Vesuvius00

Zoophobia (nursery-type RP)

Well! It's October! You know what that means...
TIME FOR SOME SCARY STORIES!

Zoophobia is a comic written by Vivienne Medrano (aka Vivziepop on YouTube) (click this link to read it) and it's based in a world that lends itself very well to a slow-paced horror story. So, since I've been craving some dread, and because there doesn't seem to be anything else about Zoophobia here on the guild yet, I'm going to run a small-group RP set in this world.

You will start off playing as humans, but that doesn't mean your characters will stay human. There are a lot of.. unordinary things lurking in the shadows of this world. Lots of strange animals, to start. Then of course there's the more classically scary things. Mermaids, Vampires, Demons, and ghosts, just to name a few.

And that's about it.

~ ~ ~

But, don't worry, I hear what you're probably not asking:

"Now, what about that tag in the title? What's a Nursery-type RP? I don't want to play as a baby!"

Nursery-type RPs are meant to be completely newbie-friendly, and their focus is on helping players build up a character with actual character development. You start nearly completely powerless, or with next-to-no idea how the world works, and then go from there. Your character generally has a "can't-die" plot armor until they're 18, and because of the focus more on characters rather than plot, the plot doesn't have to be completely perfect. These types of RPs tend to have a more slice-of-life feel when there's no immediate threat.

We play until your character dies, and if you want to quit before that your character is just put aside, never killed off. You can always come back to them later if you want, or start a different one. If your character dies and you want to make a new one, go ahead. Each player has one main character that they play at a time, and any NPCs that are with that character.

~ ~ ~
Here's a fandub of the comic too, just in case you'd prefer not to have to read it all on your own.

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

Onyx Briyll

^{Bride of Wilhelm @Saltwater Thief and Sister-Bride of Amalia @Belle
Interacting with: The Family}

Waiting so long for the driver to return was beginning to bug Onyx, but as soon as their party was whole again she let the worries flutter off in the wind. She only saw the brief conversation between the two men from the window of the carriage, but it sure seemed like Wilhelm wasn't happy with what was said. After, he came over to the carriage to check on her and Amalia, to tell them the road was blocked and that they were likely going to be attacked on their new route.

"Keep your eyes and ears open, and should anything appear out of the ordinary or suspicious, you will notify me immediately. Is that clear?" Onyx nodded as he finished, and began watching out the window more as they started moving again. She couldn't help the stories she'd read with similar scenarios popping into her mind. Bandits blocking the road just to make their heist easier, as if that wasn't a huge red flag to any traveller already.

Thus far, the carriage ride was a bit more comfortable than the one to shadow worth, despite the painfully slow pace they now had going through the marsh. Maybe it was because she knew her companion this time? Onyx glanced over at Amalia as her sister called out the window to their husband. She looked nervous- and while Onyx had no doubt that she looked the same, she still she felt she had to try and say something to keep Amalia calm.

"Don't worry." She started quietly, forcing a small smile onto her face. "Wilhelm won't let anybody hurt us-" As soon as she'd said it an arrow came through the window and landed with a thud in the wall beside Amalia. bright red blood began dripping down Amalia's neck from a cut on her ear, and the both of them screamed as they realized what was happening.

seconds later, Onyx heard what she could vaguely recognise as fighting outside the carriage. Glancing out the window she could see flashes of steel, and the familiar smell of blood in the air made her heart race. just as suddenly as the arrow had struck, someone reached in to grab at her and Amalia, successfully dragging her sister from the carriage. Onyx jumped out after her without hesitating, excitement and adrenaline overpowering her logic and reason. This was a fight! A real, bloody, to-the-death fight.

She watched Amalia kick and scratch at her would-be kidnapper, before she decided she should probably try and help. She knelt down, reaching towards the Drakkan's feet as a prayer ran through her mind and the weeds of the swamp began to move slowly, tangling themselves around their attacker's ankles. Amalia kicked him in the shoulder from her perch back up in the carriage again, and he went down, unable to move with his tied feet.

Onyx scrambled back up and watched the man bleed out, very obviously enjoying the sight with a half-crazed grin on her face. It took her a minute to realize when the sounds of fighting from the others had stopped, but as soon as she did she snapped back to normal. She looked over at Amalia and then at Wilhelm, wondering what to do first.

