Vor

Rise Of The Elder Dragon (Vor x Valchyrie)

Working on my post and should be done tomorrow, unless RL decides to throw something my way

Thinking about the Scope of Rps

The length and scope of a RP don't have to be mutually exclusive. For example, I once participated in a RP the premise of which was that the world was ending in some cataclysmic event and it was ending in exactly 21 days from the start of the RP. Each post covered the events of one day, so the idea was that we had to wrap up the whole thing in 21 posts. People played monarchs, generals, religious leaders, heroes, villains etc - so the scope was pretty big, but there was a definite end, both on an OOC and an IC level. Funnily, we got until about day 16 before the RP died out, but yeah, you get the idea...

Ultimately, it all depends on the people participating in a given RP. I'd go as far as saying that scope/length/complexity don't really matter when it comes to the longevity of a RP. I've taken part in RP's that have lasted for years and ones that have died out a month after being set up. It's a mix of a GM's willingness to see it through and motivate their players, coupled with said players taking an active part and supporting the RP to the best of their abilities. That doesn't always happen because we're amateurs and writing isn't our top priority - RL happens, people get burned out or lose their interest, etc.

If it makes you feel better though, consider that a lot of professional, published writers fall into the same trap. Like, let's take George Martin and Robert Jordan, two very famous fantasy writers, for example. Have you noticed how concise and on point their first books were, while the later ones get more and more drawn out and tangled in their own complexity? Yeah. In fact, it's almost like a recipe for most fiction writers at this point: book 1 - 400 pages, book 2 - 700 pages, book 3- 1000 pages and so on. The more invested you get in your writing, the more you want to expand on it, which just makes the whole thing spiral out of control.

Your Political Ideology: Redux

You fucking, no-good commies!

Oh wait...



But yeah, that's pretty accurate I'd say. Although I feel like a lot of the issues/questions are aimed at people living in the US, so it might be a bit off.

Communism, while somewhat naive, is pretty much the most humane ideology people have come up with. The problem is that nobody has figured out how to properly implement it yet. The idea has always been that you have to start off with socialism and eventually build up to that communist utopia, but I believe that history has shown that this approach doesn't work. As someone living in an ex-Eastern Bloc country, I can however say that some of it does work. People here used to have: free healthcare, free public transport, low bills/taxes, ability to go on (at least) a 7-day vacation twice a year, guaranteed job (and job security), and a ridiculously low interest on credit. This came at the expense of personal freedoms, as well as necessitating the imposing of a planned economy on the entire Bloc. Obviously that didn't work and I don't think planned economies in general can work, especially in the modern world, which is incredibly dynamic.

Still, communism remains a nice ideal and despite the bad name it's gotten thanks to authoritarians (and people who can't tell the difference between socialism, communism and a dictatorship in the first place), it at least offers the promise that in its "pure" form it might work. Capitalism, on the other hand, had demonstrated that, when unregulated, is inhumane and serves the interests of only a small group of people. Just look at the conditions in the factories/mines of Victorian England or the laissez-faire capitalism in France in the second half of the 18th century. Or heck, the massive exploitation of the European colonies, even Mao and Stalin don't have anything on that when you start summing up the cost in human lives.

Crime & Punishment - Adeptus Arbites RP [Warhammer 40,000]

@HankThank you for the explanation! (and thank you @GreivousKhan for the moral support )

I'll start working on a CS, but it will probably take me a couple of days, as I anticipate I'll have to read up on quite a bit of stuff to get everything right. Might also direct some questions to you lore experts here, in case the wikis don't provide enough info.

I'm thinking of also going for a rookie character (unless we've got too many of those already) to better reflect my limited knowledge of the setting.

Just suffered a huge setback. My computer crashed and I hadn't saved my notepad document with all of my notes for two different RP's. WIP to come later.

@Dannyrulx

Oh man, just use Word instead, it has an auto-save feature exactly for cases like these. I can't recall how many times Notepad used to fuck me over back in the days.

Crime & Punishment - Adeptus Arbites RP [Warhammer 40,000]

I'm a sucker for in-depth RP's and this looks mighty interesting, however I'm a complete WH40K noob (only played the Dawn of War games + casual reading of random articles on the Lexicanum). Think I'll manage to fit or does this require too much knowledge of the setting to successfully pull off? Really, my biggest problem is that I find it hard to get into the head of characters serving the Imperium; like, how does religion/fanaticism factor into their day to day lives, what's considered to be stepping over the line in terms of morality, that sorta stuff.

