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| NTNP's Interest Topics; A few quick votes and a lot of information | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: January 27, 2013, 3:09 pm (936 Views) | |
| NTNP | January 27, 2013, 3:09 pm Post #1 |
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Hell and welcome to NTNP's Interest Topic. As many of you might have noticed, I have been working on a few RPs for the last few weeks and now that things are starting to slow down in my life I feel like I might be able to manage running one. As of right now, I have two options available. The first is known as the Depths of the Mind, a Persona inspired modern fantasy focusing on character growth and overcoming various obstacles (both personal and environmental) as they attempt to discover the reason why they can access the sea of the unconscious, a world between that of mortals and the supernatural. The second option is the Sun and the Moon, a heroic fantasy based on the Red Wings RP idea I had a while ago. I revised the storyline, setting etc considerably and it will hopefully make it a little more interesting for all involved. Well in the next two pages I will outline both ideas in detail, so try to read everything and then vote what you would rather be involved with. Remember that there are 3 polls, if you are interested in either RP and then one deciding which you would prefer. |
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| NTNP | January 27, 2013, 3:11 pm Post #2 |
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When we dream, where do we go? Somewhere deep down, we all know the answer. To a world of perpetual darkness, a night sky without stars or clouds and a beautiful, ever growing moon high above. Every night we hear the call of the sea, the never ending pool from which all things are born, forgotten and remembered… the Sea of the Unconscious. This is where our dreams are born. In a place that has existed just beyond our grasp since the dawn of humankind. When our first ancestors shut their eyes and let their minds wander into the eternal, this place became our birthright. This is heaven, hell, nirvana and Bahaman. This is the source of all we creation. We were conceived from this sea of the mind, and to it we will return when our days upon this mortal realm have come to an end. Somewhere deep below the waves, high above the islands of our dreams and nightmares we will return to the Depths of the Mind. The Depths of the Mind: Welcome to the Depths of the Mind, an RP created by NTNP (Dustin). In this story, our characters will be taking place in a modern fantasy set in the fictional town of Siren’s Bay in South Carolina USA in the year 2017. Siren’s Bay is a small coastal town, best known for a moderate sized port where anglers dock along with a few cargo ships that favor the port due to its relaxed security and low fees. The town itself is rather unremarkable with less than 10,000 in the city limits and another 6000 in the surrounding area. A small community college is in this barely surviving city on the edge of economic collapse thanks to the failing economy. The story begins rather mundanely as our characters begin experiencing terrifying nightmares representing their own fears, weaknesses and uncomfortable truths that they would much rather ignore about themselves. The most unsettling part of this dream is that it always ends the same. A figure will appear, always saying the exact same words “I am the shadow, the true self.” It looks like you, dresses like you but something is deeply off about this imposter, this doppelganger. While the exact parts of the dream might differ from night to night, that never changes. In the end, you are powerless to stop it. The shadow always ends the dream the same, by taking your life. For weeks now, you have faced the cascade of nightmares every time you shut your eyes and now your mind feels like it is playing tricks on you from the lack of sleep. When things get quiet, you can hear a voice whispering to you, saying things that terrify you and shame you. Out of the corner of your eye, you can see it. The image of this “shadow” standing in a crowd or looking back at you in a reflection of a mirror haunts your every waking moment. Moreover, the dreams, oh if anything they have only gotten worse with each passing day. Now it feels even more real than before… maybe you are losing your mind? When going through your daily routine in Siren’s Bay, you start to notice things. Every so often, you will see someone that you can almost recognize, as if you had met before. They seem like they recognize you too, but neither of you can remember where. In a crowd, you have started to notice an increasing number of people who seem on edge, as if something was stalking them. Then it starts to dawn on you, maybe they are having the same bad dreams as you are… As you, and those like you (fellow PCs) start talking about terrifying dreams there is always one thing in common the doppelgangers say, “I am the shadow, the true self.” Now as you lay down to sleep one more time, praying for something other than the nightmare, you will awaken somewhere entirely new. You are battered by waves, cold and chilling as the night sky devoid of starlight and clouds. A full moon, azure as the sea shines down upon you as you make your way to the shoreline. Something is off here; this is not how you remember the dream. Slowly you find yourself on an island, one of your mind’s own creation. Buildings are there, some that look like your home, workplace or school, while others that share a different time or place like a middle ages castle, a Victorian prison or a futuristic tower. This is where your dreams took place; this is the land that your mind has cultivated over the course of your life. This is your