The Tower stood against the heavens, its gently twisting shape unmoving and dominant. A gnarled white scar across the cloudless blue sky at day, and a looming mass darker than black in the night. It rose without end, its scale incomprehensible for the absurdity of its construction. It had come from nothing, among the few who witnessed the event the story was always the same. A brilliant, blinding light had scorched away fields and forests, leaving nothing but an ashen waste in its wake. The acrid smoke of destroyed life had remained for hours, an eddying monolith of gray that denied the sun. When it had dissipated, the tower stood in its place, stretching into the sky with no end in sight. Those who came to investigate were greeted by terror. From the base of the tower sprang an impenetrable woods, growing at an unnatural rate to recover the wasteland. In its depths, the parties found themselves lost and tormented by creatures never seen in the land before. Those who managed to leave traveled, telling the story of the strange tower and what came to be known as Bauchan Forest. Adventurers, hunters, and academics alike found themselves drawn by the mystique of an impossible tower in an unknown land. The tower had appeared in the lonely nation of Pomria, a small country upon a small continent all its own in the southern sea. Few had cared for the country of gentle hills and rocky coasts before, but the Tower brought the world to Pomria's door. Without the ability to contain the ever growing forest on their own, Pomria was quick to accept them. The Containment Corps of Pomria debuted soon afterwards, rumored to have been formed under the supervision of foreign militaries. They created outposts around the spreading forest, evacuated the few villages of the area, and worked to preserve the land from the encroaching woods. Theirs were the first documented deaths at the hands of Bauchan and its enigmatic tower, but for the sacrifices made nothing was gained. The inhabitants of the forest remained unknown, except for the few types of aggressive animals that would sometimes appear at the forest edge. They resembled mundane life in trivial ways, but the odd wolves were not what had killed trained soldiers and not what worried the explorers. Veterans told of an ever present malice, traps laid in the woods, and intelligence they associated with the Tower.
The tales of monsters and worse within Bauchan forest came accompanied with tales of wealth: gems that grew from trees, plants that could cure any disease, and for the less ambitious the loot of those who had come and failed before. The Tower created a mania among the hopeful and the desperate. Official expeditions into the forest had only ever tried to contain or destroy the spreading growth, nothing had been learned. For that reason, no one could comfortably say what was and what was not within Bauchan. It was said that the treasure of Bauchan Forest was possibility. Many came to believe in the idiom, the idea that anything, maybe even everything, was within their reach if only they could brave the depths of the forest. Debtors, criminals, and runaways all came to join the ranks of the scholars and warriors already lining up at the forest edge. Everyone found a different use for it, and for each person coming to seek the tower there was a different dream being chased. The one common ground among them was their destination. From soldier to scavenger, all wanted to reach for the Tower.
The hungry swarm that come following possibility settled themselves along the coast, on the only river leading into the forest. Watering hole, staging point, and military outpost, they called it Perimeter City for its location on the outermost ring of the evacuated area. In only a few weeks, what began as a tent city had grown into a proper town. Merchants and scholars set up shop quickly, knowing that clients and hands to do their bidding would be in abundant supply very soon. With them would come the foreign merchants, so speed became the key to their competition. What came of their efforts was Perimeter City, now truly a city. The PCC moved its command office to Perimeter City, and its seat as the center of the exploration of Bauchan was secured. Far from the still expanding reaches of the forest, it was a safe place for all comers to gather and prepare themselves. Several military roads ran through the evacuated zone, constructed in a hurry, but the main method of reaching Bauchan was the river. Riverboats were continuously moored at Perimeter City, ready to sail at the Corps' behest and making themselves ready to sail for the myriad of international explorers coming to Pomria from across the sea. Everything sat ready, awaiting the wave of fresh blood to push where the Corps had failed. After only the short time it took the foreigners to come, the Corps had already been relegated strictly to its core duty of holding the perimeter around the Tower.
The coast of Pomria, even under the bright mid day sun, was a dreary place. A light haze blanketed the coast, and through the eddying currents of sea mist and fog the port of Perimeter City was visible in varying shades of gray. Military style lodges constructed of wood culled from the surroundings, a few more permanent stone structures, and a handful of shanties surrounding the newborn city. As unweathered as the buildings were their inhabitants had given them life through pottery and plant decorations, signs denoting purpose, even the occasional awning added by the truly ambitious businessman. The streets ran wild with all kinds of different people, there was no consistency of style or occupation that some cities enjoyed but instead a multicolor assortment of soldiers and adventurers from many locales. Generally, they were from the continents closer to Pomria and had come slightly before the now approaching rush of fresh blood, those destined to be classified as the first generation of delvers. Carrying the new explorers in, an armada of ships now congesting the once lonely trade routes crossing Pomria. One boat in particular among them, a modestly sized vessel called a clipper and named Jubilance, sailed at the head of the pack. Its bright white hull parted the sea and made it plainly visible, even in the murk. Aboard its decks, both passengers and crew gathered to watch the docks approach through the seaside haze. There were only a few moments left, and amongst those staying in Pomria there was a haste upon the deck to seek partners and fellows for the journey ahead. Throngs of people formed on the crowded deck to meet and greet amongst the scurrying sailors, rushing across the deck or climbing the rigging. Conversation added to the cacophony that was the rush of water against the hull and the blowing of whistles which constituted naval communication. Many thought it better to find comrades then, among their traveling companions, than during the chaos their arrival would bring.
Rules
1: No autohitting/killing, godmodding, powerplay, that sort of general roleplay thing. Not everybody gets along, but please have respect for your fellow roleplayers.
2: Actions have consequences. I will not outright kill characters, no rocks falling here, but I do believe in having a little danger.
3: Please contact me if you are going to disappear for a long time or say something in the OOC if you're skipping in post order. I always like to know if I should be posting or waiting for someone's turn and I am sure others do as well.
Player and Character List
Name / Page / Owner
Gideon Alabaster / 1 / Sightles
Aldric Alabaster / 1 / DrowsyPangolin
Bast Draven / 1 / PandorasBox
Character Sheet Guideline
Note: This is a guideline, not a format. If you would like to modify the format, please do so. My only requirements are that the character is defined enough that we all have an idea of who and what they are.
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Race:
Appearance/Clothing:
Weapons/Belongings:
Personality:
History:
