Polybius

|| M I N E R V A || A R C H I V E || Always Accepting!

@BingTheWing I'm still here! I might drop in and out but as long as the link is in my signature it's on my mind!

Between the hammer and the anvil

Aeryn Tamis - Monk

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Light and shadow.

Shadow and light.

This was the world of the blind monk Aeryn Tamis, who for a great time had waited patiently meditating in the prison fortress. The circumstances of his incarceration were suspect-but Aeryn held no grudge for he did not really know who his captors were. There was an attack on his village. That much was clear. A struggle between a great many people. Fighting. Pain. And then Aeryn awoke in chains. It seemed so long ago...

As the months turned to years and Tamis continued his meditation he learned all of the sounds of that filthy prison...

The heavy footsteps of the jailor, the tinkling of his keys. The soft drip of a distant water source. The other prisoners shuffling around the cells. The grunts and curses and oaths of the half-orc two cells distant. The mutterings of the man in the cell across from Aeryn, whose coughs and spasms seemed to grow more fierce as the months wore on. And today- a new voice. Belonging to a woman. Offering something new. Offering hope. Aeryn was taken from his cell with nearly ten others. As he was pulled to his feet the monk could feel the physical deprivation that had besieged his body this past year. Weakness sprinkled his limbs and the power he could have once exerted was simply not there.

Distracted by the sweet smell of fresh air, Aeryn barely heard the others agreement to join this woman-Dulcena. What was she offering? Freedom? Enslavement? Aeryn had no choice. In the darkness of this world, he would embrace whatever light presented itself. He held up the iron shackles that bound his wrists.

"M'lady..." Aeryn rasped. "I accept the fate you have laid before me. How may I serve?"

Poly Vault

_{T h e W O R L D o f T R E L L A E}

According to the scholar-priests of the Mordat Sakye, the world has been reborn no less than thirty times. Indeed, the very name of the world, Trelae, means thirty in the ancient Samor language of their sect. Each new era is marked by tremendous advancement in knowledge and learning, in arts, magic and technology; and an end that is both apocalyptic and absolute. New civilizations inevitably arise on the ruins of the old, with the knowledge that every great thing that has come before is beyond the capacity or understanding of the current world. But there are great men and women that deny that very notion and seek the knowledge and power of the worlds that have come before.

This role play will take place in a region called the Fringe Cities. A narrow strip of neutral territory that acts as a buffer between the two great powers in the world. The Samoran Confederacy to the east, across the sunken plains of Shagoth, and the Kingdoms of Kathor to the west. The Fringe has existed for nearly 200 years as an intermediary between the powers, a land of city-states ruled by Merchant-Kings, great sorcerers, terrible despots and kind sages.

Adventurers from both Kathor and Samora travel to the Fringe in search of treasures and relics buried in ancient tombs, crypts and fortresses. It is supposed that the Fringe was once the most powerful empire the world had ever seen, but some great calamity befell those peoples, stories propagated by the plethora of ruins and dungeons found all over the Fringe.

Regional Overview || The Fringe

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Quick Description: Multicultural , City-States ,
Races: Any & All
Gods:

Historical & Contextual Description
A narrow strip of land running roughly south/north, with diverse climates reflecting the geographical extremes. The Fringe was once home to a world-spanning Empire that fell into ruin about 4,000 years ago. Ruins and crypts, dungeons and underground fortresses hold the secrets of that ancient civilization, and adventurers from all over the world travel to the Fringe to uncover treasures and artifacts.

Regional Overview || The Samoran Confederacy

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Quick Description: Decadent, Religious, Byzantine , Just , High-Tech
Races: Human, Elf, Orc, Dwarf (for now)
Gods: Balthazar,


A vast land of plains, mountains, deserts and seas, the Confederacy was only recently unified under the God-King Balthazar. Little is known about the despot as most of his manipulations are
done through intermediaries.

Regional Overview || The Kingdoms of Kathor

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Quick Description: Warring States, Ritualistic , Medieval , Harsh , High Arcana
Races: Humans, Elves, Half-Elves,
Gods:

Poly Vault

_{S T O R M W O R L D S}

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_{C o n t a c t // S u r v i v a l}

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_{T h e T e r r a n F e d e r a t i o n}

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The Terran Federation spread throughout the galaxy with a determined optimism to make contact with an alien species. As the decades turned to centuries, and no contact or even trace of another intelligence race was found, the Federation, once united in the goal of exploring and discovering the secrets of the galaxy began to fracture. Civil war erupted in numerous colonized systems. Two factions emerged: The Republic of United Star Systems and the remnants of the old Federation.