island in the Sea of the Unconscious. As you go into a familiar building, the one your dream took place in, you will start to experience it again, just like you did before. The same words, the same actions but now it does not feel like you are being drug along a path any longer. And for the first time, when you come face to face with your shadow you do not become paralyzed with fear. You can argue back, you can rally against its words. However, it is to no avail. No matter how strong your will, you cannot overcome this shadow… not alone. Returning to the world of the waking after dying, again, to the shadow it feels like something has changed. Going to a mirror, looking out a window… you can see clearly now, the shadow is here. During the morning ritual of brushing your teeth, it will be there smiling back at you. You can hear its voice taunting you, telling you that this time it will take your place. That you will be the one lost in the Sea of the Unconscious, not it. As hard as you might struggle, the body cannot go without sleep forever. Eventually you will have to return there, to your nightmare. However, this time, you won’t be alone. One of the people you have met in your time since starting these terrors is drawn into your dream alongside you. Be it a dear friend, a lover or just someone that you met only for a moment… there was a connection there that bound you together. As you wash up upon the shoreline, this other dreamer will be there beside you. Before you could not overcome the shadow alone, no matter how hard you tried it was impossible but now, with the help of another, you just might be able to. Going through the nightmare again, especially with another person who sees the very worst parts of you is humiliating, painful and demoralizing but there is no other choice. When the nightmare finally comes to its inevitable end and you come face to face with the shadow, it seems to change in the face of this new dreamer. Unable to hide its true form, the shadow becomes a monster. Now you have to fight if you want to survive. Alone this creature would be too much to handle, but together you can overcome it! If you fail, the dream will end and both the dreamer and the guest(s) will be expelled back into the waking world to recover and then return in the nights to follow. Nevertheless, when the shadow is finally defeated, the dreamer will have to make a choice… can he or she accept that the things that this shadow has said were true? Can this person accept that their fears should not cripple them? If the dreamer can own up to their nightmare and accept it, then the shadow’s power will become their own. In accepting the darkness within, you have awakened a Persona, a facade that gives you strength here in the dream. A persona is a figment of the mind, usually taking the form of a well-known figure such as a hero, a god, a villain, a monster or a figure that the person knows of and envies for a particular reason. With this persona, they can face the shadows within their own dreams and that of their newly met friends (other PCs) as they struggle to explore this unknown world of their dreams and face the things within. Over time, the characters that must find answers if they hope to survive now that they know what resides in our dreams… what is the Sea of the Unconscious will ask questions? Why were we (the PCs) able to reach it in our dreams? What is causing us to come here at night? Why are we being drawn together? what is a shadow, what is a persona, why were we given these powers? All these questions and many more will be answered as we see what exists within the Depths of the Mind. Some important information about this player’s rights and responsibilities: Spoiler: click to toggle
Edited by NTNP, January 27, 2013, 3:14 pm.
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| NTNP | January 27, 2013, 3:11 pm Post #3 |
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The Sun and the Moon The Setting: Our story begins on the first day of winter. The howling winds rip across the valley as the sky darkens with snow as the last caravan of the season makes it way in the Frost Spire. Within a few days, the only path back into the heartland will be closed up until summer by snowfall and avalanches. You find yourself either as one of the people in the caravan, or as an inhabitant of the Frost Spire region, preparing to brave the fierce winter. When coming to this barren tundra of ice and snow, you are likely either a traveler seeking a position in the Carnish Legion under the Imperial Prince Bryce, a trader coming to make his or her fortune off the Carns markets and with the Tal’Zaran and Dhartan trade ships on the coastline or perhaps you were sentenced here under Imperial Law to work in the Silverlake mines to pay off your debt to society. Or perhaps your reasons for coming (or staying) in the frozen north are your own. Either way, you will be in this icy region for at least the next six months and will have to make the best of it. There are only a few cities within the mainland of this northern peninsula. The Carnish city of Greywall stands at the entrance to the realm and as the seat of power for the eldest of the Imperial children, Bryce the Game. This is the heart of ‘law’ within the frozen lands and the cornerstone of the Carnish Legion. Many who come here seek a position within their ranks, due to the recent military upswing in the region. To the east is the “Walking Sea”, a mixed city of both Carnish and Tal’Zara, or Icemen as most call them, where much of the sea’s bounty can be found. Out to sea, there are a number of small villages belonging to the Tal’Zara, although few go there during the winter months in fear of being trapped by an ice front. To the west is the aptly named “Frost Cove”, where a few temporary ports