Tales of Alandria Act 0: Incipiens novi Finem

Aldurin · 05-18-2012, 02:40 PM

You find yourself in the middle of a forest clearing, disoriented and confused. As you look around you see other people waking up. A few questions about where they are quickly establishes that no one is from the same world, as nobody's description of their homeland sounds remotely familiar to anyone else, which further explains the extreme variety of fashion among the group.

As you get your bearings and try to determine what to do, a mysterious figure approaches from the trees. He wears a massive cloak with very dull pants and boots, and gives off the vibe of a truly inconspicuous person, that is, he would be if he wasn't the only person in this clearing that was obviously confused. He asks where each of you are from, and when he hears that none of you are from the same place, he takes a moment to think. He begins to shift nervously as he mulls over the problem, which worries you even more. He then turns around and explains that there is a remote chance of everyone being able to return to where they came from, but your priority for now is to survive. He hands you a deed and a small bag of coins, saying that your souls are linked by destiny, and that you must work together in order to survive. He then leads your group out of the forest and shows you a town. Well not really a town, but more of something equatable to a rest stop for travelers. There's an inn, a single farm and an empty shack that is somehow well maintained. He points you toward the abandoned house, saying that it is the optimal place to stay and set up a business, as all kinds of travelers come through frequently. He then walks back into the woods and appears to vanish the moment the shadow of a tree hits him.

The building you have been given is quite spacious, with separate rooms for everyone with enough space for living commodities, and then extra rooms which are perfect for running a store. A quick chat with the farmer and inn keeper reveals that this town was once a thriving village, but quickly fell apart when the owners of the house you currently own left. Apparently their business was the center of the community and the lifeblood of the place. Both of them are more than glad to give you any advice on your business, using what they remember seeing the last owners do.

In the basement you find a crate with various rusty weapons, with everyone somehow finding something that they're familiar with.

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Weapon Stats:
Tier: 0 (considered Tier 1 for damage calculations)
Damage range: 7-12
Extra Effects: None

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At the bottom of the crate is a small sack, which immediately lets out several floating lights that automatically fly inside of each person and appear to vanish.

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Auras you may choose from:

1. Minor Neutral Aura:
Tier: 0
Primary affinity: Neutrality
Passive Effects: None
Active Effects: The wielder may expend 15 soul points to deal 5-15 points of neutral damage to one target.

2. Minor Light Aura:
Tier: 0
Primary affinity: Light
Passive Effects: The wielder regenerates 1 hitpoint at the end of each round, and 5 points between battles.
Active Effects: The wielder may expend 15 soul points to heal 10 hitpoints on any ally (including yourself).

3. Minor Anger Aura:
Tier: 0
Primary affinity: Anger
Passive Effects: The wielder has 1 extra point of physique.
Active Effects: The wielder may expend 15 soul points to grant 3 physique points on any ally for 3 turns.

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Everyone is bewildered for a moment, unsure of what had happened. Each person feels a small pulse of power inside of them. They look at the bottom of the box to make sure nothing was there, and see a note that they are sure wasn't there before.

"If you are reading this note, then you are in a great bigger deal of trouble than you realize. Unfortunately, explaining the past further would endanger you more, so I will have to be brief and cryptic. Listen to the advice you have received, as this building will facilitate your success and power in this world. In the crate we left you with some weapons to defend yourself with, and some auras, which you will most definitely learn about later.

You will need more than some sharp objects and floating lights to survive though. In the cave directly north of town, you'll find what you need to keep yourselves in the clear. The answers will come to you in time, but that is an issue you must address later. Your performance is already being monitored, so continue acting as if you never read this note."

As everyone finishes reading the piece of paper, it spontaneously ignites and burns to ashes.

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Progress report:
Money: 1000 Koren
Everyone has a weapon and an aura, nothing more.
Point of interest unlocked: Enigma Cavern
Current Phase: None
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Cast:
Nailynne Haestus (Armored Bishoujo)
Aristobulous (Sifright)
James Anderson (CABAL49)
Marcus Reinard (Inbred Chocobo)
Adrielle (Relm Zephyrous)
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(You may now post some character interactions before starting the Exploration Phase.)

CABAL49 · 05-20-2012, 03:22 PM

After having what was probably the best of his life, James found himself here. His natural response was to run off into the woods screaming, but he found comfort that everyone else was as lost as he was. The blue boy still made him uncomfortable.

He wanted to believe that it was just a dream, but the dirt on his face and pain in his body told him it was real. He followed everyone from the back and listened intently. A store? Something brought him here to run a store? This would be going on is resume, he chuckled to himself. He made mental notes, not having the ability to take notes, of everything the man said. And then he saw the box.

James had never fired a gun or handled a weapon before in his life. But something about the this long sword called to him. He wasn't even paying attention to his comrades when he took it. He strapped it to himself and then unsheathed it. It was definitely something that he was not used to. The weight of the sword surprised him and he almost dropped it. He quickly sheathed it before looking like a bigger fool.

He look back to see his new companions remove various weapons from the box. But there was something he had missed. The bag. One of the lights rushed into him. He could feel the new power, but something about it felt natural.

There was something else he noticed, they all gathered around to read the note. After it burst into flames, James noticed none of his companions had said a word. His senses returning he thought he should put those public speaking courses to the test.

Excuse me,he stammered,Um...well..my name is James. Uh...maybe a game to get to know each other better.He hated these games. They played them all the time at orientation, but it was all he could think of.So...uh...why don't we go around and introduce ourselves and say three things about ourselves. I'll start. My name is James, I study business. I like to tinker with things and uh...I like video games.

He was unable to put out any more words so he stepped back and looked around for a volunteer....

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((Forgot to specify, picking up a Light Aura.))