_{T h e W a r}

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The war fragmented societies. Divisions in ideology and nationalism spurred a war that would last nearly 200 Solar Years. The 'cause' was forgotten as generation after generation fought a war their grandfathers had started. The devastation was reproachable. As the 200 year anniversary approached, a hasty armistice was signed. The will to fight had been lost.

It is the year 2985. Historians will mark this year as the year of First Contact.

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Samoria System
Planet Enlil
Population: 453,781
Affiliation: Republic of United Star Systems (RUSS)
Under Direct Military Control since 2941
157.8 light years from Earth

HyperGate Control Room
Command Post 2
Hyko Mountain Complex


Even through the titanium shell of the Control Room, Galen could hear the swirling snowstorm outside. It was cold and he wished he had remembered his military issued thermal suit. Instead, he was stuck in his civilian flannel jacket and dungarees. Power had been diverted to all reactive systems for the shift-namely the Hypergate Galen was responsible for maintaining. That meant no power for heat and what little lights kept the room illuminated were a shade of orange.

Galen and a few other civilian operators monitored the Hypergate in orbit around Enlil wordlessly. It was monotonous work but it payed well. It was also very important work, and Galen counted himself lucky as a civilian to get the job. Then again, there weren't many technicians capable of operating a Hypergate this far from the Republican Core Systems.

Galen checked the time. 01:00:00. Only 11 hours to go he thought. He remembered his mug of tamvi, a local tea loaded with caffeine and took a sip. His eyes drifted to the main monitor built into the domed wall in front of the technicians cubicles. Images of local space were displayed along columns of data, figures, ship arrival and departure times. A large glowing circular icon represented the Hypergate, which would flash every few minutes when a ship was requesting departure or arrival.
Small ships could come and go as they pleased-something unthinkable during the war, but the larger freighters still needed clearance from command.

These were the big 12km long Hercules class ships that brought supplies to the Samoria system, and carried away raw minerals and ore pulled from one of the six inhabited planets in the system. The icon flashed green, green, green, all night long.

Galen sipped his tea until it was gone and felt himself warm up a little bit. Teri, another technician left to have a smoke, came back smelling of the sweet dried tobacco leaf Galen had given up.

The Hypergate flashed green, green on the main monitor.

"Any more tea, Galen?" she asked rubbing her arms.

Green, green.

"Nope, just the one. Got a smoke?"

Green.

Teri cracked a smile. "How long's it been Gal?"

Green.

"Too long, hey what's the ETA on that Federation Freighter?"

Green. Red. Green.

"Uh...let me see, Galen. That's not until tomorrow. Foskers' shift. You miss all the fun!"

Red. Red. Red.

"What the hell is that?" said Teri blankly, pointing to the main monitor. Her arm was still stuck in her coat sleeve.

"What is wha-Oh god," breathed Galen.

An alarm Galen had never heard before began blasting across all comms systems in the room. The other technician-Galen didn't even know his name-stood up from his desk.

"Holy Shit," said the man.

Galen glared at his own instrument panel. The data coming through the Hypergate was...empty. "Teri-you got anything?" he shouted.

"Uh...not looking good Galen! I've got no readings-no...nothing. There is nothing coming through. It's like the Gate is..."

The alarm faded and the room was silent.

"Gone. The Hypergate is gone Teri."

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Poly Vault

_{T a b u l a R a s a}

_{A G a m e o f G o d s & C r e a t i o n}

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<sub>Nasadiya Sukta
"Who really knows?
Who will here proclaim it?
Whence was it produced? Whence is this creation?
The gods came afterwards, with the creation of this universe.
Who then knows whence it has arisen?"

RV, 10:129-6</sub>

DISCLAIMER

The Rules for this game are 100% untested-and by playing you agree to accept that the GM is a human and makes mistakes. If you see an error, please bring it to the GM's attention with a polite PM. Thank you.

