Let's go find a dragon

[Tesh]

I posted a status update a while back about potentially either starting or joining a role play.

I decided to start one.

 

Basically I just made a really standard fantasy world, a character, and the start of a story. This was originally going to be a short story, but wasn't working out.

If you want me to add something to the map, I'll happily do that.

Here's the map: 

Spoiler

Here's the link to the Doc with all the character sketches and some other stuff. If you put your character sketch onto this, please post it on this thread as well. (I will change formatting stuff, by the way, to make it consistent.) Link This is so you don't have to go clicking through pages to find old posts with information you need in them, and so you can update your own stuff if needed.

In regards to magic systems... Well... We now have a pretty complicated realmatic thing going on. So, you can try to develop something that fits into everything on your own, or you can work with some of the people on this thread to figure something out. Here is the link to the wikidoc, which is where we have all our notes on everything.

From now on, all non-role play stuff goes in quote boxes.

---

Quote

Talnic:

Spoiler

NAME: Talnic Threninar

 

AGE: 18

SKILLS: A master of the sword, recognized as one of the best, although many discount his skill because of his age. One of his magic abilities comes from a ring which he stole from the horde of a dragon. The ring gives him a sense for people, like where they are when his back is turned, he can tell how many people are in a room without counting, and he has a slight sense as to their intentions. It's nothing drastic, but because of this he always follows his gut when it comes to trusting someone or not. Every once in a while, with no warning, he is known to spout a prophecy or some strange saying, and having no recollection of it afterwards. He was born with that gift.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: Talnic is on the tall side, especially among the people of his homeland. He keeps his dark brown hair short for convenience's sake, and his eyes are known to change color although none have been able to spot what the change relies upon. He always carries his sword (a longsword) and a knife, keeping his sword at his left and his knife at his right. He generally wears a dark travelling coat, tall boots, and occasionally a wide-brimmed hat. He wears a pair of gloves in the winter. 

PERSONALITY: Talnic is quiet, known for causing trouble then quickly disappearing. None have been able to directly trace any crime back to him. He hates staying in the same place for longer than a week or two, and loves to go off on small adventures, such as finding a dragon, befriending it, then convincing it to give him something from its hoard. (This is how he got the ring. He has traded the majority of of everything else). He never allows himself to grow connected to people as he always has to leave them behind. He used to try to convince friends to come with him on his journeys and adventures, but no one ever wanted to leave their lives behind to join Talnic. He eventually gave up, and slowly became content with not having anyone. It made life easier, in his opinion. The only person he stays connected to is Satheth Rine, the monk who taught him how to use a sword.

 