Sifright · 05-21-2012, 05:18 AM

It had been a long day already for Aristobulous before arriving where ever this was. There had been a streak fire in the night sky which had slammed into the ground a few miles away from him and several seconds later a rush of warm air blew through the town. He quickly left to go investigate still wearing his smithing gear as he had only recently finished his nights work.

Less than ten minutes after setting out he had been set upon by bandits, no one traveled unarmed and Aristobulous fought valiantly to protect himself, it was however in vain. The sharp and sudden pain of a sword being thrust into his torso made him drop his hammer he fell to the ground the last thing he saw was the bandits rifling through his stuff before a hand yanked his head back and his throat was slit.

Then he had woken up in this clearing, his smithing apron having a slit just above his heart and a dry red patch around it and his throat with a thick line of scar tissue. His pockets were empty and the rest of his equipment was gone.

He took to his feet slowly taking in the surroundings, this place didn't look like Tartarus so presumably then he been taken to either the Elysium fields or Asphodel meadows.

After the mysterious man had disappeared Aristobulous searched through the house to take stock of just what had been left for them, his search through the basement yielded a War hammer in poor condition but it's heft and balance felt almost ideally suited to his build.

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(all clothes are purely cosmetic.)
Taking minor anger aura

Inbred Chocobo · 05-21-2012, 08:23 AM

Marcus himself looked around, trying to figure out things on why such stuff is here, and why it all happened. He also was examining an odd ball that had an aura of light that was hovering in front of him. "Can someone please explain what this thing is?" He stated, pointing at the ball of light. Before anyone could respond, it just floated into him. Marcus responded with a very worried look, examining himself making sure no wounds or other injuries showed.

"This isn't going to give me cancer is it? I really don't want to get cancer you know." Marcus said, with concern on his face about what is going on. He felt like people were just going on, like this was suppose to happen. Did anyone not wonder what was going on here, and what did that strange cloak figure meant by survival? Setup a shop? What kind of shop. Then people started searching and old crate, and pulling out weapons.

"Wait, why are we all getting weapons?" Marcus asked, a fresh batch of concern on his face. "Are... we going to have to fight something? I don't normally fight things." When no one answered at first, he looked into the crate, and found and pulled out an old wrench. The thing was a bit rusted, so he doubt he could truly use it for anything other than bashing things upside the head with it, but if it came to that at least Marcus had something to do. "So if we are getting weapons, what the heck are we fighting. Also, we are suppose to run a shop or something? What are we going to sell, any ideas?" Marcus asked to his new roommates, still just as confused as he first was.

Astral Harmony · 05-21-2012, 02:17 PM

After the note burned into smoke and ash, Nailynne leaned on her knees, staring into the crate.

She was really good at going with the flow, which made it easy for her to simply discard her thought processes and let events unfold until she actually had time to think.

And now that she was finally armed, she decided to turn on her brain and figure everything out. She must have lost her dragonshark jawbone oar during the scuffle before she wound up here. What she had now was made of wood. Not very healthy-looking wood, in her opinion, but it should last her more than long enough until she could find or whittle down something more appropriate.

Well, I know a thing or two about running a business after watching father and mother for so long, but I'm still just a little girl. Is it really alright for me to own a business by myself, she thought as she let the others gather their thoughts in turn.

"Excuse me," James stammered, drawing Nailynne out of her thoughts. "Um...well...my name is James. Uh...maybe a game to get to know each other better. So...uh...why don't we go around and introduce ourselves and say three things about ourselves. I'll start. My name is James, I study business. I like to tinker with things and uh...I like video games."

Nailynne would normally have introduced herself, but she found her words dead in her throat. He was...pretty cute. I wish I had the time to become a full woman before I was sent here, Nailynne found herself thinking.

"Can someone please explain what this thing is?" Marcus asked then, distracted by a ball of light. Nailynne didn't know what it could possibly be. She had automatically picked one out during her mental downtime.

Minor Light Aura GET!!

"This isn't going to give me cancer is it?" Marcus continued. "I really don't want to get cancer you know."

"Wait, why are we all getting weapons?" Marcus asked, a fresh batch of concern on his face. "Are... we going to have to fight something? I don't normally fight things." When no one answered at first, he looked into the crate, and found and pulled something Nailynne had never seen before. "So if we are getting weapons, what the heck are we fighting. Also, we are supposed to run a shop or something? What are we going to sell, any ideas?" Marcus asked to his new roommates, still just as confused as he first was.

He's really handsome, too, but he might be even cuter if he didn't talk so much, Nailynne's childish mind continued on.

"I guess we'll be fighting dangerous animals," Nailynne finally spoke up, standing apart from the group to try a few swings of the wooden oar. It was lighter in weight than the jawbone oar. "I'm Nailynne...though you can just call me Nai if that's too hard. I'm a hunter and I do some other stuff on the side, but mostly I'm a hunter. So, uhh...what's a video game? Or cancer?"

Relm Zephyrous · 05-22-2012, 05:43 AM

Adrielle was disoriented, confused, and frankly surprised to be alive. She was much more surprised by all of the oddities of this place, and the people around her. She knew they were introducing themselves, and that she would be expected to introduce herself in turn. But none of this mattered, what did matter was that she wasn't dead, in a cell or in hell. And crucially, that pain in the back of Adrielle's head was gone. Not just suppressed, but entirely removed.

The girl let out silent laughs, simply staring to each of the other compatriots and reading the letter to herself. Everyone finished talking for the moment, and then she took the stand. Her body looked like it was in simple black and red broadway clothing, weird for where she was beforehand and this place, but it worked out for her.

