What a beautiful day. A blessed day for Tyroden. The pixie warlord shed a single tear of happiness at what was in front of him. He hadn’t had this much fun since the Impaling of Bobbington in the Year of the Hrunning. Tyroden’s mouth watered at the thought of slaying such a humongous beast. It would be a tale to tell for the ages.
“ YES!” Tyroden bobbed his tiny hands towards the squid. “ YOU HAVE HUGE TENTACLES. HUGE MEAT. HUGE GUTS TO HARVEST!”
Lifting up his small tiny tinfoil appendages, Tyroden flailed his arms in a circular manner, apparently trying to invoke some sort of spell. Whilst the rat spat out a paltry storm of lightning towards the squid, Tyroden was making a storm of his own. The clouds parted from above, the sky cracking in two. Parting past the white was a warhammer that was falling down towards the skysquid at breakneck speeds.
In the middle of his encantation, Tyroden shifted back into Fred who gaped up at the sight of the cephlapod abomination.
“ Oh...oh….oh! I can help too!” Fred’s fingers flexed together, bunching up as arcane power coruscated through his entire being. “ I cast…….Miracle of Meadows!”
A golden ray spurted out from Fred’s hands and struck the skysquid dead-center. A second later, the skysquid’s entire body began to turn a brilliant shade of neon pink, changing color from the point of contact.
The land and the sea. Only fools believe them to be different and only bigger fools believe the sea to be more free than the land. Fools. They are both cages, with the bait of freedom, security and power in both of them.
And who has the key? People too powerful for you and I to imagine. The question is whether or not you have the guts to break your bars......
It begins with a date.
2099. The eve of a new century rising from the ashes of the old.
It’s been 60 years after the Dark Crash. 50 years after the Nine Mile War. 45 years after the signing of the SEAEZO Treaty. 15 Years After the Pan Pacific Agreement. It’s a miracle we’ve managed to make it this far.
2099. The twilight of the 21st century.
It is the age of the Cyber. Machine has consumed flesh and code has subsumed thought. Man and machine have become intertwined as one. Bone is shed in favor of reinforced titanium, eyes are replaced with fibre-optic camlenses and limbs with multi-axial nanotube assemblies. Fashion catalogues have been replaced with designer aug catalogues. Spider legged mercenaries march into the Congo to wage war. The head striker of the Palladium Posse shows off his new Mark 5 mechano-thrusters. The meat is obsolete whilst metal has become the new human.
The body is no longer sacred.
It is the age of the Gene. To fight back against the metal, life must be altered beyond its natural boundaries. The GMO fear-mongering of the twenties lacked imagination and in spite of the constant protests of gene purist groups, genetic engineering is now as commonplace as dollar store candy. The human genome and all of its possibilities are now a playground for alleyway geneticists and laboratory eggheads to tinker with. New varieties of New Babylon’s halophytic seaweed soy grow in the hydroponic gardens of soccer moms. Adverts for children’s kera-mods surge as halloween comes around the corner. Crowds part as a person screams out, his features half-man half-turtle, clutching a syringe of bootleg transcription stabiliser. The definition of human is quickly becoming more and more blurrier.
Life is no longer sacred.
It is the age of the Corp. Transnationals, mobile enterprises and startups permeate every facet of our lives, a capitalistic ecosystem of shadow warfare and trade deals. Though government institutions hold strong, corporate greed will soon erode it away like tides against a cliff. Your blue-collar livelihoods are dictated by the rise and fall of Lee-Platine’s stock values. Offers for university scholarships offered by a number of fast food industries dot the e-papers. Your package deliveries are sent over by an Iridium Heavy Industrial sky-bird, bristling to the teeth with anti-personnel smart guns. For your protection, of course. To be an individual underneath the yoke of the Corp is a paradox and the only way out is to fight dirty.
Your personhood is no longer sacred.
It is the age of the Deep. Everything and everywhere is interconnected by an ocean of encrypted servers and data transmissions ranging in the gigabytes. The physical and virtual worlds have melded together in two, forming a symbiosis of abstract and concrete. AR addicts doze off in the streets, trapped in a constant cycle of chip abuse and sensory deprivation. Poachers surf the forbidden territories of the Deep, hunting down wild malware to capture and reuse for their own purposes. Hidden deep within, remnants of malfunctioning intelligences roam around like lost children, enslaved to their own subroutines. Those who desire can sink deeper to search for the truth but at what cost?
Reality is no longer sacred.
Let’s take a closer look at the situation.
The South China Sea. An ocean of red and riches. It has been fought and contested over by countries in South East Asia since the beginning of the First IndoChina Wars. It’s not hard to see why. It’s the hub of maritime trading in South East Asia, worth more than the Suez Canal in asyuan. Borders have been drawn up, agreed upon, re-negotiated and destroyed more times than history can count. It’s best not to ask too many questions about who started it since finger-pointing is the usual response. SEAEZO is the only thing keeping the region from becoming the battleground for World War 3.
Where are you now?
New Malacca.
If there’s one word to describe New Malacca, it’s maze. It is a haphazard ramshackle arcology of docking harbors, hollowed out ships and hydro tunnels shifting in size and shape. Along with the ever changing assembly of warships and merchant vessels that come in and out every second, no sight in New Malacca is ever the same.