Rise Of The Elder Dragon (Vor x Valchyrie)

And done, finally!

You might notice that I've failed to provide a description of my character, but I didn't find a good spot narrative-wise to do so. I focused a bit more than I wanted on his backstory, so I've decided to leave physical description/clothing for the next post.

Rise Of The Elder Dragon (Vor x Valchyrie)

Character Appearance

(minus the sword at this point ;))

"Come on, you stupid beast!"

Garret kicked the doylak, but of course it made no impression on the large beast of burden. It lazily turned its horned head towards him and regarded him with a mixture of smug contempt and stubbornness. That's what it looked like to Garret at least.

"Oh come on, the damned city is just over there!" He pointed at at the dark mass looming before them. "You can eat and sleep once we get there."

It was a reasonable suggestion and the doylak might have agreed if it had the capacity of understanding human speech or, indeed, if it had the capacity to understand anything at all. However, it was a dumb, stubborn beast, so it just kept grazing from a thin patch of grass while its handler kept hurling insults at it. This carried on for a couple of minutes until an older wagoner, who had been at the end of the caravan, stopped by Garret and laughed.

"Need a hand there, lad? These doyalks are mighty stubborn if you don't know how to handle 'em."

At this point Garret was so frustrated that he simply shrugged. The older man, probably in his late fifties by the looks of him, was tall and gaunt - he looked almost comical standing next to his massive doylak, which was even larger than the one Garrett had. Good thing they were docile too, Garret wouldn't want to go up against one of these things if they were enraged.

The thin man didn't do anything miraculous, he simply kept walking, leading his charge by its reins. When they passed by Garret, his doylak looked up and followed its larger fellow.

"Doylaks are herd creatures, son. The one I'm leading is the oldest, so the young'uns will follow her. That's why I'm bringin' up the rear, y'see, to help greenhorns like you." A wheezy laugh followed, as he muttered something under his breath.

Garrett wasn't in the mood for conversation, so he nodded and kept walking through the muddied road. The slow drizzle was gradually gaining in strength and the thunder in the distances heralded the coming of a storm. At least he would have a roof over his head tonight or, well, whatever passed as a roof in the Charr's capital. He wasn't even if sure if this was the Charr's capital - from what he knew this was the stronghold of one of their factions, but it was also where they conducted business with the other races, so that basically made it a capital in his eyes.

The Black Citadel, as they called it, more than lived up to its name. It had begun as a blurred silhouette in the distance, but had gradually grown in size, until it dominated the horizon. A huge, black sphere loomed over the city proper, which apparently was where the Charr's leaders resided. In itself, that wasn't very surprising - rich and important people liked living in big buildings and nothing screamed "rich and important" like a massive metal ball in the middle of town. Why had they chosen that shape though, a sphere? Perhaps it had some cultural significance, but Garret doubted he'd have a chance to find out.

By his reckoning, today was their fifth day on the march since they'd left behind the Shiverpeak Mountains. Garret was part of a caravan of about two dozen doylaks and half again as many handlers. There were also two others, a man and a woman, who led them, though Garret had scarcely spoken with them since they started this journey. The other wagoners whispered that they were part of these Orders everyone kept talking about, but which Order they represented exactly remained a mystery. Garret was hardly surprised that such information was withheld from them, they weren't heroes, they were wagon drivers and the biggest challenge they had of overcoming was a stubborn doylak.

Whatever the case, these rumours coming from the east had everyone spooked. When word spread through Kryta, the ghost of the Elder Dragons' memory resurfaced and the taverns were abuzz with stories of supposed sightings, each wilder than the one before it. Eventually, an expedition had been formed under the patronage of the Queen and these mysterious Orders. The fact that Jennah herself had decided to look into the matter was worrying, because it meant these tales might actually be true. Garret wasn't too concerned with such matters, however, what he saw in the expedition was a chance to get away from Divinity's Reach and Kryta, where his existence had frankly become unbearable after a series of recent events. And so, without knowing where he was actually going or why, Garret found himself signing up for this mad quest. That had been about a month ago or, wait, was it two now? Time passed so quickly when one was on the road, each day blurring into the next...