"Well. As for who I am, the name is Adrielle. And it is pleasant to meet you." She paused, considering that she no longer had to deal with those problems with herself, and... was free to do anything. Or everything, in all the ways imaginable. "And yes, we'll be fighting a bunch of animals, or somesuch. It'll be a great joyous time that we'll be having. Cancer is some kind of disease, typically inflicted by necromancers with cysts on their arms. Really gross stuff. As for video games, I don't have a clue. But I can figure it out eventually."

Adrielle went into the box with a ruffling hand, and picked out some anger aura, at least that is what the note said it was. "Anyway, I'll take this one, I have a burning passion, and a desire to spread the love all the hell around."

Astral Harmony · 05-22-2012, 07:19 AM

Learning about cancer unsettled Nailynne a bit, but now she had new questions. Necromancers? Cysts?

Nevermind, if she kept trying to learn everything they knew, they'd waste the whole rest of the day. What time was it anyways?

"Maybe we should talk to that mystery man," Nailynne said, then stood up. "If we have a full day ahead of us, maybe we should hurry and go to that place today."

Nailynne excused herself and ventured outside. The sun wasn't far up in the sky, so it was either the morning or the early evening. Nailynne still had a full day's worth of energy ahead of her, and she didn't want to waste the day sitting around and thinking.

...so continue acting as if you never read this note.

Nailynne was glad her mother taught her how to read and write, although it was a pain and wasn't at all important in her tribal culture. Survival was their way of life. Nobody had the time to author books and they didn't even make signs for their shops or the village. But more importantly...

So I can't let on that I know about the cave before I'm told about it by someone else, Nailynne thought to herself as she tried to seek out the mystery man. "Sir?" she called out hopefully, cursing herself for not getting his name. "Does anyone have a map we can maybe use or something? Also, what time is it?"

Aldurin · 05-22-2012, 01:05 PM

Meanwhile, outside of the building . . .

The local farmer approached Nailynne to respond to her question. He wore overalls and boots and basically every bit of stereotypical farmer wear except the straw hat, and walked with the manner of someone who liked the simplicity of his life.

"Well, you must be one of them new fellers, right? It's good to see some new folk willing to stay in this neglected corner of the country. By the way, my name's Jim, named after my uncle, a better farmer than I could ever dream to be. As for telling the time, just look at the sky and see where the sun is, it's pretty convenient as long as you're outside."

Using the sun to tell the relative time of day existed in the world from which Nailynne came from, but she never really got the specifics. She could only...guess that it was morning. It couldn't hurt to try now and just come back if it started to get dark. "Well, uhh, good to meet you, Mister Jim. Would you have a map or maybe be able to tell me about the area around here? I'm thinking of heading out there, and I'd like to know what I'm up against."

Jim began to scratch his scruffy chin, thinking as he stared at the sun. "Well I can't really help you with maps, as the last people to have one were the previous owners of that shop. They were an odd bunch of fellows, but their work made this place flourish into a town in no time. But then they left and . . . well " He gestured to the ghost town of three buildings around them, "this is what happened." He took a moment to gather his thoughts. "Oh, I remember now! Those folks that ran that shop said something about using the cave up north as an emergency storage. If you wanted a map then that place would be your best bet. Though you better take your friends as whatever has moved in there has tried to go after my chickens a couple of times recently."

There we go, Nailynne thought to herself. Now I know about the cave from someone other than the note.
But Jim told her something of value. Emergency storage could mean supplies, assuming they weren't destroyed. Nailynne decided to return to the others to spread the good word, but first...

"About this group that lived here before," Nailynne thought out loud. "How long were they...uhh...how long did they live here, exactly?"
Nailynne was about to use the word 'trapped' but held herself back from possibly insulting Jim. Actually, how long has Jim been living here? Had he been living in this town his whole life? Well, no real time to think about that now.

"Hm, that is a good question. I don't really care for time much beyond what it takes to make my crops grow, so I can't exactly say. Maybe you should ask the innkeeper later, I'm sure she has a better memory on that kind of stuff. But I clearly remember about . . . 3 good seasons I had when this place was a full-fledged town, so it musta' been a whie." He gestured to the faded sign, where "Welcome to Alandria" was barely readable. "That there was one of the last things to stay when everyone else left. It's a shame, too, since legally we aren't big enough to have a name any more." He looked off toward a nearby mountain range wistfully. "But I shouldn't keep ya out here for too much longer, if your friends want to re-open that ramshackle place then me an' the innkeep will be more than supportive of it. May be what we need to revive this town!" He wandered back over to the edge of the town where his farm was, waving goodbye.

Nailynne bid the good man farewell and juggled the information Jim gave her in her mind. Nailynne didn't know what an inn was, but it didn't seem like this place could possibly be described as a town. Granted, all she ever came from was a village, but there were only three structures here. The 'inn', whatever that was, a farmhouse, and the building all of them moved into. Was a place like this really necessary? If they traveled light or something, there wouldn't be much reason to stay here.

Nailynne just had an epiphany. The note must have come from that group that lived here before. They KNEW someone else was going to wind up here after they left, and the group before them, and so on and so forth. The cave might have another note we might need, Nailynne thought, hoping she was right, and hurried back to speak to the others. I just hope I'm not wrong and then I'll end up leading them into a trap or something. They seem like good people.

It couldn't hurt to get a second opinion, though, and it wasn't right neighborly to just settle in and head off without meeting the rest of the people. Ha ha ha, the rest of the people. How many people could possibly be inside that inn?

"Excuse meeeeeeeee!" Nailynne tried her hardest to be cute and cheerful (adults dig that shit) and carefully entered the inn, hoping that the other people or person was as hospitable as Jim was.