It is a land of the lost. The Great Flood spared few and sunk many. Those who remained either succumbed over time to the Corps or went on a pilgrimage of their own. Splintered sects of Buddhist monasteries live out a meek existence on shanty boats. In the hustle of the wet markets, you hear Tagalog, Hokkien, a zoo of endangered languages forming a creole. On the docks, you see a crew of Burmese pipe spanners play a homebrew version of Poker on shipping containers. When all other options are off the table, New Malacca is what remains.
It is a utopia of the illicit and illegal. Crime, poverty and gangs wrack those who float above on water whilst the corps lurk underneath the offal, biding their time to pull strings and influence the state of power in the floating city. Trafficking routes for black ganja and Hype Out can be found all throughout the city. Gang wars are the city’s morning alarm clock. Just last week, an Armalance convoy was robbed and assaulted by full body cyber-loons. Violence and lawlessness are a constant within its rusting walls whilst duplicity and caution are as essential as oxygen.
To be a part of New Malacca is to navigate this slippery maze. Most give up trying.
You didn’t come here to surrender, though.
You came here to rise.
//PREMISE AND PLOT
June 15th 2099. 7:00 PM. Dead of the night.
Suraiboshen. Best five star omakase this side of the Indian Ocean.
That’s not why you’re here, though. You aren’t here because you got lucky on the ten thousand reservation list, nor did you have some fat cat pull some strings for you.
You’re here because you got hired for a job. Top secret. A job that promised a 500,000 asyuan payout. Just the thing needed to propel you back up this world.
Whether you were a discharged lawkeeper, a wanted script hacker or a news anchor stretching the bounds of investigative journalism, your background doesn’t matter. Your desperation and needs mattered more than your skills and now, you’re here.
The two guards standing by the side of the door cough and nod towards you, the ancient hinoki oak door sliding open. You walk inside to take a seat...........
Straits of Steel is a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk ® roleplay set within the region of SouthEast Asia. Players will be taking the role of a group of savory and unsavory individuals that find themselves wandering around in the floating aquapolis of New Malacca. Your adventure begins when an unknown power broker contacts you about a one-time job offer that promises high risk but high reward. With nothing to lose, you accept it and find yourself waiting at the entrance of a seedy sushi bar to meet your man. Too bad no one told you that this wasn’t going to be a solo operation…….
The roleplay will be a hybrid-sandbox linear group roleplay that revolves around a collaborative tight narrative centered around the personal interactions of the players with each other and the natural environment interspersed with sections that allow for limited open world exploration, albeit with certain caveats. This approach is meant to allow for a sustainable level of player freedom without compromising the cohesion of the RP. The actions of the player will determine their influence and position within the landscape of New Malacca along with their relationships to each and every faction. Every decision that you make will have consequences or repercussions further down the line if you do not think carefully.
//RULES
一 )If you’re seriously considering god-modding, powerplaying or metagaming within a play-by-post roleplay, don’t make me the target of wasting your time on the internet. It’s rare enough around these parts as it is. If an attempt at any of these aforementioned actions is made within the IC, then, repercussions will follow. Depending on the severity, this can range to a stern warning to permanent removal from the RP.
二 )The genre of cyberpunk and adult themes are inextricably linked together. Therefore, this will be considered an 18+ RP in which adult and mature topics can be discussed and explored within the confines of the setting. However, all CS applications, IC posts and OOC posts must fall within the guidelines of RPGO’s terms of service. If you are seriously considering to engage in explicit NSFW behaviour with another poster, take it to the PMs. If not, I’m going to force you to take it to Pornhub via banning you from my RP.
三 ) Start shit, get hit. Wheaton’s law applies here in this RP, both within the confines of the OOC and the IC. There will be absolutely no toleration for any bigotry, assholery, harassment or bullshit within this RP. When the GM tells you to stop, you stop. If you have problems with how this RP is being run, discuss it within PMs with me. If you have problems with another poster in this RP, discuss it with me in PMs. If there is any way to approach a situation without escalating conflict, do so.
四 )When creating your character sheet in Straits of Steel, overpowered is not optimal. You are expected to create dynamic and fleshed out character concepts that fully embrace the nature of this world. You are not a former wetworks supersoldier packed with miniaturised thermonuclear weaponry. You are not the CEO of a Triple-A corporation. You are essentially a schlub near the bottom of the rungs of the socio-economic totem pole, attempting to claw your way up the food chain.
五 )As Straits of Steel is an advanced level RP, posting quality and length are of the utmost priority. A minimum of three-four paragraphs is required for a post along with a reasonable level of descriptive writing. Quality over quantity is best but when quality goes hand in hand with quantity, it’s even better.
六 )The rules for posting frequency are undecided as of now but a minimum requirement that all players must follow is to inform the GM of any discrepancies or possible IRL events that may interfere with post writing. The RP will be a mixture of regular cyclic posting order, collaborative Google docs posting and an experimental ‘free period’ posting where fast posting is allowed and there is no set order.
七 )Discussion about storybuilding and worldbuilding is not only encouraged within this RP but to be promoted. Forging your own possibilities in this setting and writing out the backstories of new factions is always welcome.
八 )Any questions or queries that have not been resolved after reading these rules can be followed up if you believe it to be necessary in the OOC or privately.
//MECHANICS
• In Straits of Steel, an emphasis will be placed on creating a closed sandbox environment for players to interact in within the confines of the narrative. To help accentuate this, interactive objects and NPCs in the environment will be highlighted with specific colored text.