"Amalia, are you okay?"

---

Nadia Parnel

^{Bride of Keregar @Legion02 and Sister-Bride of Xaelia @Ellion
Interacting with: The Family}

Shortly after Varzar stormed out, Kieran appeared, and the words Nadia had just said ran through her mind once again. Being alone with Kieran- for any amount of time- certainly was worse and much more terrifying than a slap to the face. She flinched as he closed the door behind him, wondering what she could possibly do to save herself or Xaelia. As he grabbed Xae and threatened her however, only one thing came to mind. I'm so sorry Xae...

As soon as Kieran had begun cutting Xaelia's clotes off of her again, Nadia acted. "Excuse me. I've lost my appetite." She said quietly, skirting out the door as quickly as she could before Kieran could try to stop her. She ran down the halls until she found her way back to the room she and Xaelia had stayed the night in, locking herself in for good measure in case the second-youngest had attempted to follow her instead of...

I'll apologize to Xaelia later. She made up her mind as she quickly changed out of her pajamas and put on a nice but simple dress with a pair of trousers on underneath. As she left the room to go to the courtyard again, she considered the threat Kieran had given. Surely, Keregar wouldn't let him get away with killing Xaelia if Nadia did tell him what happened, right? But then, would she even be able to tell Keregar?

- - - - -

At the market, Nadia struggled to keep her head up. So, instead of looking at the ground, she watched the sky, or focused on the tip of her horse's ears. As they walked through the markets she made a game of it, if only so she wouldn't have to focus on all the Drakken surrounding her and all the horrible feelings she had every time she caught Xaelia's eye.

Eventually the group stopped their parade, and someone helped Nadia down off her horse, placing her roughly on the ground. She muttered a quiet 'Thank you' to the guard before Karegar called her and Xaelia over to him, along with Varzar. The warlord handed Varzar a pouch, and then told her and Xaelia to call out if they wanted Keregar to buy something for them.

They walked together for a full minute before Nadia realized she couldn't avoid Xae anymore- not while walking side-by-side with her anyways. Glancing around at the stalls and their items on display, she decided to say the first thing that came to mind. "This place actually reminds me a lot of the markets I would go to with my father when I was little."

She paused a moment before continuing, watching both Xaelia and Varzar's reactions. "It's not as colorful as those, but there's certainly more color here than I've seen of Drakka so far. I wonder just how many of these items are from other countries I've never even heard of before?" She smiled at the thought. "The markets back home only ever traded in things from other parts of Gemmenia."

Summary

TL;DR:
Nadia: Skips breakfast due to shock and then (after changing clothes) gets her butt to the market with the fam before anything else bad can happen. She feels guilty about abandoning Xaelia to Keiran and tries to cover it up by first avoiding her and then trying to talk to her about home.

Onyx: thinks about the trip so far and tries to keep an eye out for both Amalia and their ambushers, but ends up missing the ambush because she was worried about Amaila. She trips up one attacker to try and help Amalia fight him off before Wilhelm comes over and kills him. Onyx's Sadistic side starts showing through.

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

So, update: I'm dropping Kendra. If this get rebooted again I'll try her in that version but until that happens, I'm just gonna stick with Nadia and Onyx now. Kendra has been causing most of my writer's block since the start really, and recently it's started to mess with my interest in the RP as a whole because I end up feeling like I can't write at all when I can't think of anything for her. Sorry.

Edit- Good news is I'll be better at getting Onyx and Nadia up now.

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

So Kendra's still stumping me, I'll need another day for her post. I posted Nadia and Onyx because I didn't want to hold them up just for Kendra, I'll add Kendra's part to the post once it's done. Goodnight for now!

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

Nadia Parnel

^{Bride of Keregar @Legion02 and Sister-Bride of Xaelia @Ellion
Interacting with: The Family}

As the boy's fights continued, Nadia wondered for a moment if Keregar had heard her, but as she was about to ask again he replied. “You’ve missed it. But I can make an exception for once. Varzar!” As he called for his youngest son, Nadia watched him elegantly avoid his brother's attack, and hold the twin at bay while Keregar continued. “The Gems are hungry. Give them something to eat.” Without hesitation, Varzar put away his weapons and approached the two gems.

