Bork Lazer

KARSTS - A World Beyond Eons

<Snipped quote by Bork Lazer>

Thank you for the feedback; I was actually wondering that because I was like... If he isn't mutated how will he have lizard abilities, I was angling for Kly'tar's race to be an actual race in Karsts. I could have him be a mutant in a way that changed his hide red, among other things?

@Dark Cloud

Sure.

KARSTS - A World Beyond Eons

Love the progress so far. However, I have just a few comments to make since you're all doing your draft CS's on the thread.

@Dark Cloud - Keep in mind that True Kin cannot have mutations and are unable to look inhuman and that their race is strictly human. You can still be a 'lizard' person if you're creative enough.

@Adverb - Great mushroom person concept. Just make sure your mutations fit what you're going for.

@Rapid Reader - I've told you this before but you don't need to strictly follow in-game lore. Otherwise, great sheet.

@Flagg - No comment other than your character is the oldest out of everyone here and I expect your backstory to reflect that.

Wal Quest - Interactive Post Apocalyptic Quest

[2] - [X] - Stick with your original plan. Go back to the Stationary Shogunate and give the package to your clan elders.

[2] -[X] - Let him in on your plan.

[X] - Ask him if he can help identify the package. (Optional)

---

You reply teresely. “ Back to my home. To my parent clan. To the Stationary Shogunate.” You hug the package tightly and stare at him expectantly, waiting for the sound of laughter or stinging criticism of your plans that were already beyond the expiry date.

Instead, all that comes is an understanding nod. “ Honor really gets the best of you at the end, doesn’t it, stationari?”

“ Like an outsider would even know about us.” you bite back.

“ Oh really?” The pharmacist clears his throat and then, begins to speak slowly, as if reciting a creed. “Steel bends.”

“ Paper tears,” you reply automatically whilst your brows raise in surprise.

“ Glue hardens.” he continues, never pausing.

“ Ink smears.” Your mouth says the words out of habit but there’s only the question of How? on your mind.

“ My will is stainless.”

“ My honour is eternal,” you finish breathlessly. “ Where did you learn it? Outsiders only know the shortened version.”

“ You're not the first Samurai I’ve encountered.” The pharmacist said before pointing towards your eyepatch. “ So, Sakura, eh? I suppose you were tasked with returning this package to the papersmiths.”

You nod. “ Aye. They promised to restore my reputation and my status as samurai if I brought it back to them.”

“ Promised.” The pharmacist rolled his eyes. “ Is that what those old warhawks call it nowadays? Do you really think giving that package to them is the best thing to do? We all know who started the last Black Friday in the first place.”

You didn’t need reminding of that. With no patience to discuss the politics of inter-departmental politics, you decided to take a different tack. You lifted the package out to him invitingly “ Perhaps, they won’t if you can help me identify what this is exactly.”

“ This is high quality plastic, no doubt about it.” He rapped against one side of it with its knuckles soundlessly before rubbing his nose and taking a deep breath. “ I can smell disinfectant. It’s been stored for a long time. It doesn’t have the stench of the Wal on it at all….”

He continued to look at it some more, turning it upside down and onto each and every end. When he was finally done, his face was slightly ashen, looking down at the package with reverence.

“ Like you heard me earlier, this is Wal-Tech.” He scratched his chin. “ But this is no ordinary piece of Wal-Tech. It has the mark of the Employees on it.”

“Employees?,” you scoff. “ They’re all dead. There are no more employees left. Everyone knows that they all perished during the Fall.”

“Or so we believe.” He then crossed his arms. “ This is priceless. With all the details you’ve given to me, it would make sense why an entire Smiler crusade would be after this product. Anything with the mark of the Employees on it has the power to change a Department. Even change the Wal itself…..”

He turns to look at you, face now grim and ashen.

“ I think it’d be best for you to leave the Bargain Bin. At once.”

---

You depart the day after during the opening hours. You gather what equipment survived your fall and try to make the best of your ruined armor. With a little help from the Pharmacist’s assistants, you manage to pancake it into a paper buckler that hangs onto your right hand.

Even, the Pharmacist did leave you one parting gift.

[X] - Take one item from the good Pharmacist.

[X] - A tube of 100 Vitamix-Plus Gummies - Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, you think you even see a little bit of magenta in there.

[X] - WalVicks Absolute Zero Cold Relief - This dark bottle rattles with a liquid that frosts the very glass itself.

[X] - Novolog Insu-Inhalant - This nasal syringe immediately makes your nostrils itch at the thought of using it.

[X] - You didn’t take anything from him. Regardless of how he helped you, you can’t trust to put any substance in your body that was given by him.

KARSTS - A World Beyond Eons

Oh, and btw, the tentative date to complete your CS is February the 2nd. Not asking you to rush it but just to keep the date in mind.

Also, I'm only going to be selecting 5 players out of the entire batch who submit their character sheets.

KARSTS - A World Beyond Eons

@Bork Lazer Would mutations work on any species or would it effect a non-human differently depending on their biology?