• The status of objects and health of NPCs will also be illustrated at the end of an GM post as such below.
Yikil Borosky: Minor concussion, perforated femur, dislocated shoulder joint, in severe distress
//CHARACTER SHEET
Keep in mind that the format and style of your character sheet can vary, but it must include all the essential details listed in this example character sheet.
//YOUR SELF
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Affiliation: (The faction you are affiliated with. A list of avaliable factions will be present within the OOC. Alternatively, you can make your own homebrew faction.)
Appearance:
//YOUR SOUL
PERSONAL GOAL: (What are you trying to achieve in New Malacca)
LIKES:
DISLIKES:
REPUTE: (We've been asking a lot about how your character looks at the world, so, let's reverse it around. How does the world view your character? What status does your character have in the world?)
HEEL:(Heels are basically an over-riding character flaw that exemplifies the type of person your character is. It's what other people know your character for being. Examples of Weak Spots can be: Hubris, Selfishness, Naivety, Easily Angered, Inferiority Complex, Napoleon Complexes, Vengeful, Sadistic, Paranoia. A Heel is different from just another normal character flaw because they are an essential part of your character that makes your character who they are. They can never escape from a Weak Spot.)
CODE: (Codes are a deep sentiment, passion or virtue that a character holds dearly to, well, as much as they can in New Malacca. It's a trait that someone would have if they lived in a sane world outside the Wal. Soft Spots can be: Valuing freedom, A Hero Complex, Social Justice, Friendship, Honesty, Being Protective of your Family, Protecting the Weak, A Pact that You Abide By, Veganism, Empathy.)
QUIRKS:(Unique traits that your character is known for doing such as collecting ears off their dead enemies, always ordering their drinks with a single cube of ice, whatever strange things that immedietely makes them distinct from everyone else.)
//YOUR PAST
(Can be a short biography or a writing sample detailing their past. I do not expect a didatic summary of each and every event in your characters lives but only the most important ones.)
//YOUR PERSON
ATTRIBUTES: (A list of the most prominent skills that your character has picked up over the years. You have a maximum of 3.)
BODY MODS: (Cyberware or Bioware that your character has integrated into their body. No limit.)
"Well, since you ask so nicely, Mr. Socks," Clara said with a broad smile.
The air crackled with arcane energy as Clara moved her hands and chanted low words in a language dead long before death had really managed to make the jump from theoretical idea to applied destroyer of all that ever was. A jumble of broken bones levitated in the air near the edge of the boulder. Mended with magic, the bones began to snap together, forming a grim puzzle of that soon towered some nine feet over three wizards. Despite being a motley collection of bones, the creature moved with a strange grace and held the massive halberd it had picked up off the ground with clear purpose.
The bone golem nodded towards Val respectfully before turning to face the closet fins that swam through the flowers. No eye sockets were needed for it to cast a judgmentful glance at Nick Nacks as it turned.
Nick Nack's didn't take the jest well, appearing to do a harrumph before hissing back, his sock visage reared back like a cobra. " I am not Mr SOCKS. Mind your tongue, necromancer, for you are speaking to Nick Nacks, the wonderful fantabulous mage, the third of the New Sockomancer Order ,whose preminence defies - " In the middle of his talking, he morphed back into Fred. The literal hand puppet began bouncing his thumb and pinky back in a mock clap. " Oh, oh, oh, that was super amazing!" He bounced up and down with joy before pointing a finger towards the bone golem. " I'm gonna call you Mr Snuggles!"
Fred then ripped out a lone tulip gently from its roots, waving over to Mr Snuggles. " Here, Mr Snuggles. I got a flower to put on your - BLOODS AND GUTS!" Tyroden the Terrible was now present, roaring to the peaceful winds with all the force a maniacal pixie dictator could muster. " This tulip will be the first victim which I offer to my masters!"
The pixie overlord then began tearing into the tulip savagely with gusto, ripping the petals from the base and generally committing all sorts of crimes against flowerkind. After he was done, he tossed its corpse to the ground and then, looked over towards the field of flowers. Ignoring the pleadings of the unworthy in his head, he roared into the winds before charging in a beeline towards the sharks without abandon.
" Huge fins. Huge sharks....." He growled. " That means you have huge guts! Huge guts to rip and tear!"
I may be trapped in this accursed form but soon, soon you will all see the majesty that is Nick Nacks!
Name
Nick Nacks Wonderfantabulous The Third Of The New Sockomancer Order and Master Marionette of the Multiversal Fabrics
Age
Approximately 250 years old. Current age of host is 23
Appearance
The Mantle of The Master Marionette varies in its appearance across each and every one of his incarnations, changing its form and features to best suit the ever constant ever-shifting nature of reality. Its current incarnation is a old, frayed blue foot garment made of sheep's wool with buttons sewn onto the end to resemble a makeshift face. The current 6th host of the Master Marionette is a 7 foot tall anthromorphic ventriloquist/bard in training from the mysterious land of Everafter named Okk P Pett. Whenever harnessing the Mantle of the Master Marionette, the sockpuppet which the host wields shifts into one of seven forms, each containing the soul of past Master Marionettes.
Escobar the Eccentric - A yarn peach-skinned human effigy who wields a miniature knife.
Tyroden the Terrible - A barbarian orc puppet fetishitically covered in tinfoil.