The scope of this role play will encompass the creation & end of a world. Throughout the game you can expect to sculpt the landscape, create creatures and races, and attempt to influence others creations. If your god loses control of his/herself by acting against their intentions and self-image, they will become subject to their own primal nature-effectively becoming monsters unleashed upon the world they helped create.

_{The World}

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The Map will divided into regions dependent on the # of players. These regions are under complete control of your avatar until another player(s) begin to exert influence in that region. Players will decide what sort of terrain their region will contain. This is an important step as much of what an avatar can do and create will be dependent on the type of region they have created. Regions may change and diversify later, but in the beginning they will be simple single-biome areas.

_{Avatar & Aspects}

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The role the players take is that of a divine entity gifted with powers of creation, essentially becoming a god or goddess. However, to do so you must take a physical form-your avatar. Avatars reside in the mortal realm and channel the magic necessary to create. Avatars must also take on Aspects in order to manifest in the mortal realm.

Aspects are 'tags' associated with your avatar that summarize their capabilities, attitudes and flaws. Aspects can be anything you can think of but must fall into one of the categories described here.

SELF-IMAGE How you see yourself and how you wish mortals to perceive you. Some examples might be: The THUNDER God, Healing Mother, Lord of WAR, etc.

FLAWS Avatars also take on mortal characteristics-including flaws.

INTENTIONS You must proclaim what your intentions are for this world. In broad terms, this will fall into one of two categories: Evil & Good. Although this is entirely subjective, gods who seek to corrupt and destroy are generally considered evil, while gods who create beauty and nurture life are considered good.

_Communities

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Each region will have a default community. A community is a group of people that start the rp with a neutral attitude. Your avatar can begin to influence the community by bestowing gifts, blessings are revealing yourself to them. The community might build temples or shrines devoted to your avatar, or expand into other regions to spread the gods influence.

_{Actions & Power}

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[i]As a god you can do pretty much anything you want. Another god may challenge your action however. This might result in the action failing, or the action becoming subverted for another purpose. As you do more and more actions, your Power will begin to seep into the world. This material power must be directed into Temples, Shrines, or into Items of Power-artifacts, weapons and wonders that exist in the world. If too much of your power seeps into the world, your god will begin to resort to a sort of primal-state, eventually becoming a monster (and part of the GMs arsenal of characters).

You can create a new god at any time.
New regions created? Or sub-divide region of former avatar?

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Poly Vault

_{V E R D A N T A P O C A L Y P S E}

^{The Ferloonian Sun}

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Ages come and go, but always in cycles. It is a time of verdant apocalypse-wild growth in nature, in magic and the world. Old cities fall and new ones rise on the scattered ruins of an ancient baroque civilization. Time is death. Death is ephemeral.

Ishtar Plain

In a great cataclysmic of seismic activity, twin mountain ranges skewered the Ishtar Plain and destroyed the major cities of a once thriving civilization. A valley formed between the ranges (called Ish & Tar in a later age) and flood waters stormed in to drown the lingering survivors of the cataclysm. A few centuries passed and people began to explore the ruined valley floor. Yawning ruins, have submerged in the murky waters greeted them. From these tunnels and sunken halls came dangerous wildlife- chittering things with claws and spines, boar-fish, gnarl crabs, half-dragons (size, not race), merligronts, spiderhawks (flying spider thing), etc.

The City of Phaengraff
(Grafth - City , Phaen - The name of the Valley) City of the Phaen Valley

Over a century ago the first settlements began popping up along the spiny carcass of a fallen Tortugant, a gigantic Tortoise. The creature died from old age, as attested by the twenty-thousand rings carefully counted by semi-scientific historical Society of Krelal. (Tortugants live between 18-22,000 years).

The settlements were established over time, as hunters came to the shell to kill Gnarl-Crabs. The crabs infested the still-fleshy insides of the Tortugant's carcass. The shell of a Gnarl-Crab can be fashioned into armor, clothes, jewelry, or ground to a dust for certain alchemical purposes-hardening, laquer, and used in a process of swordsmithing localized in the Fringe. These properties made the business highly lucrative-for a time. Eventually the crabs moved on or were wiped out. But the settlements remained.

