Johann in shortly after the RP starts. Do we have an idea for what our first actual little adventure will be? Again, I wasn't in the last incarnation of this so I don't know.

I like Primez's general outline. It almost suits the narrative about wizarding Germany to have the group consciously avoid Germany at at least the start of their European adventures. Perhaps events conspire to take them there or they simply go there a little later in their trip. Or, they might warily plan on going at the start of the trip and get into trouble with authority - their magical Visas aren't valid (or whatever) and they basically get deported. Of course, they could always try to return later to fit the story. Since we're kind of going to be making up the wizarding world, beyond muggle events and geography, we can simply make up the politics of the wizarding governance of nations to suit the story we want to tell - to that end, it might be worth people with a preferred interpretation of one particular nation to throw ideas out as and when they occur.

Incidentally, if we're to tie any of our adventures to those NPCs and PCs that're tied to Beauxbatons, it's worth noting that Beauxbatons is located in the Pyrenees in the South-East of France and nowhere near Paris.

Also thinking of throwing together a last-minute Slytherin to keep Grant company. Was thinking perhaps an ex with whom he's now close friends (to the immense displeasure of his later conquests).