Fred - The actual right hand of Okk. Yeah, that’s literally it.
The Penta-Posse - A set of five finger puppets carved from bottle corks and haphazardly sewn together with napkins.
A Sock - A yellow stripped football sock that once belonged to a troll pyromancer.
Personality
Exuberant and boisterous, Nick Nacks The Fantabulous is as grandiose and as hyperbolic as any wizard could be. This has become more apparent due to the limited range of emotion he has as a sockpuppet. Because sockpuppets don't really have eyebrows or lips or - We just don't mention that to him. However, whilst Nick Nack is the dominant personality, other puppets battle for dominance for just one second in the spotlight, each of them with their own unique quirks and behaviors.
Escobar the Eccentric - A conniving and shrewd individual, Escobar the Eccentric is a charismatic and smooth-talking puppet, bearing a cut-throat philistine attitude towards every situation he finds himself in. He has a specific interest in the field of trafficking illicit narcotics and psychoactive substances, especially fairywing dust. He's got an addiction. Don't be an enabler.
Tyroden the Terrible - Containing the soul of a megalomaniacal evil pixie overlord, Tyroden the Terrible’s solution to every problem is violence, violence and more violence. Did we mention violence already? This bloodthirsty and maniacal former dictator of Pixieville is itching at the opportunity to quench his thirst with the flesh of his enemies. However, like most pixies, he can be easily distracted by shiny objects.
Fred - Unlike the other past holders of the Mantle of Master Marionette, Fred is relatively young compared to his other contemporaries. A young and naive soul, Fred takes the dangers of the Dungeons in stride with a sickeningly sweet sense of optimism.
The Penta-Posse - The Penta Posse are a brotherhood, a fraternity of neophyte warlocks that argue frequently with one another but deep down, love each other dearly, almost akin to siblings.
A Sock - Emotionless. Mute. Concentrated. Almost as if it's not even alive. Are we sure that this was even a former holder of the Mantle and not some random sock? Who cares.
Habits/Quirks
Nick Nacks frequently combats with other past wielders of the Mantle for position on the right hand of Okk, much to his displeasure. This can lead to feuds or often, arguments whereby multiple puppets battle for supremacy and ownership for just one second of attention as Okk's personal hand puppet. Other minute quirks include:
Escobar the Eccentric: Attempting to snort or consume any halluconigens that he discovers.
Tyroden the Terrible: Extreme threats of violence
Fred: Playing I Spy With My Little Eye whilst traversing through the Dungeon.
The Penta-Posse: Long debates on the most trivial of issues such as whether Coke is better than Pepsi or whether a lemon is just an yellow orange.
A Sock: Being a sock.
Past
Ah, yes, dear reader, if you wish to truly understand the beautous magnificence that is his arcane preeminence, Nick Nacks the 3rd, the WonderFantabulous, we must begin like all good stories should.....
Long ago, in a distant land, I, Nick Nacks the 3rd, a most spectacular sorcerer to ever grace the ancient lands of Hereandthere, discovered the secret to immortality. By placing his soul into a physical reservoir, I could cheat death and continue to exist for millenea, even after my mortal coil had shuffled off. Using various alchemical experiments and reagents, committing the most treasonous war-crimes, I'd finally completed the ritual. All I needed was a proper repository in which to transfer his soul.
Unfortunately, destiny intervened one Tuesday morning as I strode out of my bed in my pajamas. My only mistake was accidentally dropping one of my socks whilst doing his laundry into the thaumaturgic pentagram. It was...strange to say the least, being a sock for three years. I stayed there, motionless, doing nothing. My fortress of power soon became a den of vice and thuggery, where countless acts of narcotic-related escapades took place. It was only a miracle that I managed to be worn on the hand of Escobar, the Eccentric: the first Master Marionette.
Over time, the mantle of the Master Marionette has been passed for decades, from vagrant, sorcerers and warlords until it ended up into the lap of a failing platypus bard named Okk. Having recently been ejected from Everafter's comedy club due to the fact that no one really cares about ventriloquist comedians - I mean, seriously, ventriloquism? Is this what bards are forced to do these days in this type of economy?
Thus, after possessing the amateur platypus bard, I, Nick Nacks, thus discovered the Door. It was a door unlike any door, an unending door, a door to surpass all doors in which I could have only found with my amazing intellect. Soon finding myself with two other companions, I ventured along through this perilous maze.
Now, we arrive at one last door, one last room, in which there surely awaits a prize for me, NICK NACKS, THE GRAND!
Moment of Heroism
In the middle of their journey, the party was attacked by a rabid alpha were-house. Somehow, Nick Nacks managed to save the party from being doomed to eternity in a living room via harnessing the powers of A Sock to quell the rage of the beast.
We're not really sure whether or not the Sock actually did anything, but Nick Nack says it's true.
Moment of Tragedy
Alas, with every heroic tale comes a time for tragedy. Whilst the party tangled with a pack of gnomish bandits, a puppet by the name of A Fish was ripped from the hands of Okk during a intimate scuffle. When the party went on a rescue mission to retrieve A Fish from the clutches of the gnomes, not out of loyalty but more out of annoyance at Nick Nack's pestering, they found A Fish being eaten during the gnome's gang supper.
There was a lot of blood that day.
Honestly, having one of your puppets be the pickled corpse of a mackarel wasn't the best idea in hindsight.