Over time, the crab harvests dwindled, but explorers and adventurers in the area had catalogued a treasure trove of unexplored caverns, dungeons and sunken cities. The Flooded Valley of Phaen harbors secrets and treasure for the taking.

TRAVEL
Travel is difficult too and from the city of Phaengraff as it is essentially a series of islands built atop shaky foundations. The streams and tributaries that feed the sunken valley are rife with dangerous wildlife and poisonous vegetation. Only a few 'canals' have been cleared for the larger barges and paddle boats to carry goods to the cities of the Fringe, and even these are dependant on seasonal weather. The terrain around Phaengraff is notorious for changing from season to season. From rising tides, as much as ten feet in some places, to rampant vegetation taking over entire islands in a matter of days.

Travel is facilitated in a variety of ways. More affluent travelers and explorers (like the Wealthy Wix City Merchants) use a kind of primitive dirigible, although these are slow and prime targest for roving flocks of Hawkspiders. The domesticated Lurmegoyff, (a sort of domesticated and hybridized lammasu) can carry single passengers and small quantities of goods. In addition, paddle boats powered by volcan embers occassionally pull into the harbors. There is also a long causeway that meanders through the swampy bushlands around Phaengraff, with a few scattered way-stations (sometimes stocked with food and supplies) that are sometimes manned by outcasts or the banished.

SIGHTS

FOOD
The waters and brushland supply ample food if one knows how to hunt. Fish and small mammalian creatures-like rats, possum, etc. Reptiles like lizards, snakes, frogs, turtles are all on the menu. The culinarians of Phaengraff have established a solid reputation for using incredibly hot spices and herbs in their cooking, harvested from the multitude of plants available in the swamps. These are always less quality ingredients as most of the things produced in Phaengraff are shipped to the cities on the Fringe for a higher price.

TRADE
Phaengraff exists because of trade. The sunken valley is incredibly dangerous, but also very profitable. Small guilds of merchants have established themselves in

ORDER

Alchemy
Tortugant
Gnarl-Crabs

Fringe Cities
Swords of the Fringe

Weird Roleplay Ideas You're Afraid To Pitch?

I have an idea set in pseudo-Europe around the years 1890-1910 that involves a supernatural event where major cities, hugely important cultural and historic urban centers simply vanish overnight. They are replaced by a primordial landscape that slowly expands its borders-eventually engulfing all of civilization. It's a bit steampunk meets the Lost World-airships become the most important means of transportation. Gas powered rifles and literal towers of civilization surrounded by a miasma of humid jungles, bubbling swamps and ash and smoke-spewing volcanoes. Characters could be soldiers, explorers, priests, doctors, scientists or just an average citizen trying to survive. As the story progresses, ruins of an unrecognizable civilization are discovered...Thematically it is man vs. nature. Technology vs. faith.

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^{A F A R L I G H T}

From the HAMPSHIRE CHRONICLE, evening edition,
Monday, June 11th, 1875

_{DISASTER !! MIRACLE !!}

_{PREHISTORIC LANDSCAPE APPEARS!}

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<sub>Danburge, Brecha
On the Evening of June 10th, passengers aboard the Airship Bravado were witness to an event of divine magnitude. At 4am, the crew was ordered by Captain Arneld Breschia to rouse the passengers in case abandonment of the ship would become necessary. Navigation of the Frigate Class Airship had become impossible, as an unanticipated heavy fog appeared. The Captain, acting in accordance with aeronaut procedure ordered a drop in altitude.

What happened next is unconfirmed-several passengers claim flashes of 'eerie lights (north) towards the direction of the city of Danburge, and then darkness'. In the morning, dozens of reports claimed that the city had vanished- to be replaced by a landscape that can only be described as 'prehistoric'. Captain Breschia ordered his men to begin a search of the area using the spot lights of the Airship. After 4 hours of searching, and with coal reserves diminishing, the Bravado was forced to make an emergency landing in the nearby town of Great Bridge. The fate of some 250,000 citizens of Danburge is unknown.</sub>

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In the years before the Miracle, an industrial revolution had gripped the world. Advances in technology and medicine were poised to change the face of the world. Great continent traversing airships dotted the skies. Engines were powerful & efficient. Every infantryman in every Great Powers' army carried a gas powered rifle. Advances in art, literature and philosophy made it seem as if another great enlightenment was at hand. It all ended with the Miracle.