They had been joined by a group from Lion's Arch and then moved into the fabled Shiverpeak Mountains. Stories were told of how the ancient Ascalonians passed through those treacherous passes, led by a brash prince, who wanted to save his people from the war with the Charr. Garret could claim descent from those brave pioneers - he was born in the Ascalonian quarter and both his mother and father were of Ascalonian origin. He still remembered the bedtime stories they'd tell him, supposedly passed on from their grandparents and so on until the days when the first refugees arrived on Krytan soil. Garret had never lent much credence to those stories, but his own journey through the Shiverpeaks had made him start questioning those conclusions.

Heh, it was funny. In a way, he was coming back home, to the birthplace of his ancestors. He looked around the barren landscape, which honestly didn't seem like much. Some great cataclysm had occurred here in ages past and the land was yet to recover - sparse patches of grass poked from under the surface here and there, as well as the odd tree, but there wasn't all that much in the way of vegetation. There wasn't much in the way of wildlife either, but the Charr moving in the distance more than made up for that. Most of them avoided Garret and the caravan, but he was certain that they were being followed by a trio on the far hill. Though the Charr lands were bustling with activity, this particular group seemed to be doing nothing apart from travelling in the same direction their caravan was going, while avoiding the road. They were no doubt keeping watch on them, Charr weren't exactly fond of humans, so it made sense. It didn't make Garret feel any better about it, however.

After what must have been half an hour, Garret and the old man led their doylaks down the road leading to the Black Citadel's gates. There were still a couple of miles to go, but the fortifications looked imposing even from here. Garret couldn't quite measure how tall the gate must be, but he was certain that he'd have to crane his neck to be able to see it in its entirety from up close. And that was only the gate and the bloody walls, the sphere itself was huge! It looked mighty impressive from afar, but when he was this close it was even more imposing. Like a God's creation it towered over everything around it, looking down on the newcomers passing through its gates as if they were insignificant ants waiting to be crushed.

Not exactly the most pleasant thought, but then again, Charr and pleasant normally didn't go in the same sentence. All around him he could see the cat-like creatures going about their business, looking at the human caravan in contempt. Growls and shouts came from everywhere, some directed at them, some at each other - honestly, it was hard to tell. Smoke bellowed from a multitude of forges and the smell of metal and black powder was in the air, accompanied by the a ceaseless hammering and the grinding of massive wheels. Garret had heard many stories of this place, but to see it for real...it was a whole different kind of experience. It reminded him of a well-oiled machine, but instead of cogs this one had ill-tempered, furry felines who could swipe your head off with their clawed hand.

The rest of the caravan had stopped ahead of them, finally having reached its destination. They were greeted by a group of armed Charr, who were in conversation with the mysterious man and woman. There were also some other figures Garret didn't recognise; they were probably members of the other Orders or their servants. How had they gotten here, he wondered? Perhaps by using those Asura gates, which begged the question of why Garret and the others had to hike through the bloody mountains instead of using one, but he didn't get paid to ask questions like that.

It had been a strange month and would likely get even stranger, but for now at least, Garret would have a place to rest and hopefully, a chance to drink a pint or two.

Rise Of The Elder Dragon (Vor x Valchyrie)

Bah sorry, today and yesterday were extremely busy, I've only got like 50% of the post done. I'll have it up sometime tomorrow!

College Stress and Advice

The most important thing is to have some goals to work towards to, that's my way of battling depression and keeping life on track. Don't just wait for life to sort itself out, because it won't. I once heard a motivational speech (after failing to get my dream job and feeling like a complete loser) that basically said that you've got two kinds of people: sprinters and long-distance runners. Some people are sprinters, they work extra-hard and keep pushing all the time, they achieve things fast and ride the wave of success. The other group, the long-distance runners, aren't as fast. They keep running and running, often times without even seeing the "finish-line", but the point is that they eventually get there, if they endure.

Ok, moral of the story, what do these people have in common? They both have goals. And that's my advise to you: choose a goal and go for it. It doesn't matter how fast it takes you to achieve it, because the only person you're racing with in life is yourself. It doesn't have to be anything major, as others have said - get a job. That's a good first goal and will help you get on your feet. Money is one of the most important things in life, because it gives you independence, which opens up millions of opportunities. When you're getting money you don't have to rely on your parents and you don't have to abide by their rules.