Strengths/Abilities
Platypus Physiology - Nick's Nack's current host has the physiology of a giant platypus, bestowing upon him an assortment of boons in case his magic ever runs out dry in battle. This includes being able to survive underwater for extended period of times, possessing a flat tail, laying eggs and being equipped with venomous elbow spurs with a toxic payload strong enough to incapacitate a were-dragon.
Forbidden Knowledge - Each individual puppet, including Nick Nack, has an encyclopaedic reservoir of knowledge on their chosen field of expertise. Nick Nacks is an expert on magical theory. Escobar the Eccentric is a master of drug trafficking, alchemical knowledge and criminal negotiations. Tyroden the Terrible is well versed in torture, intimidation and authoritarian governing. Fred is a self-pronounced professor of shadow puppeting. The Penta-Posse are experts in thaumaturgy as well as cuisine critique. We’re not even sure if A Sock can think.
Each past wielder of the Marionette is a fully accomplished wizard in their own right. Each spell can only be harnessed when the puppet is present on Okk's Hand.
Magic Fist ( Nick Nack) - The caster is able to summon a magical corporeal fist and smash their target’s faces with it.
Acid Spray (Escobar the Eccentric) - Spray a noxious high-pressure stream of hallucogenic lysergic acid that is also partly corrosive. Contact with the acid can dissolve most metal, wood and organic materials. If sprayed on a living organism, said organism will go on a massive trip while slowly dissolving into a slurry of bones and flesh.
Prismatic Shower (Escobar the Eccentric) - The caster of the spell showers a wide stream of multi-colored light beams over an area. Each beam will have a different effect, depending on the color. Red sets the target on fire while making them extremely euphoric. Green temporarily causes bushes to sprout from the orifces of the target whilst giving them a psychadelic high. Yellow induces the target with sleepiness whilst inflicting them with jaundice. Blue causes the target to asphyxiate whilst undergoing a depressive episode. Purple turns the target purple.
Blood Storm (Tyroden the Terrible) - A storm of red fills the ceilings as blood, plasma and viscera pour down in liberating amounts, drenching enemies in gore. Tends to lower morale. Allies drenched in blood will experience a visible boost to their fighting capabilities.
Rain of Iron (Tyroden the Terrible) - With extreme concentration, the caster can summon one large metallic object from the heavens to strike down and smite their enemies by falling from the atmosphere. Object can be no larger than a blacksmith's anvil.
An Assortment of Cantrips (Fred) - Being a neophyte wizard, Fred only possesses the ability to use the most basic of cantrips. This list currently includes: being able to levitate one inch in the air, clean all dirt from a handheld object, change the color of an object, summon a snack and look one second into the future.
Ritual of The King (The Penta Posse) - By harnessing their collective powers in a shamanistic ritual, the caster is able to summon one abomination from the Plane of Cuisine. The caster is only able to summon a abomination up to the size of a pizzagator.
Sock Implosion (A Sock) - Focusing on one target, the caster is able to explode them from the inside out by filling their cavities with over one million magical socks. This spell can only work on up to human sized targets.
Gaze of Insanity (A Sock) - The caster is able to focus their gaze on a target and strike them with an maddening existential crisis that often leads the afflicted to committing suicide. Those with strong wills can resist.
Weaknesses
Fire, Oh Fire - Nick Nacks and all previous wielders of the Master Marionette are extremely susceptible to being lit on fire. It's not only a physiological weakness as it is a psychological one. The sight of any flame can potentially disrupt Nick Nack's magicks.
Musical Chairs - Every second is a constant battle for Nick Nack's to maintain control of Okk as numerous puppets fight for control. This can be mild in some cases when they are forced to cooperate but when they can't , you'll be wondering whether or not Okk has multiple puppet disorder.
Proud and Loud - Unfortunately, one of Nick Nack's most evident traits is his braggadocious nature, often ranting and shouting at his foes about his accolades in an extremely verbose manner. This is liable to get him nearly killed on more than one occasion, much to the party's regrets.
Items/Equipment
Fanny Pack of Formosus - This nifty little fanny pack allows Nick Nack to store all essential materials, including other spare puppets, whilst warding against the machinations of any evil spirits.
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@Bork LazerJust so I know for the future, how precisely would I use the cashier benefit? Do I just write July saying something in the proper color text for it to activate? I figure he might "inadvertently" use it on the Squatter.
Here's the malformed version of Nick Nacks, the Sockpuppet Wizard. Still working on the concept. Just wanna use you as a sounding board to see whether or not I'm going in the right direction.
Nick Nacks The Wonderfantabulous
I may be trapped in this accursed form but soon, soon you will all see the majesty that is Nick Nacks!
Name
Nick Nacks Wonderfantabulous The Third Of The New Sockomancer Order and Master Marionette of the Multiversal Fabrics
Age
Approximately 250 years old. Current age of host is 23
Appearance
The Mantle of The Master Marionette varies in its appearance across each and every one of his incarnations, changing its form and features to best suit the ever constant ever-shifting nature of reality. Its current incarnation is a old, frayed blue foot garment made of sheep's wool with buttons sewn onto the end to resemble a makeshift face. The current 6th host of the Master Marionette is a 7 foot tall anthromorphic ventriloquist/bard in training from the mysterious land of Everafter named Okk P Pett. Whenever harnessing the Mantle of the Master Marionette, the sockpuppet which the host wields shifts into one of seven forms, each containing the soul of past Master Marionettes.