As Nailynne walked forward into the inn, she suddenly felt something cold and metallic against her back. "Now I know the 'cute kid' ploy when I see it! WHO ARE YOU WORKING WITH? Nobody comes around these parts any more except to steal from us!" A very harsh woman's voice screamed at her from behind.

Nailynne yelped like a wounded puppy, landing flat on her face and only stood up to get knocked down again by her wooden oar. Struggling against pain, Nailynne quickly turned over and crabwalked backwards until she couldn't back up anymore. "G-g-good morning!" Nailynne managed, and prayed it was enough to keep her from being murdered because her voice was otherwise dead in her throat.

The woman pointing the longsword at Nailynne appeared to be in her early 50's, dressed in a innkeeper's version of battle-worn leather and appeared to have fought a war by herself. She seemed to be less hostile of Nailynne after her initial reaction, but remained wary. "This here place was supposed to be a safe haven for travelers, but how is it supposed to be safe when every other traveler seems to be a bandit? Them bastards have tried this trick before, sometimes the kid was even the leader. Why should I think for a second that you aren't here to scout out the place to loot?"

It took nearly a full minute for Nailynne to find her voice. Unfortunately, she couldn't bring herself to use it wisely.
"What is a bandit?"

Yep, Nailynne lived in the backwater village to end all backwater villages.

The woman began to snarl menacingly "Oh don't even give me that act! I asked for an explanation and I'm going to get it before you leave here!"

Nailynne slowly and nonthreateningly got back to her feet. "Uhh...well, my name is Nailynne and I'm a traveler...I guess. I don't know how I got here but I'd like to get back to where I came from. We...me and some other people I mean, we met this one guy and we followed him here. And now we just started to live in that empty place...until we can find a way to go back home."

Despite not knowing what inns and bandits were, Nailynne had seen her fair share of swords before. I kinda wish I had that over the wooden oar, but I don't think she'd give it to me no matter what I did.

The innkeep's behavior changed in an instant, and her face paled a bit. She lowered the sword and stepped back a bit, trying to think this over. "Now children? But, why? It was bad enough beforehand, but she doesn't deserve this." She mumbled to herself, clearly distressed. She then stepped towards Nailynne, knelt down and put her hands on Nailynne's shoulders, "Nailynne, there's a lot going on that nobody is going to understand, but you just need to stay safe. Now the previous owners of that building left some of their stuff up in that cave, you should get your friends to help you clear out those creatures and gather those supplies. This isn't a fate I see you being able to fight, so whatever you do, make sure that the store stays in business. I'm sorry I can't explain further, as in all honesty I don't have an explanation."
She stood up and stepped aside so that Nailynne could get to the door. "By the way, I'm Eneri, the innkeeper. I apologize for that first bit, I've gotten a bit paranoid ever since Jim became my only neighbor."

"Are things normally bad out here?" Nailynne wondered aloud. "I mean, there's nobody here but yet everything seems to be well cared for. I can't tell how long that building has been abandoned but it's in surprisingly good shape. Can three people really take care of this entire town when there's no one else here?"

"It's two people, the third person you're thinking of . . . he's not a local. Just please, don't delay on your mission, those that watch don't like delays." Eneri began walking upstairs, clearly distressed by what she had just heard.

Nailynne didn't even have the chance to bid her well, but tried anyways, retrieved the wooden oar, and returned to the...the...traveler's den, maybe? It was time to tell the others what she had learned.

Aldurin · 06-01-2012, 03:43 PM

Nailynne returned to the store, bringing the news of what she had learned. After everyone finished discussing their situation, they decided to head off toward Enigma Cave. (Pre-leaving discussions can still be made and posted if you guys want)

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Phase Transition: Exploration Phase
Location: Enigma Cavern
Party: All PCs
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The cave entrance resided at the base of the massive mountain range to the north, barely noticeable among the massive crevices formed from rock slides subjected to centuries of rainfall. The opening was just large enough for two people to walk side-by-side, which was helpful since some of the weapons would have been difficult to squeeze through a person-sized space.

The opening went in about 10 feet before leading into a large cavern. The first thought among the group was "That is definitely too dark to see in." and immediately after those that had light auras began to glow dimly, giving enough light to safely navigate through. The air was damp, the stalactites and stalagmites glistening in the soft glow from the group, added by a somewhat noxious smell that they couldn't identify.

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You may now attempt to look around for points of interests and other paths.
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Astral Harmony · 06-04-2012, 06:46 PM

Nailynne wasn't used to caves. Her kind never bothered with them. When it came to homes, they built huts from stone, straw and wood. When it came to hunting, they didn't follow their prey into the caverns, and merely set traps to ensnare them for when they thought it was safe to leave.

Even being aglow with white light didn't make her feel better.

But this is definitely it, Nailynne thought to herself. If we can find the supplies, we may even be able to find another note.

Nailynne heard stories from the village chief about her race when they lived in the ocean. Because their community was so deep in the water, darkness was a constant and unwelcome companion. They were able to see in the dark, and acquired just about anything in the sea that could glow to help them light up their world, from growing acres full of radiant undersea flora to domesticating just about any bioluminescent fish they could acquire.

That was a long time ago, and since they now lived in the sun, they lost much of their special sight. Nailynne was careful to look before putting her feet anywhere. And she held her oar tightly, ready to bash anything that so much as shown its hideous face.

"I wonder how far this goes?" Nailynne asked no one in particular, trying to find a conversation somewhere in the group.