"Good morning Varzar." Nadia said as the boy began to lead them back into the house, but he didn't reply to her at all.

“And Nadia. We will be leaving for the market at noon. Make sure you wear something right for the occasion. Or you won’t be wearing anything for a week.” Keregar's call followed them into the house, a shiver going through her as she glanced back at the warlord just as the doors closed behind them. She'd done something wrong? She glanced down at her tunic and trousers, wondering just what he'd meant. These were hardly pajamas, but, perhaps it would've been best not to wear the clothes she'd slept in after all. Nadia followed Varzar and Xaelia to the kitchen in silence as she continued on in her train of thought. I should ask Varzar if he could help me understand his Father a bit better, to help me avoid his unnecessary wrath.

As the entered the kitchen, Nadia looked around. It didn't seem like a kitchen should- there seemed to be no warmth in this room. That was all she was able to observe however, as a second later Varzar suddenly turned to her and slapped her hard across the face. She stumbled back from the impact, her hand immediately going to cover her cheek as tears sprang to her eyes. I.. I really have messed up already... That was all she could think.

“Oh, Nadia,” She heard Xaelia say as a gentle hand removed hers from the quickly reddening handprint now throbbing on her cheek. She glanced over at her sister-bride, her vision too blurry with tears to make out Xaelia's expression.

"I.. I'm okay. I'm sorry." Nadia spoke quickly, turning back to Varzar as her tears began to spill over. It was painful, but the shock of Varzar being the one to hurt her- unprovoked- that hurt much more. She had thought he was different from his father and brothers but... "I'm sorry..." She apologized again, her voice breaking as she tried to speak honestly. "Sorry I.. don't know what I did wrong." She heard Xaelia begin to shout as she finished. Xaelia was yelling at Varzar, telling him off and being very vocal about it. Too vocal. In the back of her mind, Nadia prayed that Keregar or the others couldn't hear any of this.

"Xae, wait." She stepped towards her sister-bride, too late to stop her from beginning to throw things at Varzar though. "S-stop. If Keregar finds out..." She let herself trail off as she tried to think of a way to end that sentence without saying that they'd be... "There are much worse things he could do to us than a slap to the face."

---

Onyx Briyll

^{Bride of Wilhelm @Saltwater Thief and Sister-Bride of Amalia @Belle
Interacting with: The Family}

Onyx Woke from a dreamless sleep to find she was the last one to rise. Amalia was just leaving the room as she stood and stretched, the cracking of her joints a pleasurable feeling that alone usually gave her enough energy to start the mornings back home. But, she reminded herself, she wasn't back home anymore.

She straightened out her dress and ran a comb through her hair quickly before following her sister out of the room. In the dining room, Amalia and Wilhelm were already eating, a third plate with bread and meat on it seemed to have been set out for her. "Good morning m'lord. Good morning Amalia." She smiled at the two of them before sitting down and digging in. The bread was okay, the meat was okay, and the water was water. Not much else could be expected of Drakkan food it seemed.

Onyx ate in silence, wondering what was in store for them today. The choosing had been hectic, and their arrival here last night had raised her guard unnecessarily, but even though Wilhelm said constantly that he didn't wish them any harm, It was hard to simply trust the Drakkan at his word.

"Forgive me for questioning milord, but I am curious. How far away is your home?" Amalia started, finally breaking the silence between the three. "What is it like? I was raised in a coastal area, so I have always wondered what snow is like. Does it ever snow in your land?" Onyx stayed quiet as Wilhelm responded quickly, listening to the conversation play out between the two of them.

"Castle Nachtstone is quite a distance from here. With speed and fortune we will arrive shortly after sunrise tomorrow. Without, perhaps closer to midday. It lies at the base of a ring of mountains that forms a natural barricade. A particular ore ideal for crafting weapons can be mined there, and it is upon that which my family has prospered. Among other more valorous deeds, of course."

"It is a castle of blackened stone and iron, and it sits in the midst of a small settlement where live the slave races as well as some lesser Drakken. They manage the mines and quarries. You will be dwelling in the castle. As for snow, that must be found further in among the peaks. At Nachtstone you will find only harsh ice, come winter."