Escobar the Eccentric - A yarn peach-skinned human effigy who wields a miniature knife.
Tyroden the Terrible - A barbarian orc puppet fetishitically covered in tinfoil.
Fred - The actual right hand of Okk. Yeah, that’s literally it.
The Penta-Posse - A set of five finger puppets carved from bottle corks and haphazardly sewn together with napkins.
A Sock - A yellow stripped football sock that once belonged to a troll pyromancer.
Personality
Exuberant and boisterous, Nick Nacks The Fantabulous is as grandiose and as hyperbolic as any wizard could be. This has become more apparent due to the limited range of emotion he has as a sockpuppet. Because sockpuppets don't really have eyebrows or lips or - We just don't mention that to him. However, whilst Nick Nack is the dominant personality, other puppets battle for dominance for just one second in the spotlight, each of them with their own unique quirks and behaviors.
Escobar the Eccentric - A conniving and shrewd individual, Escobar the Eccentric is a charismatic and smooth-talking puppet, bearing a cut-throat philistine attitude towards every situation he finds himself in. He has a specific interest in the field of trafficking illicit narcotics and psychoactive substances, especially fairywing dust. He's got an addiction. Don't be an enabler.
Tyroden the Terrible - Containing the soul of a megalomaniacal evil pixie overlord, Tyroden the Terrible’s solution to every problem is violence, violence and more violence. Did we mention violence already? This bloodthirsty and maniacal former dictator of Pixieville is itching at the opportunity to quench his thirst with the flesh of his enemies. However, like most pixies, he can be easily distracted by shiny objects.
Fred - Unlike the other past holders of the Mantle of Master Marionette, Fred is relatively young compared to his other contemporaries. A young and naive soul, Fred takes the dangers of the Dungeons in stride with a sickeningly sweet sense of optimism.
The Penta-Posse - The Penta Posse are a brotherhood, a fraternity of neophyte warlocks that argue frequently with one another but deep down, love each other dearly, almost akin to siblings.
A Sock - Emotionless. Mute. Concentrated. Almost as if it's not even alive. Are we sure that this was even a former holder of the Mantle and not some random sock? Who cares.
Habits/Quirks
Nick Nacks frequently combats with other past wielders of the Mantle for position on the right hand of Okk, much to his displeasure. This can lead to feuds or often, arguments whereby multiple puppets battle for supremacy and ownership for just one second of attention as Okk's personal hand puppet. Other minute quirks include:
Escobar the Eccentric: Attempting to snort or consume any halluconigens that he discovers.
Tyroden the Terrible: Extreme threats of violence
Fred: Playing I Spy With My Little Eye whilst traversing through the Dungeon.
The Penta-Posse: Long debates on the most trivial of issues such as whether Coke is better than Pepsi or whether a lemon is just an yellow orange.
A Sock: Being a sock.
Past
Ah, yes, dear reader, if you wish to truly understand the beautous magnificence that is his arcane preeminence, Nick Nacks the 3rd, the WonderFantabulous, we must begin like all good stories should.....
Long ago, in a distant land, I, Nick Nacks the 3rd, a most spectacular sorcerer to ever grace the ancient lands of Hereandthere, discovered the secret to immortality. By placing his soul into a physical reservoir, I could cheat death and continue to exist for millenea, even after my mortal coil had shuffled off. Using various alchemical experiments and reagents, committing the most treasonous war-crimes, I'd finally completed the ritual. All I needed was a proper repository in which to transfer his soul.
Unfortunately, destiny intervened one Tuesday morning as I strode out of my bed in my pajamas. My only mistake was accidentally dropping one of my socks whilst doing his laundry into the thaumaturgic pentagram. It was...strange to say the least, being a sock for three years. I stayed there, motionless, doing nothing. My fortress of power soon became a den of vice and thuggery, where countless acts of narcotic-related escapades took place. It was only a miracle that I managed to be worn on the hand of Escobar, the Eccentric: the first Master Marionette.
Over time, the mantle of the Master Marionette has been passed for decades, from vagrant, sorcerers and warlords until it ended up into the lap of a failing platypus bard named Okk. Having recently been ejected from Everafter's comedy club due to the fact that no one really cares about ventriloquist comedians - I mean, seriously, ventriloquism? Is this what bards are forced to do these days in this type of economy?
Thus, after possessing the amateur platypus bard, I, Nick Nacks, thus discovered the Door. It was a door unlike any door, an unending door, a door to surpass all doors in which I could have only found with my amazing intellect. Soon finding myself with two other companions, I ventured along through this perilous maze.
Now, we arrive at one last door, one last room, in which there surely awaits a prize for me, NICK NACKS, THE GRAND!
Moment of Heroism
In the middle of their journey, the party was attacked by a rabid alpha were-house. Somehow, Nick Nacks managed to save the party from being doomed to eternity in a living room via harnessing the powers of A Sock to quell the rage of the beast.
We're not really sure whether or not the Sock actually did anything, but Nick Nack says it's true.
Moment of Tragedy
Alas, with every heroic tale comes a time for tragedy. Whilst the party tangled with a pack of gnomish bandits, a puppet by the name of A Fish was ripped from the hands of Okk during a intimate scuffle. When the party went on a rescue mission to retrieve A Fish from the clutches of the gnomes, not out of loyalty but more out of annoyance at Nick Nack's pestering, they found A Fish being eaten during the gnome's gang supper.