05-18-2012, 02:40 PM	#1
Aldurin Lakitu Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 4,648	Tales of Alandria Act 0: Incipiens novi Finem You find yourself in the middle of a forest clearing, disoriented and confused. As you look around you see other people waking up. A few questions about where they are quickly establishes that no one is from the same world, as nobody's description of their homeland sounds remotely familiar to anyone else, which further explains the extreme variety of fashion among the group. As you get your bearings and try to determine what to do, a mysterious figure approaches from the trees. He wears a massive cloak with very dull pants and boots, and gives off the vibe of a truly inconspicuous person, that is, he would be if he wasn't the only person in this clearing that was obviously confused. He asks where each of you are from, and when he hears that none of you are from the same place, he takes a moment to think. He begins to shift nervously as he mulls over the problem, which worries you even more. He then turns around and explains that there is a remote chance of everyone being able to return to where they came from, but your priority for now is to survive. He hands you a deed and a small bag of coins, saying that your souls are linked by destiny, and that you must work together in order to survive. He then leads your group out of the forest and shows you a town. Well not really a town, but more of something equatable to a rest stop for travelers. There's an inn, a single farm and an empty shack that is somehow well maintained. He points you toward the abandoned house, saying that it is the optimal place to stay and set up a business, as all kinds of travelers come through frequently. He then walks back into the woods and appears to vanish the moment the shadow of a tree hits him. The building you have been given is quite spacious, with separate rooms for everyone with enough space for living commodities, and then extra rooms which are perfect for running a store. A quick chat with the farmer and inn keeper reveals that this town was once a thriving village, but quickly fell apart when the owners of the house you currently own left. Apparently their business was the center of the community and the lifeblood of the place. Both of them are more than glad to give you any advice on your business, using what they remember seeing the last owners do. In the basement you find a crate with various rusty weapons, with everyone somehow finding something that they're familiar with. ------ Weapon Stats: Tier: 0 (considered Tier 1 for damage calculations) Damage range: 7-12 Extra Effects: None ------ At the bottom of the crate is a small sack, which immediately lets out several floating lights that automatically fly inside of each person and appear to vanish. ------ Auras you may choose from: 1. Minor Neutral Aura: Tier: 0 Primary affinity: Neutrality Passive Effects: None Active Effects: The wielder may expend 15 soul points to deal 5-15 points of neutral damage to one target. 2. Minor Light Aura: Tier: 0 Primary affinity: Light Passive Effects: The wielder regenerates 1 hitpoint at the end of each round, and 5 points between battles. Active Effects: The wielder may expend 15 soul points to heal 10 hitpoints on any ally (including yourself). 3. Minor Anger Aura: Tier: 0 Primary affinity: Anger Passive Effects: The wielder has 1 extra point of physique. Active Effects: The wielder may expend 15 soul points to grant 3 physique points on any ally for 3 turns. ------ Everyone is bewildered for a moment, unsure of what had happened. Each person feels a small pulse of power inside of them. They look at the bottom of the box to make sure nothing was there, and see a note that they are sure wasn't there before. "If you are reading this note, then you are in a great bigger deal of trouble than you realize. Unfortunately, explaining the past further would endanger you more, so I will have to be brief and cryptic. Listen to the advice you have received, as this building will facilitate your success and power in this world. In the crate we left you with some weapons to defend yourself with, and some auras, which you will most definitely learn about later. You will need more than some sharp objects and floating lights to survive though. In the cave directly north of town, you'll find what you need to keep yourselves in the clear. The answers will come to you in time, but that is an issue you must address later. Your performance is already being monitored, so continue acting as if you never read this note." As everyone finishes reading the piece of paper, it spontaneously ignites and burns to ashes. ------ Progress report: Money: 1000 Koren Everyone has a weapon and an aura, nothing more. Point of interest unlocked: Enigma Cavern Current Phase: None ------ ------ Cast: Nailynne Haestus (Armored Bishoujo) Aristobulous (Sifright) James Anderson (CABAL49) Marcus Reinard (Inbred Chocobo) Adrielle (Relm Zephyrous) ------ (You may now post some character interactions before starting the Exploration Phase.) Last edited by Aldurin; 05-18-2012 at 03:42 PM. Reason: OH fine, hold me to my word on making extra auras, I see how it is.

05-20-2012, 03:22 PM	#2
CABAL49 Not bad. Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Senatus Populusque Americanus Posts: 1,584	After having what was probably the best of his life, James found himself here. His natural response was to run off into the woods screaming, but he found comfort that everyone else was as lost as he was. The blue boy still made him uncomfortable. He wanted to believe that it was just a dream, but the dirt on his face and pain in his body told him it was real. He followed everyone from the back and listened intently. A store? Something brought him here to run a store? This would be going on is resume, he chuckled to himself. He made mental notes, not having the ability to take notes, of everything the man said. And then he saw the box. James had never fired a gun or handled a weapon before in his life. But something about the this long sword called to him. He wasn't even paying attention to his comrades when he took it. He strapped it to himself and then unsheathed it. It was definitely something that he was not used to. The weight of the sword surprised him and he almost dropped it. He quickly sheathed it before looking like a bigger fool. He look back to see his new companions remove various weapons from the box. But there was something he had missed. The bag. One of the lights rushed into him. He could feel the new power, but something about it felt natural. There was something else he noticed, they all gathered around to read the note. After it burst into flames, James noticed none of his companions had said a word. His senses returning he thought he should put those public speaking courses to the test. Excuse me,he stammered,Um...well..my name is James. Uh...maybe a game to get to know each other better.He hated these games. They played them all the time at orientation, but it was all he could think of.So...uh...why don't we go around and introduce ourselves and say three things about ourselves. I'll start. My name is James, I study business. I like to tinker with things and uh...I like video games. He was unable to put out any more words so he stepped back and looked around for a volunteer.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ((Forgot to specify, picking up a Light Aura.)) Last edited by CABAL49; 05-20-2012 at 03:45 PM.