Nearly 30 years ago, cities the world over began to vanish overnight. After the swirling mist, fog and glimmering lights vanished, what remained could only be described as a prehistoric landscape. Humid jungles sprang from the earth overnight. Volcanoes sprouted and spewed smoke and ash into the sky. Primordial swamps, teeming with all manner of nightmarish creature oozed and bubbled. The event was a Miracle. It was a Disaster. The 'Wilderness' as it would come to be known, began to spread.

_{WORLD LEADERS HELPLESS!! WILDERNESSE GROWS MONTHLY!}

<sub>Nearly twenty years ago the Disaster that took in an instant countless cities across the globe resonates with the world today. At the Worlds Fair in Hampshire, World Leaders met with top scientists in the newly formed field of PREHISTORIA. Sources confirm that the WILDERNESSE is expanding at an astonishing rate. Reports indicate that several small towns have been enveloped by the WILDS and the civilians forced to flee. An unconfirmed number of casualties have been reported.

Besides the terrible jungle comprises the vast majority of the WILDERNESSE, several sightings of PREHISTORIC-like beasts have been observed. Enormous reptiles and oversized insects of horrific nature. Dr. Simeon Brightweather, of the Royal Academy of Natural History (Overseeing the newly created Department of Wilderness Studies) was summoned By HER MAJESTY QUEEN REBECCA III. The details of that meeting remain unknown at this time.</sub>

Efforts were made to curtail the advance of virulent growth. World Leaders, increasingly alarmed at the spread of the Wildernesse agreed to wage an all out war on the growth. The most devastating weapons in the worlds arsenal would be launched at the encroaching landscape.

Chemicals, designed to wage war on man were instead turned against nature. Fired from artillery, or dropped from enormous Airships, the campaign was carried out with great success.

At first.

As the 'weeding' campaign (as one former Monarch put it) continued, the Wildernesse renewed its advance with a seemingly sentient vengeance. Devastating incendiary bombs were deployed and the atmosphere was choked with ash and smoke from the burning wilds. All would prove to be in vain as one by one the capital cities began to be overrun.

Log

From the Personal Log of Lieutenant Percival Arnherst, HMAS Constitution, June^11th, 1850

Morning- Mission complete. We found the wreckage of the airship Prescott just north of the Yellow Lake. Poor fellows must have flung everything but the engines overboard to gain altitude. It was all in vain as we found her hull smashed against a rocky outcropping. No sign of survivors. I suppose they ran out of coal. We attempted to salvage their silk sails but the balloon had been shredded to bits...

We are...under similar circumstances. We returned in the evening to find the settlement of New Hope completely wiped out. A giant redwood had sprung from the grounds where the docking bay once stood. Captain Baines pointed us further south. I wonder if we can make it to James-Bridge?

Afternoon- I wonder why I continue this chronicle despite the increasing evidence that in all likelihood our airship is doomed. Maybe all of mankind is doomed? This...Miracle has turned out to be a Devastation. I wonder how Annie fairs back in Whitehall? I miss her dearly. Must remember to bring back something nice from the Fringe.

Evening- We can see the towers of James-Bridge just up the gorge, but a trio of those terrible lizards refuse to budge. Captain ordered a broadside just above the ghastly beasts head in an effort to scare them off. They fled, but one found its' way back. He is a nasty brute-supposing it is a he. His head is nearly as big as the maindeck! What those teeth could do to a man...I don't want to think about that. I wish the fellows would quit dropping flares to track his movement. I can't stand the sight of that scaly beast in the phosphorescent glow any longer-

|| M I N E R V A || A R C H I V E || Always Accepting!

@ihinkaIt's sort of a free-for-all sandbox type deal. Honestly I thought more people from the IC would show and prompt some IC interaction.

How can we help improve RPGuild? Community suggestions and discussion.

I'm sure this has been suggested before, but maybe a way to add a POLL to the top of an Interest Check/OOC thread that can be updated by the thread creator. Asking players if they want magic or certain races in a setting etc.

-closed-

Is this going to be mainly greek themed?

@MonkeyBusiness

I'm thinking Greek, Egyptian, Babylonian, etc. etc. Ancient Near-East or Ancient Western Civilizations.