There was a lot of blood that day.
Honestly, having one of your puppets be the pickled corpse of a mackarel wasn't the best idea in hindsight.
Strengths/Abilities
Platypus Physiology - Nick's Nack's current host has the physiology of a giant platypus, bestowing upon him an assortment of boons in case his magic ever runs out dry in battle. This includes being able to survive underwater for extended period of times, possessing a flat tail, laying eggs and being equipped with venomous elbow spurs with a toxic payload strong enough to incapacitate a were-dragon.
Forbidden Knowledge - Each individual puppet, including Nick Nack, has an encyclopaedic reservoir of knowledge on their chosen field of expertise. Nick Nacks is an expert on magical theory. Escobar the Eccentric is a master of drug trafficking, alchemical knowledge and criminal negotiations. Tyroden the Terrible is well versed in torture, intimidation and authoritarian governing. Fred is a self-pronounced professor of shadow puppeting. The Penta-Posse are experts in thaumaturgy as well as cuisine critique. We’re not even sure if A Sock can think.
Each past wielder of the Marionette is a fully accomplished wizard in their own right. Each spell can only be harnessed when the puppet is present on Okk's Hand.
Magic Fist ( Nick Nack) - The caster is able to summon a magical corporeal fist and smash their target’s faces with it.
Acid Spray (Escobar the Eccentric) - Spray a noxious high-pressure stream of hallucogenic lysergic acid that is also partly corrosive. Contact with the acid can dissolve most metal, wood and organic materials. If sprayed on a living organism, said organism will go on a massive trip while slowly dissolving into a slurry of bones and flesh.
Prismatic Shower (Escobar the Eccentric) - The caster of the spell showers a wide stream of multi-colored light beams over an area. Each beam will have a different effect, depending on the color. Red sets the target on fire while making them extremely euphoric. Green temporarily causes bushes to sprout from the orifces of the target whilst giving them a psychadelic high. Yellow induces the target with sleepiness whilst inflicting them with jaundice. Blue causes the target to asphyxiate whilst undergoing a depressive episode. Purple turns the target purple.
Blood Storm (Tyroden the Terrible) - A storm of red fills the ceilings as blood, plasma and viscera pour down in liberating amounts, drenching enemies in gore. Tends to lower morale. Allies drenched in blood will experience a visible boost to their fighting capabilities.
Rain of Iron (Tyroden the Terrible) - With extreme concentration, the caster can summon one large metallic object from the heavens to strike down and smite their enemies by falling from the atmosphere. Object can be no larger than a blacksmith's anvil.
An Assortment of Cantrips (Fred) - Being a neophyte wizard, Fred only possesses the ability to use the most basic of cantrips. This list currently includes: being able to levitate one inch in the air, clean all dirt from a handheld object, change the color of an object, summon a snack and look one second into the future.
Ritual of The King (The Penta Posse) - By harnessing their collective powers in a shamanistic ritual, the caster is able to summon one abomination from the Plane of Cuisine. The caster is only able to summon a abomination up to the size of a pizzagator.
Sock Implosion (A Sock) - Focusing on one target, the caster is able to explode them from the inside out by filling their cavities with over one million magical socks. This spell can only work on up to human sized targets.
Gaze of Insanity (A Sock) - The caster is able to focus their gaze on a target and strike them with an maddening existential crisis that often leads the afflicted to committing suicide. Those with strong wills can resist.
Weaknesses
Fire, Oh Fire - Nick Nacks and all previous wielders of the Master Marionette are extremely susceptible to being lit on fire. It's not only a physiological weakness as it is a psychological one. The sight of any flame can potentially disrupt Nick Nack's magicks.
Musical Chairs - Every second is a constant battle for Nick Nack's to maintain control of Okk as numerous puppets fight for control. This can be mild in some cases when they are forced to cooperate but when they can't , you'll be wondering whether or not Okk has multiple puppet disorder.
Proud and Loud - Unfortunately, one of Nick Nack's most evident traits is his braggadocious nature, often ranting and shouting at his foes about his accolades in an extremely verbose manner. This is liable to get him nearly killed on more than one occasion, much to the party's regrets.
Items/Equipment
Fanny Pack of Formosus - This nifty little fanny pack allows Nick Nack to store all essential materials, including other spare puppets, whilst warding against the machinations of any evil spirits.
Slowly but surely, you work your way through the horde of hungry customers one at a time. Somehow, you manage to whisper to the spark of humanity left in their black, materialistic hearts and convince them to walk up in an orderly fashion. The crowd, once seemingly unassailable, has now dwindled down to a steady line, thanks to your help. Unfortunately for you, Management doesn’t give any bonuses for your patience. After the hullabaloo of the crowd dies down, the Gas Way settles back into an uneasy detente, left with only a few truckers filling up the tanks of their semi-trucks.
All that you’re left with now is the quiet. A silence that hangs in the air like a stretched rubber band.
Well, almost.
In the middle of your conversation, the automatic doors slide open and a liver curdling stench wearing three coats wades into your nostrils. Bloodshot eyes separated by a bulbous nose squint, shadowed by the wide brim of a boonie hat pocketed with holes. His face and two thirds of his chest is covered by a blonde bush of tangled knots. His ratty boots leave prints on your immaculately mopped floor. You can swear you can even see rats scooting in and out, poking their tiny heads out of his pockets.
