Zeroth

Reborn in a Fantasy World, This Time I Shall...!

Edgy Boi

• Name: Connor Goodwin
• Age: 22
• Gender: Male
• Race: Human
• Appearance:
  Tall and lanky at an even 6 feet and just shy of 140 pounds, Connor looks like a swift breeze could knock him flat. His pale, haggard face is creased by deep shadows beneath his eyes, and he moves with nihilistic enthusiasm. Contrary to this he usually has impeccable posture, and can dress and groom himself well enough. He's currently wearing a faintly striped green dress shirt over a white tee, casually untucked and sleeves rolled, with a pair of dark, relaxed cut jeans and gray sneakers.
  
  AI Image Gen

  
• Personality:
  What personality? Connor is one of those people who hasn't had a lot of experience to develop themselves, but already feels tired of life. He sees many situations in "simple" shades of black and white, can't decide if he believes himself to be an idiot or a genius, and often resorts to dry, dour wit to push away any feelings of vulnerability. He's polite enough when spoken to, but an absolute coward without a computer screen between himself and the other party. Under the veil of anonymity he says a lot of things he'd never dare utter face-to-face--and a lot of things he doesn't even believe, but parrots regardless because he feels that's what's expected of shitposting "culture."
  
  But off-putting attitudes aside, he's a quick learner, surprisingly good at teaching others or contributing to group projects, and willing to put in a great deal of effort, even if the rewards aren't quite what he would like. If you asked him, he'd claim it's because he believes in doing something correctly if you're going to do it at all. However, those last moments as the plane plummeted earthward put a new spin on a lot of perspectives...
• History:
  Born and raised in a small town as an only child to older parents, Connor spent most of his formative years reading, watching cartoons, and playing videogames. A typical "gifted child who burns out later in life," he soon decided that he hated the "salt of the earth" types that surrounded his rural community, and that he was going to go to college in the big city and be the next rising star tech billionaire.
  
  Having never learned proper work ethics and study skills, however, he flunked two semesters in a row, had his full-ride scholarships revoked, and had to get a wagie-job picking bins for 10 hours a day at a warehouse. In his spare time--or at least, what little was left over after he finished doom-scrolling social media and frequenting message boards and meme sites of nefarious repute--he attempted to turn a long time hobby into something that could potentially make him rich: writing crappy web-serial novels and hawking them on a subscription-based platform at every possible opportunity.
  
  Several long flame wars and banned comments later, he had to acknowledge that his writing really wasn't that great. One of the most honestly helpful criticisms, no matter how much he hated it, was that he couldn't "write what he knew" if he knew virtually nothing about the world outside of the internet. So, with what little money he'd been able to save up (intending to somehow return to school) he decided to take his first overseas trip--to Japan, of course! And surprisingly, despite being scared as hell, getting lost or off schedule and panicking more than once...it was a very positive experience for him.
  
  Needless to say, given our story's overarching introduction, the return trip ended badly.
• Level: 1
• Stats:
  • STR: 1
  • DEX: 2
  • MAG: 3
  • DEF: 1
  • RES: 2
  • AGI: 2
  • LCK: 1
• Skills:
  • [Kinetic Magic]: Magic that converts mana into applied forces. The first application Connor's figured out is a concentrated wedge applied like a blade--"Cut." At beginner levels the magical "wave" travels roughly ten feet before dissipating and is only about a foot long. The spell's effectiveness at this level compared to a weapon would be something akin to slashing at someone with a small knife.
• Other: Connor hates political discourse and considers debates over strong values to be an absolute waste of time, especially his own. "It's Current Year, if we disagree we should just have the decency to kill each other already."

Reborn in a Fantasy World, This Time I Shall...!

@PKMNB0Y
Here's what I've got so far, let me know if there's anything that needs to be adjusted or tweaked. If there's any worry about the "edgelord" refusing to participate in the party antics because he's too busy brooding in the corner, let me assure you he's too much of a rizzless coward to try and pull that off and will immediately go for safety in numbers when possible XD

CS FORM

• Name: Connor Goodwin
• Age: 22
• Gender: Male
• Race: Human
• Appearance:
  Tall and lanky at an even 6 feet and just shy of 140 pounds, Connor looks like a swift breeze could knock him flat. His pale, haggard face is creased by deep shadows beneath his eyes, and he moves with nihilistic enthusiasm. Contrary to this he usually has impeccable posture, and can dress and groom himself well enough. He's currently wearing a faintly striped green dress shirt over a white tee, casually untucked and sleeves rolled, with a pair of dark, relaxed cut jeans and gray sneakers.
  