@Dark Cloud

Mutations will work generally the same for any species, regardless of the biology. However, physical mutations would manifest slightly differently. For example, if you were a orchid-man and you had a mutation that allowed you to make a temporary flesh clone of yourself, the process might be different compared to a goatfolk who had the same mutation.

KARSTS - A World Beyond Eons

Right, thanks. I wanted to ask because it smacked of in media res, and I didn't know whether we met him and set off from the same place, or that was one of the stops early in our journey, or what.

Okay, since my character probably wouldn't have been sheltered in an eco-dome, I guess my last last question is what mutations look like. Are these comic book mutations where we're all given unique abilities and survivability, or are these actual mutations fucking up our bodies and brains?

@pugbutter

A little bit of both. Physical mutations are more like the latter and fuck up your body whilst mental mutations are more like the former and fuck up your mind with more hefty consequences if you're an dedicated esper.

Physical mutations can look like anything. It's up to the player on how much it fucks up your body and brains. Mutations in Qud are negative at first but mutants learn to overcome the negatives and adapt it for their own uses.

You want to have two penises, three heads, four arms, five buttcheeks, six noses and six eyes. Be my guest.
You want to have a bio-organic metallic dragon skin? Sure.
You want to have a literal dragonfly hives in your arms that you can release at your opponents? Sure.
You want to have a ovipositor that make short lived clones of yourself?. Yeah, you can do that but I'm going to give you weird looks.

It's different from the comic book X-Men mutations where physical abilities don't have any outward effects. Straight up super strength is going to make your character humongously bulky as fuck. We're talking the Rock on steroids. Same with super speed. Either your thighs are going to be so big that you can crush melons with them or your feet contain bone springs on their soles.

Physical mutations are physical. whilst mental mutations are mental.

On mental mutations, the main consequence is that the more powerful you get as an esper, the more likely you attract some strange visitors ala psykers in the 40k universe. There's also the consequence of accumulating mental disorders or mental illnesses the higher up the psychic totem poll you go but these can be easily circumvented if you train well enough.

I did debate on the option of including harmful mutations for every 2 mutations you had but I think it's useless if the player doesn't make it a part of their character and treats it as a weakness to bring up every once in a while to prove to the GM that your character isn't overpowered.

Also, everyone, made revisions to the CS. I increased the total number of mutations you can have in your CS by 6. Sorry to those who began their CS already.

@Prince Potter @Rapid Reader @Dark Cloud @Flagg @Nib @pugbutter @Adverb

KARSTS - A World Beyond Eons

@Bork Lazer Noice. Thanks for all of that. One last question for you: where are we and Alu meeting, and/or where is the expedition actually starting?

@pugbutter

Now, this was actually stated in the OOC. You are in Hagashem, a village on the tip of the Desert Canyons, and you are currently resting after your long journey to Qud. The expedition is starting from there.

KARSTS - A World Beyond Eons

@Bork Lazer Please explain the Fungi a bit more?

@Dark Cloud

I really don't want to spoil much but they're essentially the same as sentient plants, only with the slight downside of being liable to infect other organic species when they release their spores. Also, you would not believe the amount of horrifying diseases in this world that are caused by fungi.

KARSTS - A World Beyond Eons

A few questions before I commit to a first draft:

• I notice that at least 2-3 people (myself included) from the Interest Check weren't mentioned by name in the invitation to the OOC thread. Is this because you've already chosen your 5 and aren't considering others? Are we still allowed to apply?
• IC, is it an expedition from the outside heading in to Qud, or the other way around?
• What's the actual goal of the expedition?
• How did the expedition's leader hear about each character, and why did he choose to hire them specifically to join it? 'Cuz I assume we're a diverse cast hailing from every corner of this setting.

Thanks.

@pugbutter

1) I seriously thought I did @ all people who stated their interest in the interest check. Perhaps, I was too tired. Mistake on my part.

2) It's an expedition from the outside heading into Qud.

The answer to your last two questions should have been specified in the OOC more and I'll probably add these details afterwards. I thought I would reveal these details in the first IC post but eh, I'll answer them now.

3) Perhaps, I should have specified more on my part. Whilst your leader has outwardly stated that his reasons for conducting the primary expedition in the first place are for academic research, you've managed to surmise from rumors that the true goal of the expedition is to find a specific artifact of some sorts in Qud.

4) A combination of word of mouth, advertising on his part and sheer coincidence on their travels. As for your second question, you made the brave assumption that he had any choice in the first place. Qud isn't the Bahamas of this world and it's garnered a fearsome reputation over time. Alu made his standards high at first for membership into the expedition but he had to lower them over time as the height that he set his standards at was deterring everyone. He had to make do with who showed up.

KARSTS - A World Beyond Eons

OOC is up. Please ask any questions you may have now in the thread below.

@Prince Potter @Rapid Reader @Dark Cloud @Flagg @Nib @pugbutter@Adverb

https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5217150