"Dress warmly and watch your step when that arrives," With that comment it seemed he was done, and neither of them spoke again. Onyx watched Amalia as they all finished their food, wondering what her sister was thinking about now. Weather and people had never bothered Onyx before, but then again she spent most of her time in the library anyway, where such things could not enter. Perhaps the ice he'd mentioned was worrying her? or, maybe she was thinking, just like Onyx was, that this place is not home.

-----

Breakfast ended and a carriage appeared to begin the day-long journey to Natchstone. As Amalia approached the horses, Onyx could guess what she was doing. One of Vivari's gifts to her children was the closeness with nature that allowed Earth Gems to handle plants and animals with ease. Onyx had no ability with animals, but as she boarded the carriage, she remembered Amalia saying that she did have that gift the night before.

Once the Horse had been taken care of, the group was off. Onyx smiled at Amalia as she sat next to her in the carriage. "Good job. I never would have been able to do that."

Summary

TL;DR:
Nadia: Wonders why her PJs aren't good enough for Keregar before heading to the kitchen. Then tries to understand why she's just been slapped and also tries to reason Xaelia out of throwing eggs at Varzar while also trying not to cry so much.

Onyx: Wakes up and eats dinner quietly before getting into the carriage, ready to leave. She congratulates Amalia on her skill with the horse.

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

so I am alive, and will post within the next 24 hours for all three of my Gems. I just have a _^little announcement to share right now:

I have a new puppy!

My dad and I spent the last three days on a road trip to visit my aunt to get her, but it was totally worth it! I'll put a picture on Discord later probably but she's a 6 month-old Great Pyrenees and she's just the sweetest baby girl ever! I'm so happy right now!

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

@Belle I didn't get a notification for your last few IC posts and I just realized why. You have @Vesuvius mentioned instead of @Vesuvius00.

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

@Nevix I'm sorry about how long it takes me to post for Kendra. I don't know her as well as I know Nadia or Onyx's personalities so I end up stumped on what to do for a long time.

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

Nadia Parnel

^{Bride of Keregar @Legion02 and Sister-Bride of Xaelia @Ellion
Interacting with: The Family}

“My… brothers live there too. You’ve already seen the twins. Then there is Kieran. He came with us so he should be around. But you have to look out for him. Then there is Bregrek. He never leaves his furnace so he didn’t come along. Then there is Karog and Drugal. My oldest and second oldest brother. Though they don’t live in Kereg-Kor anymore.” Varzar answered as Nadia fought to keep her eyes on him instead of watching over his shoulder at his brother. So that must be Kieran then. She thought, taking note of the fact that Varzar decided to warn about him, but nobody else so far.

“Kereg-Kor is… different.” Varzar continued, and Nadia listened carefully as he moved on quickly. “Then there are the other Gems. They’ve made their room pretty. Like you described home. Auntie Kyr makes sure everyone feels happy there.” A sanctuary then, with other gems already living there! Nada's heart began to feel a little lighter at the thought, and she smiled slightly to herself as she began to picture a calm place filled with plants and beautiful works of art- a place where it was peaceful and perhaps even untouchable by any Drakkan.

He went on to warn her about the dangerous creatures in the woods around Kereg-kor... but he also said she probably could go out there if someone was with her! A dangerous hope, and still not what she truly wanted, but perhaps the forest would not be as bad as Varzar thought? If there were only the creatures to fear, then with Vivari's blessing she could still go and be among the trees, couldn't she? Or even, what if the wilds of Drakka were only dangerous to those who treated them as such? Gems were of the earth, Vivari's children. Nature was their domain. Surely the Drakken were simply unable to be among nature because of how unnatural they are?

She shook her head slightly, bringing her thoughts back to reality. She smiled at Varzar, standing up as she spoke. She almost hugged him, but held herself back at the last moment. "Thank you. I... I think I will be fine there, if it's as you say." Before Varzar could answer, a loud explosion- much too close to be thunder- pulled his attention away. He finally noticed Kieran in the room then, and in a flash of fury too quick for Nadia to comprehend, he dashed across the room and pulled Kieran away from Xaelia, putting himself between his older brother and the Gem. Nadia went over to Xaelia then, standing beside her as the stand-off between the two brothers continued.