  AI Image Gen

  
• Personality:
  What personality? Connor is one of those people who hasn't had a lot of experience to develop themselves, but already feels tired of life. He sees many situations in "simple" shades of black and white, can't decide if he believes himself to be an idiot or a genius, and often resorts to dry, dour wit to push away any feelings of vulnerability. He's polite enough when spoken to, but an absolute coward without a computer screen between himself and the other party. Under the veil of anonymity he says a lot of things he'd never dare utter face-to-face--and a lot of things he doesn't even believe, but parrots regardless because he feels that's what's expected of shitposting "culture."
  
  But off-putting attitudes aside, he's a quick learner, surprisingly good at teaching others or contributing to group projects, and willing to put in a great deal of effort, even if the rewards aren't quite what he would like. If you asked him, he'd claim it's because he believes in doing something correctly if you're going to do it at all. However, those last moments as the plane plummeted earthward put a new spin on a lot of perspectives...
• History:
  Born and raised in a small town as an only child to older parents, Connor spent most of his formative years reading, watching cartoons, and playing videogames. A typical "gifted child who burns out later in life," he soon decided that he hated the "salt of the earth" types that surrounded his rural community, and that he was going to go to college in the big city and be the next rising star tech billionaire.
  
  Having never learned proper work ethics and study skills, however, he flunked two semesters in a row, had his full-ride scholarships revoked, and had to get a wagie-job picking bins for 10 hours a day at a warehouse. In his spare time--or at least, what little was left over after he finished doom-scrolling social media and frequenting message boards and meme sites of nefarious repute--he attempted to turn a long time hobby into something that could potentially make him rich: writing crappy web-serial novels and hawking them on a subscription-based platform at every possible opportunity.
  
  Several long flame wars and banned comments later, he had to acknowledge that his writing really wasn't that great. One of the most honestly helpful criticisms, no matter how much he hated it, was that he couldn't "write what he knew" if he knew virtually nothing about the world outside of the internet. So, with what little money he'd been able to save up (intending to somehow return to school) he decided to take his first overseas trip--to Japan, of course! And surprisingly, despite being scared as hell, getting lost or off schedule and panicking more than once...it was a very positive experience for him.
  
  Needless to say, given our story's overarching introduction, the return trip ended badly.
• Level: 1
• Stats:
  • STR: 1
  • DEX: 2
  • MAG: 3
  • DEF: 1
  • RES: 2
  • AGI: 2
  • LCK: 1
• Skills:
  • [Kinetic Magic]: Magic that converts mana into applied forces. The first application Connor's figured out is a concentrated wedge applied like a blade--"Cut." At beginner levels the magical "wave" travels roughly ten feet before dissipating and is only about a foot long. The spell's effectiveness at this level compared to a weapon would be something akin to slashing at someone with a small knife.
• Other: Connor hates political discourse and considers debates over strong values to be an absolute waste of time, especially his own. "It's Current Year, if we disagree we should just have the decency to kill each other already."

Reborn in a Fantasy World, This Time I Shall...! (Interest Check)

Heeeey Z, fancy meeting you here

Playing Snake lady. Leaning towards mage.

@Rune_Alchemist

Of course! *poses with one palm over my eye* A Demon King is always in search of new worlds to conquer! *exaggerated arm flourish*

I haven't decided yet what I'm going for in terms of class/combat archetype, but as far as characters I'm thinking either a ridiculously edgy doomer going through internet withdrawal, or a legally-distinct-Amazon employee whose new life is all about trying to recover from clinical levels of burnout. I could potentially combine them but I currently picture them as the Genocide vs Pacifist routes, respectively.

@PKMNB0Y Thanks for the answers! One more for the road, though---on a scale of like, Rune Factory to Berserk, where's this fantasy world's general atmosphere/difficulty rating going to fall?

Reborn in a Fantasy World, This Time I Shall...! (Interest Check)

Potentially interested, but I have a few questions!