HISTORY: Talnic was born in Cazimar, a city which is home to the monasteries of the Satheth religion. He never knew his father, and his mother was always away working, leaving him in the care of her sister until he insisted he was old enough to take care of himself, which was around the age of eight. He would spend his days wandering the streets playing with the other children. It was a good city to be in as a child. The city's underground mostly stayed away from places where children would be affected by its activity. One day, when he was nine years old, he wandered farther away than he ever had from his home alone. He wasn't lost, but he was alone. He had reached the part of the city that was home to businesses, offices, and the homes of the wealthy. The streets were crowded with people from all over the world. He reached the Satheth monastery, and as it was open to all, he began to explore that as well. He wasn't worried about getting home late, as his mother was often asleep by the time he got home and gone when he woke up. (He loved her, but beyond that didn't have any sort of connection with her. They simply didn't spend enough time with each other). He soon found the training ground where the Satheth monks were training several highly ranked nobles in sword play. (There are monks who specialize in almost any skill, and they will teach almost any who come to them in their skill, although few have enough free time to do so). Talnic quickly fell in love with the weapon and would return each day to watch the lessons. After several weeks (and many people telling him to get out and go play with the other children) a monk by the name of Rine finally approached him and asked him if he would like lessons in the sword. Talnic learned incredibly quickly and would practice with Rine almost every day. The days when he didn't come were the days he spent doing odd jobs, trying to save up enough money to buy himself a sword. By the time he was fifteen, he was phenomenal and could beat anyone who came to the sparring grounds. He spent some of his savings on proper sparring gear and earned even more from winning sparring matches. Rine had become his best friend and one of the few people he spoke with. One evening, after another day of sparring, Talnic returned home to find his mother sprawled on the floor, her throat slit. The next few days were spent in a blur. He payed to have his mother cremated, as it was cheapest, and scattered her ashes right outside of the city. He then sold their small home, his sparring gear, all of their possessions, and prepared to move. His mother had been the only thing tying him to Cazimar, and he now felt as though he was free to go and live his life. He was sad, but he wasn't distraught. He bought enough supplies to last him several weeks, and he had enough money left to buy a sword, although it would be one in very poor condition or not well made. He decided to buy one anyways, deciding that he would be able to get a nicer one later on. Before he left, he stopped by the monestary to say goodbye to Satheth Rine. He told his only friend about everything, and how he planned to return occasionally to say hello. Rine told Talnic that for the past several years, when he had seen how diligently Talnic had been working to achieve his wish of owning a sword, Rine had petitioned the Hall (the people in charge of the Satheth) to put aside some money to help Talnic fulfill his wishes. (Striving to become perfect in a skill is one of the tenets of the Satheth religion). The Hall agreed, and gave a small sum to Rine to keep until he judged the time was right. With the money that Rine gave him, Talnic was able to purchase a wonderful sword. It was used, but the sword of a true blade master. It was masterfully made, and seemed perfect for Talnic. He wouldn't part with it for the world. Over the next three years, Talnic traveled the world, returning to Cazimar every few months. He would travel from city to city, learning the ways of the underground, leaving after a week or two, or even sooner if he discovered that he had given a prophesy. He went on adventures, sometimes with a small group, but generally by himself. If he had to, he would steal, and was often involved with thieving crews, though he was never implicated in anything. He became well known for appearing, then just disappearing without warning, as well as for his skill with the sword. Many also knew him for his ability to sneak in almost anywhere, never getting caught. He didn't like stealing, but it was the only "job" one could have while retaining one's freedom to travel as one wished if there was no adventure to be had, and there were always opportunities for someone like him. People simply began to know him as "The Shadow," and few would recognize him until he applied for a "job." Even then, he kept his face hidden, either behind a scarf or under his hat.
 

Sorry for any weird formatting.

The streets were quiet, almost completely devoid of life. Only the occasional person would appear outside. Their hands shoved deep into their pockets, and their breath would puff out with each exhalation. Soon after coming into view, they would disappear again, either around a corner or into the warmth and light of a tavern or shop.

Talnic watched each person with interest. He himself didn’t mind the cold, and so he took his time, relishing the quietness of the main street. He hadn’t been in this particular city for several years, but the last time it had been spring, and everywhere had been bursting with merchants and civilians and visitors.
Now it was all empty and quiet. And Talnic liked the quiet. It was when he could think best.
Unfortunately, as he neared his destination, he knew that he would soon have to leave the quiet behind. It would be replaced by the rowdy sounds and smells and heat of life.
Another person hurried into view from around a corner, and then quickly stepped into a building alongside the road. The sound of laughter spilled into the street, but Talnic didn’t spare it a second thought. He had long ago realized that he was best suited to his own company. Other people were simply too unwieldy and unpredictable.
The door slammed shut, and Talnic was once again left with the sounds of his boots crunching in the snow, and the gentle noises of his own breathing.
A moment later, he reached an intersection in the road. He turned to the right, and went up to the first door on the new road.
It opened with a soft ping, and he quickly stepped inside, stomping the snow from his boots on the thick rug across the entryway. The door shut softly behind him as Talnic took off his gloves and tucked them into a pocket of his coat.
“May I help you?” a soft voice asked.
Talnic looked up, making sure his hat was down low enough that the person wouldn’t be able to get a clear view of his face.
The speaker was an elderly man with a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles perched at the edge of his nose. He was sitting behind a desk that was tucked between a pair of bookshelves right to the side of the door.
“We have books from all ages of the world, all parts of the world, and in many languages from across the world. Many are originals, but even more are reproductions that can be bought for cheaper here than anywhere else in the world!” The man’s voice was frail, but he had about himself the eager air of a merchant about to make a sale.
“No,” Talnic said. “I’m here for the meeting.”
The man’s mouth opened in a small “o” of realization, but he quickly pushed aside his initial reaction and began to nod.
“Yes, yes, yes, of course you are lad. This your first time going on one of these adventures?”
“Where is the meeting?”
The man seemed taken aback by the terse reply, and he sat up a little straighter, pushing his glasses up his nose a little further. With the glasses in a better position, apparently the man could see Talnic a little better. Or, more specifically, his sword, the hilt of which protruded from the front of Talnic’s coat, and the blade out behind.
The man sighed, but motioned towards the back of the shop. “In the back room. Door’s closed but not locked. Let me know if you want to buy anything on the way out.”