Thankfully, nothing more happened, as Keregar chose that moment to re-enter the room. Nadia glanced at him as his armor suddenly fell off, revealing the scarred flesh beneath. Too many scars to be real... unless he walks through prickly bushes for fun? He said something about business, and then disappeared into another room as the twins came back inside as well. She watched as one of them, she wasn't sure which was which yet, immediately went up to Kieran and took their knife back.

"So much for that." She whispered to Xaelia just before Kieran threatened them and disappeared as well. She wanted to hug Xaelia, to try and tell her that she'd be okay, but but before she could do anything, Keregar ordered Varzar to put them both to bed. The young drakkan lead them down a hallway which ended at the door to their room. All the while Nadia felt the emptiness of this place closing in on her. There were no decorations or things of comfort here, there weren't even any plants in the corners of any room... This house was clearly not meant to be lived in. It was little more than a waypoint. Little more than a prison.

"I-it locks." Varzar said, motioning to the door as Nadia and Xaelia entered the room. "If- I’ll come check on you later. It would be better if you... didn’t leave the room tonight. Good night... Mothers"

"Good night- and sleep well." Nadia said softly as Varzar closed the door and his footsteps faded away as he left. She shared a look with Xaelia and the two of them investigated the trunks at the foot of the two beds in the room that were meant for them. The trunk was different from the one that her father had packed for her- it was bigger and less ornate, but still obviously of Gem design. As she opened it and rummaged through a little, she found that the three simple dresses and her sewing kit that had been in her father's chest had been moved into this one- and there were a few more, even more plain dresses and shirts and trousers in this new chest for her. Everything was simple, functional. Blue, brown, green, bland, with no patterns or bright color at all.

Noticing that Xaelia had started to change out of her ripped dress, Nadia turned away and began undoing the laces and ties of her own dress, letting the heavy silk fall to the floor around her once it was loose enough. As she picked it up to fold and put into the chest, she felt her two mementos in the pockets- the strange engraved cylinder from her father, and her idol of Pyrus. Pulling them out of the dress, she placed them both in a stocking in the bottom corner of the chest, before remembering to also take off her mother's necklace and put it with them.

Once she'd pulled on a blue tunic and brown trousers from the chest, she wondered what else there was to do, before Xaelia suddenly fell to the floor beside her. "X-xae? What is it? Wh- what's wrong?" She stammered as she knelt beside here sister-bride, pulling the Gem into a hug. Probably the stupidest question to ask is "what's wrong?" considering their situation, but Nadia knew no other way to phrase it. She just pulled Xaelia closer to her, trying to impart some sense of safety or stability, just by being there.

She didn't know how long they'd sat like that, but after a while Nadia remembered what Varzar had said. "Hey, I've gotta lock the door quick, alright Xaelia?" She spoke quietly as she released her sister-bride and stood, glancing around the room for the key. She found it, hanging on a hook in the wall, next to one of the unmade beds. She pulled it off its hook and went over to the door, locking it and trying to open it a few times, just to make sure it was locked before putting the key down and going back over to Xaelia.

"There. He can't get to us now, see?" She said with a reassuring smile as she held a hand out to help Xaelia up. "We can sleep now, if you want. You must be tired..." She didn't know what to do, this was so strange to her. "I've never been the one not in tears before..."

Once Xae was at least sitting on her bed instead of the floor, Nadia would hug her again before moving to sit on her own bed. "Please, don't worry too much... I know that, everything's so bad right now, but... When you reach the bottom, the only way things can go is up." She smiled, hoping to the gods that Xaelia understood what she meant. "We have each other, and that's all we really need."

---

Onyx Briyll

^{Bride of Wilhelm @Saltwater Thief and Sister-Bride of Amalia @Belle
Interacting with: The Family}

Onyx nodded as Amalia began to cheer up, glad to have succeeded in helping her sister-bride get through her feelings of... Despondence? Inadequacy? Onyx puzzled over words in her head for a moment, but eventually just let it be. Emotions were too complex usually, too hard to pin down with just a single word or phrase.