Is it possible to choose to reincarnate as a monster/demon of some kind? If so, is "evolution," "skill adaptation," or any similar concept at play in the world for non-standard humanoid creatures? Like a goblin transforming into a hobgoblin, or an infant dragon's elemental breath/scales being determined by its environment/diet, things like that?

Are reincarnates just sort of spawned in an open field, or could some people find themselves swapped with former hapless identities in native families? Like waking up in the bunk of some low-rank noble's 3rd son who got shipped off to military school, or as an adventurer the Guild has listed as a missing person, etc?

And lastly, do the character's Skills need to be something influenced by their first life (like a HEMA nerd having something like "Basic Swordsmanship") or could it be pretty much anything as long as it's reasonably balanced for Level 1?

Why Were We Reincarnated as Orcs?!

Okay folks sorry that one took so long, hopefully I'm back in the saddle now! End of the first day should hopefully come soon given everyone's quest progress, and I have plans to speed things up a little more either way, whether it's plot-focused (if people choose to engage with various hooks) or continues to be everyone doing their own survival-crafting grind.

Why Were We Reincarnated as Orcs?!

Orc Camp

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@ERode

---

The orc captain raised an eyebrow as he listened to the Runt. Then he looked out over the throng of other brutes still vying for the cooked victuals.

"Good, then." he growled to Esfir, taking the sausage she offered and holding it between his lips like it was a cigar. Despite talking out of the side of his mouth, he boomed his voice across the crowd.

"C'mon ya buncha mukhs, git lined up! Keep tings bidness like over here or I'll club ya worse'n I did that 'un!" He pointed at the orc still laid out cold by his punch. "It's us Orcs against da world! Don't fight over scraps like a buncha dogs!"

There was still plenty of pushing and shoving and cutting in line, but the little fire pit soon looked more like a proper breadline. Flipping his sausage over his tusks and chomping it down, the captain gave Esfir a nod of appreciation.

"Youse still a liddle'un, but dat's how ya get tings done around here--hand out da beatings all liberal-like! So make sure ya eat and fight enough to get big and strong, Runt, like ol' Xolkug here!"

QUEST DETAILS HAVE BEEN ALTERED!
Quest Details: Fulfill Duties within the Tribe (3/2 Minimum!)

• ALTERATION: Accept an Optional Quest from another Tribe Member
  • Get Ore for Bowbh
  • Orcs Against The World - You have raised the Orc Tribe's understanding of [Food Preparation]. This unmarked quest will be counted towards your progress.

SYSTEM:Esfir

Though she'd given her Harpy Meat to the blacksmith, preparing the sausages had made use of what would normally be enough scrap and offal to provide another meal. All that was left to fulfill on this Quest, according to her System, was to find her own shelter and then be at Head Warrior Auguz's Training Circle before sunrise the next day. Given the behavior she'd just seen before Xolkug enforced brutal order, not having a shelter might mean waking up without any belongings the next day...

---

@King Cosmos

---

The dusky, earth-toned orc woman scratched at the ochre-yellow facepaint covering her wrinkly, leather-faced skull as Akeno approached her. When the orc Runt spoke up, the half-smile broke into a full grin, which of course was missing several yellowed teeth.

"On gud day? Nuffin!" She answered Akeno with a cackle. After a moment she made a wheezing sound, then leaned forward in her seat. Her expression sobered.

"Yambagorn has no letters, youngling, but she reads many tings. Read da clouds and da winds. Read an orc's soul in his eyes and his hands." She stared at Akeno meaningfully. "When da Dwarves drove us out of da old home, Yambagorn read da stars to find dis place." Her gnarled staff tapped the stone beneath their feet. Then she leaned back until her crooked spine straightened out against the rock wall of her cave and sighed, closing her eyes.

"And Yambagorn remembers tings. Remembers da old chief, aye, and da chief before him, and the one before dat. Remembers da ancestors dat have gone into the earth, the knowings of the shamans before me. The makings of tings from da shrooms and da herbs. When it is needed, I remind all youse childrens of dese tings."

When she opened her eyes again, they were once more playful as she picked her round nose with a pinky finger.