05-21-2012, 05:18 AM	#3
Sifright Fact sphere is the most handsome Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 1,108	It had been a long day already for Aristobulous before arriving where ever this was. There had been a streak fire in the night sky which had slammed into the ground a few miles away from him and several seconds later a rush of warm air blew through the town. He quickly left to go investigate still wearing his smithing gear as he had only recently finished his nights work. Less than ten minutes after setting out he had been set upon by bandits, no one traveled unarmed and Aristobulous fought valiantly to protect himself, it was however in vain. The sharp and sudden pain of a sword being thrust into his torso made him drop his hammer he fell to the ground the last thing he saw was the bandits rifling through his stuff before a hand yanked his head back and his throat was slit. Then he had woken up in this clearing, his smithing apron having a slit just above his heart and a dry red patch around it and his throat with a thick line of scar tissue. His pockets were empty and the rest of his equipment was gone. He took to his feet slowly taking in the surroundings, this place didn't look like Tartarus so presumably then he been taken to either the Elysium fields or Asphodel meadows. After the mysterious man had disappeared Aristobulous searched through the house to take stock of just what had been left for them, his search through the basement yielded a War hammer in poor condition but it's heft and balance felt almost ideally suited to his build. ------------------------ (all clothes are purely cosmetic.) Taking minor anger aura __________________ Orgies of country consuming violence

05-21-2012, 08:23 AM	#4
Inbred Chocobo Bitches love the crown Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: In my happy place! Posts: 3,264	Marcus himself looked around, trying to figure out things on why such stuff is here, and why it all happened. He also was examining an odd ball that had an aura of light that was hovering in front of him. "Can someone please explain what this thing is?" He stated, pointing at the ball of light. Before anyone could respond, it just floated into him. Marcus responded with a very worried look, examining himself making sure no wounds or other injuries showed. "This isn't going to give me cancer is it? I really don't want to get cancer you know." Marcus said, with concern on his face about what is going on. He felt like people were just going on, like this was suppose to happen. Did anyone not wonder what was going on here, and what did that strange cloak figure meant by survival? Setup a shop? What kind of shop. Then people started searching and old crate, and pulling out weapons. "Wait, why are we all getting weapons?" Marcus asked, a fresh batch of concern on his face. "Are... we going to have to fight something? I don't normally fight things." When no one answered at first, he looked into the crate, and found and pulled out an old wrench. The thing was a bit rusted, so he doubt he could truly use it for anything other than bashing things upside the head with it, but if it came to that at least Marcus had something to do. "So if we are getting weapons, what the heck are we fighting. Also, we are suppose to run a shop or something? What are we going to sell, any ideas?" Marcus asked to his new roommates, still just as confused as he first was.

05-21-2012, 02:17 PM	#5
Astral Harmony Don't Hate Me 'Cause I'm Moe Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Harmonial Sanctum Posts: 6,798	After the note burned into smoke and ash, Nailynne leaned on her knees, staring into the crate. She was really good at going with the flow, which made it easy for her to simply discard her thought processes and let events unfold until she actually had time to think. And now that she was finally armed, she decided to turn on her brain and figure everything out. She must have lost her dragonshark jawbone oar during the scuffle before she wound up here. What she had now was made of wood. Not very healthy-looking wood, in her opinion, but it should last her more than long enough until she could find or whittle down something more appropriate. Well, I know a thing or two about running a business after watching father and mother for so long, but I'm still just a little girl. Is it really alright for me to own a business by myself, she thought as she let the others gather their thoughts in turn. "Excuse me," James stammered, drawing Nailynne out of her thoughts. "Um...well...my name is James. Uh...maybe a game to get to know each other better. So...uh...why don't we go around and introduce ourselves and say three things about ourselves. I'll start. My name is James, I study business. I like to tinker with things and uh...I like video games." Nailynne would normally have introduced herself, but she found her words dead in her throat. He was...pretty cute. I wish I had the time to become a full woman before I was sent here, Nailynne found herself thinking. "Can someone please explain what this thing is?" Marcus asked then, distracted by a ball of light. Nailynne didn't know what it could possibly be. She had automatically picked one out during her mental downtime. Minor Light Aura GET!! "This isn't going to give me cancer is it?" Marcus continued. "I really don't want to get cancer you know." "Wait, why are we all getting weapons?" Marcus asked, a fresh batch of concern on his face. "Are... we going to have to fight something? I don't normally fight things." When no one answered at first, he looked into the crate, and found and pulled something Nailynne had never seen before. "So if we are getting weapons, what the heck are we fighting. Also, we are supposed to run a shop or something? What are we going to sell, any ideas?" Marcus asked to his new roommates, still just as confused as he first was. He's really handsome, too, but he might be even cuter if he didn't talk so much, Nailynne's childish mind continued on. "I guess we'll be fighting dangerous animals," Nailynne finally spoke up, standing apart from the group to try a few swings of the wooden oar. It was lighter in weight than the jawbone oar. "I'm Nailynne...though you can just call me Nai if that's too hard. I'm a hunter and I do some other stuff on the side, but mostly I'm a hunter. So, uhh...what's a video game? Or cancer?"