And yeah, most people have this weird idea about "going to college". It's bullshit. Getting a degree doesn't automatically give you any skills or knowledge about a job. Also, not graduating college right away doesn't mean you've failed at life. Myself, I was in a pretty similar situation to you a couple of years ago, I had failed a lot of exams and things weren't looking up for me. I couldn't sleep at nights, I was really irritable and I even stopped RP'ing. So I thought "fuck it" and skipped 2 years in college (dunno if you can do that in the States), got a job, got an apartment, etc. Now I'm in college again and about to graduate and I feel fucking great.

Get a job and stop stressing out. Stress and self-pitying are your number one enemy at this point. They sap any desire to work/improve yourself and just waste your energy. I know it's not easy, but you have to stop doing it.

Also, do you do any sports? If not, start working out! That's a surefire way of battling stress.

Forgotten Realms: Adventures of Faerun

And finally here's my CS:

Orun

Orun Greystone

Character Image

Race: Orc (Grey Orc)

Gender: Male

Age: 22 (about mid 20's by human standards)

Class: Cleric

Stats:

Strength: 16 (+3)
Dexterity: 9 (-1)
Constitution: 14 (+2)
Intelligence: 14 (+2)
Wisdom: 16 (+3)
Charisma: 8 (-1)

Physical Description:
Being a Grey Orc, Orun's features are less bestial than those of his more common cousins and his leathery skin is a greenish grey. His wide face, with a prominent jawline and a snub nose is not exactly pleasant to look at and the two tusks jutting from his mouth give him a savage appearance. This is in contrast to his calm, focused eyes, which gleam with intelligence. Like others of his race, Orun has an affinity for facial decorations and his ears are pierced by a multitude of earrings, not to mention a steel ring hanging from his nose. He sometimes braids his black hair, but it usually flows freely down his shoulders, tucked behind his pointy ears.

Orun stands at an impressive seven feet and is heavily muscled, with thick arms and a powerful chest. Most cups and utensils appear child-like in his large hands, which are not particularly deft. His long, sturdy legs provide him with a striding gait and those with shorter limbs are often forced to run in orderto catch up with him. Mottled patches of lighter grey fur dot his body, most prominently around his back and forearms. While it is a rare sight to see Orun bare-chested, if one were to do so they would immediately notice a number of scars, as well as a sizable collection of tattoos, each one a rune or sigil associated with Kelemvor.

Armor/Attire: Orun dresses in the priestly robes of Kelemvor's Church, coloured in a sombre shade of grey and completely unadorned, without any trims or frills. Over them he wears a plain steel breastplate with a gorget and a skirt of chainmail, which provides some protection for the lower body. Steel pads protect his elbows and shoulders, though his knees and shins are left unarmoured for greater freedom of movement. During heavy fighting Orun dons a steel helmet with a distinctive T-shaped opening for the mouth and eyes, but it usually dangles unused from the straps of his backpack. A pair of sturdy traveller's boots complete his attire and they are without a doubt one of his most prized possessions. The orc's armour has no ornamentation save for a set of scales engraved on the chest.

Equipment

• Symbol of Kelemvor: Finely-wrought silver scales depicting Kelemvor, Lord of the Dead. Orun would never willingly part with them.
• Two-handed morningstar: A massive morningstar with a long oaken shaft, tailored for Orun's bigger proportions. Due to its length it also doubles as a walking stick.
• Prayer book: A leather-bound tome containing prayers, rituals and teachings of Kelemvor.
• Journal: A small book in which Orun records the details of his travels. The handwriting is surprisingly neat, considering the owner's thick fingers.
• Scroll Case: A wooden case that holds a number of scrolls, both magical and mundane ones.
  - Deny Death Scroll: Perhaps the most valuable of the scrolls in his possession, it allows one to preserve those who have suffered injury in a sort of suspended animation, preventing further harm from outside injuries or poisons.
• Backpack: A backpack suited for travelling, with many compartments and straps. It contains items useful for the road, such as flint and steel, a pan, two pots, torches and an assortment of miscellaneous items. Fastened to it are his waterskin, bedroll and a a length of rope.

Mental Description/Personality:
Orun is very devout and his service to Kelemvor shapes every aspect of his life. He does not put much stake in the structured hierarchy of the Church, but instead acts something akin to a tribal shaman, communing with Kelemvor through dreams and other such portents. By orcish standards he is immensely stoic and, despite his fearsome appearance and physical strength, dislikes violence. If there is a way to solve a situation without resorting to weapons, Orun will deign to seek it out, as surprising as it may seem to those who do not know him. That is not to say that he won't knock some sense into people if they stubbornly refuse to listen!