As the two finished up their bath, Amalia seemed just a little more confident, or at least, Onyx couldn't clearly see that she was worried anymore. She hoped she'd said the right things... She wanted Amalia to be happy, if it was at all possible in their future. Even though they'd only just met that day Onyx already could feel a closeness and care for her sister-bride that, if she were being honest with herself, she'd never really felt for anyone before. Her father had never done anything to gain a place in her heart, and the townspeople back in Pyrvi- while generally kind and pleasant to talk to- had always been something other to her. She coexisted with these people, but was left alone with her books for the most part.

As she got out of the bath and pulled back on the dress she'd been wearing at the party, she questioned herself. Why is Amalia different? Perhaps it was only because Onyx hadn't been allowed to read anything since the two had met. She'd been forced to stay in the moment and, it might be getting to her. Onyx let Amalia take her hand as they left the room together, a guard or servant pointing them to their husband's room as her thoughts kept circling in her mind. She didn't notice that they were stopped in the doorway until Wilhelm spoke.

"I see you've finished washing," He said, standing in the middle of the room, waiting for them. "And you seem to have done a thorough job. Very good. Now then, I will be retiring shortly. I suggest you each do the same, as tomorrow will be a long day. And I will not tolerate delays because of something so petty as lack of rest." Onyx said nothing, glancing at Amalia next to her instead as Wilhelm moved to get into the bed. She looked terrified still, and suddenly Onyx cursed herself for zoning out. She needed to stay in the present, for Amalia at least.

"Hey... It's okay." She whispered, squeezing Amalia's hand gently as she continued. "You heard him, right? He wants us well-rested for travel, so there won't be any-"

"Well?" Wilhelm called over to them, interrupting Onyx's whisper "Does something trouble you two? Is the idea of sharing a bed with your husband so abstract that you cannot fathom it? And yes, I do expect you both to lay next to me, before either of you asks."

"I didn't think otherwise." Onyx said, releasing Amalia's hand with a small look of apology. She walked around to the other side of the bed and sat on the edge, watching Amalia for a moment before shrugging and lying down next to Wilhelm. He'd put himself in the middle on purpose, to force the both of them to lay next to him, but it also served to separate them from each other. It was too early for Onyx to tell if this was what he wanted from them, but she supposed it could be. Having two brides become too close with each other would certainly be a problematic situation for any Drakkan who proved unable to control them.

She turned so she was facing him, her head lying in the nook of her arm as she tried to keep some space between them while also not falling off the edge of the bed. It was difficult, but after a few moments she managed to find a comfortable enough position that she could fall asleep. She closed her eyes, debating something in her head before she finally caved and said it.

"Goodnight, Amalia. Goodnight m'lord."

---

Kendra Riu Bell

^{Bride of Kaivor @Nevix
Interacting with: The Husband}

As the scene played out, Drakkan yelling at each other and various lords leaving the ceremony to keep out of it all, Kendra stuck close to Kaivor the whole time. She may not have had any choice in anything that led to this, but now that she was here she wasn't about to allow herself to be snatched away by whichever Drakkan wanted to try.

When Kaivor told her to stay close however, he was looking at someone else. Kendra followed his gaze, to see a Drakkan who'd just killed another, leaving a Gem standing there alone. She was already standing as close to her husband as she could, but to comply with his order, she put her hand on his shoulder. "I've no intention of leaving your side." After the killer Drakkan left the area, Kaivor seemed to settle a little, and Kendra moved to stand at his side again, keeping her hand on his shoulder until he'd move it himself.

"Kaivor... should we leave?" She spoke quietly, looking at him as she asked. "Many other groups have left, and considering the type that seem to be hanging around... perhaps it would be best to find your brother and go."

Summary

TL;DR:
Nadia:
Gets a little carried away thinking about the possibility of being able to spend time in the woods after having just been warned not to go out there alone, and then begins to worry about the situation with playboy son and Xae.

Onyx:
Sleeep time! She thinks too much about some things and then says goodnight.

Kendra:
Not about to let herself be taken away by some rando Drakkan. She suggests to Kai that they should probably go. (I'm sorry about how short her section is.. I'm still getting to know her character.)

Prized Bride (A New Beginning)

I'm working on it... :/