are placed for the Dhartan ships to dock. The only other major city is the Silverlake, best known as a massive quarry where ice and snow have melted and frozen so many times that the entire area seems to be covered in ‘silvery’ ponds. This is where the main draw of the area, the huge silver and stone mines that make this area worth controlling in Carnish eyes. This far from ideal land is the setting of our adventure. With little to your name and in the farthest reaches of the land, you have come to the frozen north for your own reasons. Carrying little more than the clothes on your back and perhaps the rare piece of armor or weaponry, you will make your fortune here, or you will die here. The Plot Unlike in so many of our stories, there is no big bad nor any sort of “evil” invasion to deal with. Instead we will be exploring a rather political based campaign focused on the struggles between the Imperial Carnish rule, the very tradition oriented Tal’Zara and the re-emergence of a group known as the “Knights of High Rule” seeking to restore the Hyln throne, starting up north. We will also be exploring the roles that the “Acolytes of the Moon” and the “Followers of the Sun” play on politics. Unlike so many religions, they are not “fighting” each other and instead exist in balance after seeing the horrors that a religious war created during the “dark times” of the past. Finally a more traditional storyline involving the creatures known as the “Fierce Ones” that live in the mountains and the “Blind Ones” who live under the ground and their resurgence into the civilized world will also be explored. This should offer a number of possible stories for everyone, along with providing options for a variety of play styles. When starting the series, you will be given various “hooks” to help you decide what story lines you would like to explore. Characters will be given the option to join the Carnish Legion who seek to restore peace and balance to the lands along with the Knights of the High Ruler who want to destroy the Carns for their betrayals. Also the Tal’Zara, usually treated like crap among the Carns, will also provide you the option to explore their society and the various rites that they perform to keep the Frost Spires safe from the Fierce Ones and the Blind Ones. However, you will also be required to do a few things for yourselves as well. Upon joining, you have to prepare a “joining” quest to explain why your character traveled to the frozen north that will be explored as you travel. This could be anything from explaining why you are “hiding” in the barrens, looking for someone, have an overall goal to accomplish etc. This should provide a greater need to stay involved in the plot. In addition, you will be asked to develop a character arch as well, meant to help show what you want your character to accomplish. Both of these things will be sent to the admin (me) to help develop the storyline in order to facilitate the process. Details of the Plots: Spoiler: click to toggle The History of this Land: Spoiler: click to toggle Player Rights and Responsibilities Spoiler: click to toggle For those who notice a few similarities between this and the Red Wings RP, Legend of Zelda etc, that is somewhat intentional. I admit I have drawn a good deal of information from these sources and changed them to meet my own needs. Various races have been turned human, their cultures changed etc have been made and whatnot. Edited by NTNP, January 27, 2013, 6:55 pm.
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| NTNP | January 27, 2013, 6:54 pm Post #4 |
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As requested (sorta) here is a breakdown of the various plots I have planned for the Sun and Moon story: The Knights of High Ruler: The Hylin uprising has come to return to power in the frigid north as the first part of their plan to reclaim the loyalties and lands of the entire realm in the name of the once great Kingdom of Hylin. Once, this realm along with so many others, swore their loyalty to the High Ruler of the Hylin. The Tal’Zara, the Klynnk, the Dharta and even the Carns were their vassals in the days long past, but then the dark ambition of the Carn King Garrick the Silver deceived the High Ruler and tricked her into attacking the Klynnk. After a bloody campaign fueled by lies, the Klynnk had become docile again and all peace seemed sure to return, until the black sails of the Dharta appeared on the horizon. Instead of defending the Hylin, which was their duty, the Carns turned on their masters and slaughtered them. Soon after the great capitol laid in ruins and the Carnish Empire had rose in its place. Since then, the ancient order of knights who served the High Ruler since the ancient days, swore it’s revenge on Garrick’s bloodline and any who served it. Now with only the clothes on their back and a determination to see the Imperial rule fall for their betrayal, the Knights of the High Ruler have risen again to settle an old score and return this land to the way it was meant to be. This level one storyline will increase up to around Lv. 6 at finish. This storyline consists of less direct combat and has a slightly more complex storyline than usual. Rather than direct battle, instead look forward to stealth, thievery, diplomacy and the occasional bloodshed as this group of Hylyns attempt to topple the Carnish regime of the Frost Rim and reclaim this area in the name of the one true heir of the realm, their High Ruler. Armed with only the clothes on their backs and some mild financial backing from an unknown source, they must struggle with every step to realize their ambitions. This storyline coincides with the Coldest Crown plot at times. The Coldest Crown: Things are rarely easy in the land of the north. While the Carnish Empire has maintained