You’ve heard about him multiple times in earshot, from Al, from other employees. They call him the Squatter. During your online orientation, Al sent you warnings about beggars and vagrants loitering around the Gas Way premises. The Day Shift employees have a betting pool about how long it’ll take for Al to call the cops on him. Perhaps, you’ve seen glimpses of him begging for spare change near the pumps or dozing off in a cardboard box near the Dumps. This is the first time you’ve seen him up close and personal. Maybe, there's some part of you that remembers official Gas-Way policy on dealing with unruly customers but the Squatter's overwhelming perfume of cheap beer and pickled anchovies erases any thought of it from your mind.
He sways drunkenly in one spot for a moment, pawing the bubblegum rack as if it was a religious idol, before he turns on the three of you. He waddles over, knocking over Snickers and candy bars from the bar register, two hands holding onto the side of the table like a lifebuoy. Once he’s close enough that you can smell spirits in his breath, he points one twitchy finger towards Rory.
“ I see what you’re all doing! You’re all fools.” His eyes shift wildly around as he continues to rant in a drunken stupor. “ Best get going from this place if you all know what was good for you. Seen the rainbow butterfly, I did yes. Flapping its wings oér here from the south.” He giggles a little. “ Oh yes, it is real. I saw its babies ice-skating in my brain.” He taps the side of his skull twice. “ Yes….yes...oh, we’ll all witness its birth…..” Without warning, he grabs Rory's shoulder, leaning into his face close enough that you could count each individual wart on his cheeks. " Yes....soon, you'll all regret eating Mexican......mexican....mexi-"
Mid-sentence, he freezes, drawing out the last syllable and stopping completely as if someone hit pause on a TV remote. His eyes glaze over, his drunken mania simmering down into a sober depression. His knees crook over, wobbling as the full nature of gravity sinks into his muscles.
“ Ughhhhhh…..that was a bad trip….” He groans, gripping his head. He looks up at you blearily and then, yawns like he's come out of hibernation. His left hand wanders over towards one of his pockets, searching for something. Sighing in disappointment, he looks at the three of you with a small smile of embarrassment. “ Any of you youngsters got a spare buck for a Yoo Hoo?”
Out in the distance, you can see faint flickers of orange light glimmering in the dark like fireflies. Eyeballing it, they appear to be on the outskirts of the Parking Lot. What’s even more stranger is that you can swear that they’re moving slowly. Purposefully. As if something living is causing them in the first place.
You should probably go investigate it before you're forced to by whatever is out there.
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[center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZwzbA91Yno[/youtube][/center]
[b][u]ROLEPLAY BUCKET LIST[/u][/b]
[indent]
- [s]Walmart Apocalypse Roleplay[/s]
- [s]Nightmare Gas Station[/s]
- Underrail/Fallout/Post Apocalyptic Roleplay. Codename: Clausterclysm
- Anthromorphic Grimdark Animal Fantasy Roleplay. Codename: Fallowbrook.
- Eldritch Abomination Garfield Roleplay. Codename: Lasagna.
- Infinite IKEA Roleplay. Codename: God Morgon
- Roleplayerguild High School RP. Codename: Highschool Roleplay
-[s] Cyberpunk South East Asia RP. Codename: Straits of Malacca. [CURRENTLY HAPPENING][/s]
[/indent]
[b][u]CURRENT PROJECTS[/u][/b]
- FRAYED TAPESTRY - AN EPIC FANTASY RP (WIP)
- THE LAST DEPRESSION - A RED MARKETS QUEST/PLAY BY POST RP (UNDECIDED)
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;"><div class="bb-center"><img src="https://66.media.tumblr.com/7a64638c692ce98d06043791ae728d6b/tumblr_njtqxjDtIf1tqptlzo2_500.gifv" /></div><br><br><div class="bb-center"><iframe src="//youtube.com/embed/uZwzbA91Yno?theme=dark" frameborder="0" width="496" height="279" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><br><br><span class="bb-b"><span class="bb-u">ROLEPLAY BUCKET LIST</span></span><br><div class="bb-indent">- <span class="bb-s">Walmart Apocalypse Roleplay</span><br>- <span class="bb-s">Nightmare Gas Station</span> <br>- Underrail/Fallout/Post Apocalyptic Roleplay. Codename: Clausterclysm<br>- Anthromorphic Grimdark Animal Fantasy Roleplay. Codename: Fallowbrook.<br>- Eldritch Abomination Garfield Roleplay. Codename: Lasagna. <br>- Infinite IKEA Roleplay. Codename: God Morgon <br>- Roleplayerguild High School RP. Codename: Highschool Roleplay<br>-<span class="bb-s"> Cyberpunk South East Asia RP. Codename: Straits of Malacca. [CURRENTLY HAPPENING]</span></div><br><br><span class="bb-b"><span class="bb-u">CURRENT PROJECTS</span></span><br><br>- FRAYED TAPESTRY - AN EPIC FANTASY RP (WIP)<br>- THE LAST DEPRESSION - A RED MARKETS QUEST/PLAY BY POST RP (UNDECIDED)</div>
Mixtape Ghost N
Charley
Antlers
Shu
Marik
Shoopuf
LimeTime966
Archazen
Cyrania
ClocktowerEchos