"Or, did da youngling just want all Yambagorn's gossip? Keh heh heh!" Again her laugh turned to a wheeze. "Since ya's too scared to go near da Warchief, did ya want to know about his raiding plans? Or how to replace his bodyguards and captains?" Her nose-picking was apparently quite productive, and she scraped the juicy result against the cave wall. "Or are ya wantin' to know where the strongest critters be, for hunting and feasting? Where da Orc's enemies are? How to do magic?" She snorted through the same nostril she'd just cleared, and tapped her staff on the ground again.

"Ask yer questions, Akeno. Yambagorn gives what answers she has."

---

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South Caves

---

@Kazemitsu

---

As Grunthor...refueled...the torch, the grunt who'd never been asked his name managed to sit down and use both feet to leg-press the spider's head enough to turn it. With a cracking sound he managed to loosen his knife from the thing's exoskeleton and stood up, still breathing hard.

"I don't have enough MP left for anymore spells, but if it's another spider we can't turn our backs and run---the webs'll get us." He turned towards Grunthor, who now held the renewed torch aloft. "We shou---Whoa, man, nice." He whistled through the side of his mouth while raising one hand. "I like ya cut, G--"

Before any slappage could take place, something in the darkness beyond the orc's corpse hissed. The torch's light had indeed revealed something.

Anthog

Its body was perhaps six feet in height from tarsus-tip to the end of its antennae, but from the antennae to the tip of the stinger was probably eight feet in length. Its outer mandibles were wide enough to close down on either side of an adult Orc's head, and its long arms had reach equal to its own height yet folded in three joints. The creature recoiled from the light, sank one of its scythe-like forearms into the dead orc's legs, and started to drag the body back into the darkness...

---

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Deep Forest

---

@ReusableSword

---

Even before Agar whistled, his movement into the open space caused the wolf-like creature to suddenly go still, just as it was tearing a piece from the Tatzelwurm with its teeth. It turned towards him as the shrill sound broke the forest's silence, and growled as it exposed its bloodied fangs.

Staring intently at a wolf was indeed a form of challenge, but given the distance between them and the fact that Agar had announced his presence, it seemed that at the moment both of them were willing to let the stalemate lie. Still holding onto its kill, the other creature slowly began moving to one side, keeping its body low and its eyes on Agar...

When he pitched the Harpy meat over the grass, the wolf jumped back with another growl. But then its nose twitched, and its movement halted. For several moments...nothing.

Then the creature took an easy step towards the meat. Its body was still oriented in the other direction---if Agar made any sudden moves, it would most certainly bolt. But, if the orcling did nothing...closer and closer it came. Keeping its eyes on him, it would lower its head closer to the meat...then, in a blink, it let go of the Tatzelwurm and snapped up one piece of the grilled Harpy. Like a starving dog it tore at the meat, barely chewing before swallowing.

But it only ate what it could tear off in a single bite, then grabbed its kill and backed away again while giving off a low rumbling sound in its throat---not quite an open growl, but a warning nonetheless. It backed into the brush, trying to hide itself despite its coat's mismatched coloration...but seemed almost reluctant to leave...

Why Were We Reincarnated as Orcs?!

Sorry guys, ended up getting busy with some stuff, and not having a particularly good day today. Got some stuff to do tomorrow that might end up keeping me busy for a few days so post may have to wait.

Why Were We Reincarnated as Orcs?!

I've got half an update finished, just had a short relapse with whatever sinus infection or other crud I had last week. I'll try to get the post up before mid-week!

Why Were We Reincarnated as Orcs?!

@ERode
Crap in a basket, I'll get that fixed at some point. Thanks for letting me know!

Ah, but just look at how much we've accomplished in just one year-day! Technically, nobody's actually died yet!

Why Were We Reincarnated as Orcs?!

@ERode
Poison Attack at Rank I allows certain natural attacks--claws, fangs, etc--to produce a poison. It can be one of two possible weakened forms compared to creatures who would "naturally" have their own venom: A weaker version of Paralysis, which essentially Slows a target, or a weak Damage over Time. Increasing the rank can raise the potency, the chance of infliction, and so forth.

Muffle boosts stealth by quieting the sounds you make to a certain degree. Increasing the rank is pretty much a straight upgrade to the effect as it applies to clothes, environment, etc.