their dominance through force of arms and silvered words for years but with each passing generation the strength of Garrick the Silver’s blood seems to be weakening. This has never been truer than in the Frost Rim and with Bryce the Game. Born with a clubbed foot, Bryce was never the warrior but he idolized them. He looked toward his ancestor’s accomplishments and felt like he was destined for it, if he had not been born the way that he was. With a cold heart, further tempered by the trying toils of governorship in the north, he has tried to increase his own strength of arms and has made many enemies among the common people, while uniting the majority of the nobility behind him by allying with the prestigious Silverlake family through marriage when he was younger. While unpopular among his subjects, Bryce has managed to provide greater security to the people of the north than any prince before him and through the actions of his son, he has managed to even strengthen the alliance between the Tal’Zara (or Icemen as he calls them) and the Carns. But not all rally to the Carnish Prince’s calls. Whispers of unrest circle among the common man as a rash of freak incidents happen across the domain. Ships have begun sinking when going out to sea. Caravans and traders were ambushed on the roads, their goods and lives taken in the assault. Good and noble men and women have been taken from their homes, turned into hostages and for those that could not pay the ransom, executed. A call for any with martial training has been offered up, in hopes of securing the Carn lands and making it safe to travel again, along with finding out the source of this debauchery. This level 1 storyline will end around Lv.5. This plotline is focused on both combat and non-combat about equally. A considerable amount of focus is placed on defending the land, removing the threats to the Carn’s way of life and defeating those responsible. However, also a focus on determining who is the mastermind behind all these events, attempting to regain, forge or maintain relations with the various nobles in the realm and trying to empower the Carnish Crown to keep the realm safe will also require a good amount of investigating, diplomacy and creativity. This storyline coincides with the Knights of the High Ruler and the Legend of the Tal’Zara storylines. The Legend of the Tal’Zara is a narrative focused on the time honored tradition of placating the various powers that be to calm the great winter storms, appease the creatures of the mountains and ease the minds of those below the earth. The people that the Carns call Ice Men have lived in the frozen north for many centuries. They have cultivated the islands, tamed the waves and walked the ice coated paths for as long as any of the other races. They were the first to be blessed by the Mahalla, the God of the Moon. They still pray to the ancient ones left by him, the great sea creatures that protect the point beyond the horizon. Now that the time has come, the High Priestess of the Tal’Zara or as they call her, the “One” must make her journey to appease the powers that be. This level 3 storyline will end around Lv.8. This plotline is focused on both combat and exploration about equally. A considerable amount of focus is placed on exploring the various ruins that once were important to the Tal’Zara and the story of the how the creatures in this region became brutal and dangerous. Unlike all others, this narrative is the most focused on combat. This storyline coincides with the Knights of the High Ruler storyline. |
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| NTNP | January 29, 2013, 4:13 am Post #5 |
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Well looking at these scores it seems like everyone is a little split on their interests. 5-6 people interested in each RP isn't too bad, but a little low. Now that we have spent a few days thinking about the ideas, considering the pros and cons of each series does anyone have an opinion or any desire to choose another option? I'm adding a new poll "the final round" to see which series has the most momentum behind it. |
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| NTNP | January 30, 2013, 5:00 am Post #6 |
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It seems as thought the Depths of the Mind has won the poll by a margin of 2 votes. For those of you who were looking forward to seeing the Sun and the Moon come to life, don't despair. In the future there is a very good chance that you will see this epic fantasy return to our pages. However, for those who were looking forward to seeing the Depths of the Mind becoming our newest focus, you are in for a treat. In this urban fantasy we will be exploring realms of character depth unheard of in most of our stories and will be developing a thrilling, personal narrative together as a site as our characters struggle to discover the purpose behind their power and why they are the only ones capable of remembering their dreams of the Sea of the Unconscious. When I return from class today, I'll set up the Character Creation Sheet for the Depths of the Mind in the RPing section. Please feel free to start coming up with modern character concepts and hopefully we can come up with a cast that we'll be willing to stick with for a while as they explore their own strengths, weaknesses, fears and personality quirks that will someday let them become the heroes of our tale. |
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| Winters | January 30, 2013, 1:52 pm Post #7 |
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Hee-ho
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What time can we expect the RP to launch? I want to be able to prepare in advance. |
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5:59 PM Jul 10