Despite his priestly upbringing Orun is still very much an orc. He speaks his mind and has little regard for concepts such as social status or rank, the only laws he respects are those laid out by Kelemvor. He cares little for how he is perceived by others and is not swayed by flowery words or promises. Though even-tempered for an orc, certain things such as dishonesty or mishandling of the dead are sure to rile him up, in which case he can become quite intimidating. Orun doesn't believe in personal wealth, has no desire to drink or partake in other earthly pleasures, but has a soft spot for tales and is always interested in hearing new ones.

Like most orcs, Orun is slow to make friends and rarely seeks the chance to do so. Sullen and serious, he does not make for the most interesting conversation partner. Even those who've known him for longer may find him hard to deal with at times, especially since the notion of apologising is completely foreign to him. Nevertheless, he is a stalwart companion and once' he's given his support to a cause it's impossible to deter him.

Goals: Spread Kelemvor's word, collect tithes for the Church, destroy undead and their foul masters.

Background/History:
Orun was born to one of the scattered orc tribes roaming the lands east of the Moonsea. Unlike their mountainous cousins, these Grey Orcs tended to avoid conflict with the more civilised races and instead eked out a meagre existence by living off the land and occasionally raiding their neighbouring tribes. It made for a grueling childhood, as infants were expected to mature quickly so that they could help the tribe. Orun was no exception and would likely have lived and died an early death in those wildlands if not for a strange occurrence.

Orun's tribe had the misfortune of raiding a necromancer's abode while the owner was away. When he returned in the midst of the raid, the necromancer was outraged and cast a curse on the tribe, sending their own ancestors to torment them. It would have been the end of them if not for the timely intervention of two Kelemvorites, who had been hunting the necromancer for their own reasons. They broke the curse and eventually killed the necromancer, but not before one of them lost his life. Despite their aversion for humans the orcs had no choice but to recognise the priest as the tribe's saviour and so they were indebted to him.

The priest declared that one of Kelemvor's own had died for them, in turn they had to give up one of their tribe to maintain the balance. Orun just so happened to be the youngest child and he was eagerly offered to the priest so that he could be sacrificed to the Lord of the Dead. It was a trade they were more than willing to make, after all, what was the life of one little orc compared to that of the entire tribe? To their surprise, the priest did not sacrifice the child, but told them that he would be taken back to Kelemvor's temple.

The young orc, barely seven at the time, was brought to one of the Great Guide's temples in the cold lands of Damara, where he was initiated into the order and began his training as an acolyte. It was hard going at first, but Orun proved to be surprisingly adaptive and took after a life of spirituality easily. Although he never quite lost that inherent orcish wildness, he was a dutiful student and impressed his tutors with his keen mind and lust for knowledge. That is how Orun passed the majority of his life, living in the secluded temple and travelling to the nearby villages with the older priests when someone's last rites needed to be administered.

When he became a fully-ordained priest Orun was expected to follow the orders of his elders and to go where the Church needed him. He was sent to a smaller temple in southern Damara, where he had to minister to the needs of the locals and to watch over the nearby cemeteries. Orun endured this monotonous lifestyle for about a year, after which he packed his things and left the temple, despite his brothers' protests.

With no particular goal in mind Orun travelled west, searching for restless dead and adventure worthy of his patron's cause. This is how he eventually found himself in Hulburg, in the desolate lands of Thar, where he had heard undead were a common sighting and a plague upon its towns and villages.

Other Notes:

• Orun earned the moniker "Greystone" on account of his solemn personality and physical size. The other acolytes would joke that he looked like a big grey stone and once some of the local villagers caught wind of it it, the name stuck. For his part, Orun has embraced it.
• He speaks Common and Orcish freely and possesses some knowledge of Dwarvish, due to his use of the Dethek script (in which Orcish is also written).
• While he does not lust after gold, he always demands payment for services rendered, which he takes as a tithe on behalf of his god. The coin are held separately in a special pouch, which he then deposits in the first shrine or temple of Kelemvor he comes across.
• Though still a member of Kelemvor's Church, Orun is considered a pariah and even a renegade by the branch in Damara. If he should ever return there he'll have some explaining to do.

I'm 99% happy with it, might tweak some minor stuff before I transfer it in the character tab. (and after it gets an approval, of course)