05-22-2012, 05:43 AM	#6
Relm Zephyrous Who am I again? Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 595	Adrielle was disoriented, confused, and frankly surprised to be alive. She was much more surprised by all of the oddities of this place, and the people around her. She knew they were introducing themselves, and that she would be expected to introduce herself in turn. But none of this mattered, what did matter was that she wasn't dead, in a cell or in hell. And crucially, that pain in the back of Adrielle's head was gone. Not just suppressed, but entirely removed. The girl let out silent laughs, simply staring to each of the other compatriots and reading the letter to herself. Everyone finished talking for the moment, and then she took the stand. Her body looked like it was in simple black and red broadway clothing, weird for where she was beforehand and this place, but it worked out for her. "Well. As for who I am, the name is Adrielle. And it is pleasant to meet you." She paused, considering that she no longer had to deal with those problems with herself, and... was free to do anything. Or everything, in all the ways imaginable. "And yes, we'll be fighting a bunch of animals, or somesuch. It'll be a great joyous time that we'll be having. Cancer is some kind of disease, typically inflicted by necromancers with cysts on their arms. Really gross stuff. As for video games, I don't have a clue. But I can figure it out eventually." Adrielle went into the box with a ruffling hand, and picked out some anger aura, at least that is what the note said it was. "Anyway, I'll take this one, I have a burning passion, and a desire to spread the love all the hell around."

05-22-2012, 07:19 AM	#7
Astral Harmony Don't Hate Me 'Cause I'm Moe Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Harmonial Sanctum Posts: 6,798	Learning about cancer unsettled Nailynne a bit, but now she had new questions. Necromancers? Cysts? Nevermind, if she kept trying to learn everything they knew, they'd waste the whole rest of the day. What time was it anyways? "Maybe we should talk to that mystery man," Nailynne said, then stood up. "If we have a full day ahead of us, maybe we should hurry and go to that place today." Nailynne excused herself and ventured outside. The sun wasn't far up in the sky, so it was either the morning or the early evening. Nailynne still had a full day's worth of energy ahead of her, and she didn't want to waste the day sitting around and thinking. ...so continue acting as if you never read this note. Nailynne was glad her mother taught her how to read and write, although it was a pain and wasn't at all important in her tribal culture. Survival was their way of life. Nobody had the time to author books and they didn't even make signs for their shops or the village. But more importantly... So I can't let on that I know about the cave before I'm told about it by someone else, Nailynne thought to herself as she tried to seek out the mystery man. "Sir?" she called out hopefully, cursing herself for not getting his name. "Does anyone have a map we can maybe use or something? Also, what time is it?"

05-22-2012, 01:05 PM	#8
Aldurin Lakitu Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 4,648	Meanwhile, outside of the building . . . The local farmer approached Nailynne to respond to her question. He wore overalls and boots and basically every bit of stereotypical farmer wear except the straw hat, and walked with the manner of someone who liked the simplicity of his life. "Well, you must be one of them new fellers, right? It's good to see some new folk willing to stay in this neglected corner of the country. By the way, my name's Jim, named after my uncle, a better farmer than I could ever dream to be. As for telling the time, just look at the sky and see where the sun is, it's pretty convenient as long as you're outside." Using the sun to tell the relative time of day existed in the world from which Nailynne came from, but she never really got the specifics. She could only...guess that it was morning. It couldn't hurt to try now and just come back if it started to get dark. "Well, uhh, good to meet you, Mister Jim. Would you have a map or maybe be able to tell me about the area around here? I'm thinking of heading out there, and I'd like to know what I'm up against." Jim began to scratch his scruffy chin, thinking as he stared at the sun. "Well I can't really help you with maps, as the last people to have one were the previous owners of that shop. They were an odd bunch of fellows, but their work made this place flourish into a town in no time. But then they left and . . . well " He gestured to the ghost town of three buildings around them, "this is what happened." He took a moment to gather his thoughts. "Oh, I remember now! Those folks that ran that shop said something about using the cave up north as an emergency storage. If you wanted a map then that place would be your best bet. Though you better take your friends as whatever has moved in there has tried to go after my chickens a couple of times recently." There we go, Nailynne thought to herself. Now I know about the cave from someone other than the note. But Jim told her something of value. Emergency storage could mean supplies, assuming they weren't destroyed. Nailynne decided to return to the others to spread the good word, but first... "About this group that lived here before," Nailynne thought out loud. "How long were they...uhh...how long did they live here, exactly?" Nailynne was about to use the word 'trapped' but held herself back from possibly insulting Jim. Actually, how long has Jim been living here? Had he been living in this town his whole life? Well, no real time to think about that now. "Hm, that is a good question. I don't really care for time much beyond what it takes to make my crops grow, so I can't exactly say. Maybe you should ask the innkeeper later, I'm sure she has a better memory on that kind of stuff. But I clearly remember about . . . 3 good seasons I had when this place was a full-fledged town, so it musta' been a whie." He gestured to the faded sign, where "Welcome to Alandria" was barely readable. "That there was one of the last things to stay when everyone else left. It's a shame, too, since legally we aren't big enough to have a name any more." He looked off toward a nearby mountain range wistfully. "But I shouldn't keep ya out here for too much longer, if your friends want to re-open that ramshackle place then me an' the innkeep will be more than supportive of it. May be what we need to revive this town!" He wandered back over to the edge of the town where his farm was, waving goodbye. Nailynne bid the good man farewell and juggled the information Jim gave her in her mind. Nailynne didn't know what an inn was, but it didn't seem like this place could possibly be described as a town. Granted, all she ever came from was a village, but there were only three structures here. The 'inn', whatever that was, a farmhouse, and the building all of them moved into. Was a place like this really necessary? If they traveled light or something, there wouldn't be much reason to stay here. Nailynne just had an epiphany. The note must have come from that group that lived here before. They KNEW someone else was going to wind up here after they left, and the group before them, and so on and so forth. The cave might have another note we might need, Nailynne thought, hoping she was right, and hurried back to speak to the others. I just hope I'm not wrong and then I'll end up leading them into a trap or something. They seem like good people. It couldn't hurt to get a second opinion, though, and it wasn't right neighborly to just settle in and head off without meeting the rest of the people. Ha ha ha, the rest of the people. How many people could possibly be inside that inn? "Excuse meeeeeeeee!" Nailynne tried her hardest to be cute and cheerful (adults dig that shit) and carefully entered the inn, hoping that the other people or person was as hospitable as Jim was. As Nailynne walked forward into the inn, she suddenly felt something cold and metallic against her back. "Now I know the 'cute kid' ploy when I see it! WHO ARE YOU WORKING WITH? Nobody comes around these parts any more except to steal from us!" A very harsh woman's voice screamed at her from behind. Nailynne yelped like a wounded puppy, landing flat on her face and only stood up to get knocked down again by her wooden oar. Struggling against pain, Nailynne quickly turned over and crabwalked backwards until she couldn't back up anymore. "G-g-good morning!" Nailynne managed, and prayed it was enough to keep her from being murdered because her voice was otherwise dead in her throat. The woman pointing the longsword at Nailynne appeared to be in her early 50's, dressed in a innkeeper's version of battle-worn leather and appeared to have fought a war by herself. She seemed to be less hostile of Nailynne after her initial reaction, but remained wary. "This here place was supposed to be a safe haven for travelers, but how is it supposed to be safe when every other traveler seems to be a bandit? Them bastards have tried this trick before, sometimes the kid was even the leader. Why should I think for a second that you aren't here to scout out the place to loot?" It took nearly a full minute for Nailynne to find her voice. Unfortunately, she couldn't bring herself to use it wisely. "What is a bandit?" Yep, Nailynne lived in the backwater village to end all backwater villages. The woman began to snarl menacingly "Oh don't even give me that act! I asked for an explanation and I'm going to get it before you leave here!" Nailynne slowly and nonthreateningly got back to her feet. "Uhh...well, my name is Nailynne and I'm a traveler...I guess. I don't know how I got here but I'd like to get back to where I came from. We...me and some other people I mean, we met this one guy and we followed him here. And now we just started to live in that empty place...until we can find a way to go back home." Despite not knowing what inns and bandits were, Nailynne had seen her fair share of swords before. I kinda wish I had that over the wooden oar, but I don't think she'd give it to me no matter what I did. The innkeep's behavior changed in an instant, and her face paled a bit. She lowered the sword and stepped back a bit, trying to think this over. "Now children? But, why? It was bad enough beforehand, but she doesn't deserve this." She mumbled to herself, clearly distressed. She then stepped towards Nailynne, knelt down and put her hands on Nailynne's shoulders, "Nailynne, there's a lot going on that nobody is going to understand, but you just need to stay safe. Now the previous owners of that building left some of their stuff up in that cave, you should get your friends to help you clear out those creatures and gather those supplies. This isn't a fate I see you being able to fight, so whatever you do, make sure that the store stays in business. I'm sorry I can't explain further, as in all honesty I don't have an explanation." She stood up and stepped aside so that Nailynne could get to the door. "By the way, I'm Eneri, the innkeeper. I apologize for that first bit, I've gotten a bit paranoid ever since Jim became my only neighbor." "Are things normally bad out here?" Nailynne wondered aloud. "I mean, there's nobody here but yet everything seems to be well cared for. I can't tell how long that building has been abandoned but it's in surprisingly good shape. Can three people really take care of this entire town when there's no one else here?" "It's two people, the third person you're thinking of . . . he's not a local. Just please, don't delay on your mission, those that watch don't like delays." Eneri began walking upstairs, clearly distressed by what she had just heard. Nailynne didn't even have the chance to bid her well, but tried anyways, retrieved the wooden oar, and returned to the...the...traveler's den, maybe? It was time to tell the others what she had learned.

06-01-2012, 03:43 PM	#9
Aldurin Lakitu Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 4,648	Nailynne returned to the store, bringing the news of what she had learned. After everyone finished discussing their situation, they decided to head off toward Enigma Cave. (Pre-leaving discussions can still be made and posted if you guys want) --------------- Phase Transition: Exploration Phase Location: Enigma Cavern Party: All PCs --------------- The cave entrance resided at the base of the massive mountain range to the north, barely noticeable among the massive crevices formed from rock slides subjected to centuries of rainfall. The opening was just large enough for two people to walk side-by-side, which was helpful since some of the weapons would have been difficult to squeeze through a person-sized space. The opening went in about 10 feet before leading into a large cavern. The first thought among the group was "That is definitely too dark to see in." and immediately after those that had light auras began to glow dimly, giving enough light to safely navigate through. The air was damp, the stalactites and stalagmites glistening in the soft glow from the group, added by a somewhat noxious smell that they couldn't identify. ----------- You may now attempt to look around for points of interests and other paths. -----------

06-04-2012, 06:46 PM	#10
Astral Harmony Don't Hate Me 'Cause I'm Moe Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Harmonial Sanctum Posts: 6,798	Nailynne wasn't used to caves. Her kind never bothered with them. When it came to homes, they built huts from stone, straw and wood. When it came to hunting, they didn't follow their prey into the caverns, and merely set traps to ensnare them for when they thought it was safe to leave. Even being aglow with white light didn't make her feel better. But this is definitely it, Nailynne thought to herself. If we can find the supplies, we may even be able to find another note. Nailynne heard stories from the village chief about her race when they lived in the ocean. Because their community was so deep in the water, darkness was a constant and unwelcome companion. They were able to see in the dark, and acquired just about anything in the sea that could glow to help them light up their world, from growing acres full of radiant undersea flora to domesticating just about any bioluminescent fish they could acquire. That was a long time ago, and since they now lived in the sun, they lost much of their special sight. Nailynne was careful to look before putting her feet anywhere. And she held her oar tightly, ready to bash anything that so much as shown its hideous face. "I wonder how far this goes?" Nailynne asked no one in particular, trying to find a conversation somewhere in the group.