Talnic gave the man a quick nod, then began making his way through the maze of shelves. There really were a lot of books in the store. Some did look to be quite old, but it was unlikely that very many were originals as the man claimed.
Once he found the back wall of the shop, the door was easy enough to find. He easily picked up on the faint sense of human life issuing from the room beyond and was able to follow it quite easily. Talnic eased the door open, and quickly slipped inside.
There were probably about thirty men in the room, but none gave Talnic much notice. They probably didn’t know who he was. Or, at least, hadn’t connected “The Shadow,” the notorious underground adventurer who never got caught, with the tall, gangly teenager in the large hat.
Talnic’s anonymity didn’t last long, however. After a few moments, he caught the eye of a large man with a short sword strapped to his waist.
“Aye! Look who decided to show!” the man shouted across the room. The others quieted, and all eyes turned to Talnic.
“Evening, Daric,” Talnic said, subtly adjusting his coat so that the pommel of his sword stuck out a tad.
One of the men spoke up through the silence. “Well, who is he? What do we need this kid for?”
Daric grinned. He took a deep breath, then proudly proclaimed, “This here… Well, this here is the Shadow! He’s gonna be assisting us, gentlemen!”
There were a few chuckles, but most remained silent.
“Carry on,” Talnic said.
Slowly, the chatter started up again. Occasionally, a pair of eyes would flick up to look at him, as if to make sure he was still there. Daric began making his way towards Talnic, a large smile on his lips.
“Glad you could join us, lad!” he said, thumping Talnic’s shoulder.
“Don’t call me lad,” Talnic whispered, looking Daric straight in the eyes. “And don’t. Touch me.”
Daric pulled his hand back with a jerk, and took a haisty step back.
That was better. With that short sword, Daric would have the advantage in a fight that was too close quarters. He’d be faster to draw, for one, and it would be harder for Talnic to block.
“You still haven’t told me what the job is,” Talnic said, pulling his hat down just a little further.
“Aye, I was gonna get to that. We were just waiting for you. Have a seat, and we’ll get this thing moving, shall we?”
Talnic didn’t move from his position beside the door.
“Alright, then,” Daric said, sounding a little hesitant.
Talnic still wasn’t sure precisely why Daric had brought him on. Not only did Talnic still not know what he was supposed to be doing, but Daric had also been the one to come directly to Talnic, and had told him of the meeting even after learning of his young age. Generally, people found Talnic through talking to others in the underground who he had interacted with in the past, and those people generally kept his young age to themselves as well. The more desirable the information that they shared was, the more that they’d get paid.
“Alright, everyone,” Daric said, his voice cutting through the noise of the room. “Take a seat.” The people who were standing sat, and the general volume of the room lowered considerably. It wasn’t as silent as it had been when Daric had first greated Talnic, but it was a manageable volume.

“I know that I haven’t told many of you of this new plan of mine, but I think most of you will find it agreeable.”
These people haven’t even promised to go with him? Talnic thought. This man is an idiot. Without a devoted group, whatever he was planning would likely fall through the cracks halfway through.
“Men, we’re going to kill a dragon.”
A cheer went through the crowd, and a growl rose in the back of Talnic’s throat.
The whole lot of them were idiots.
“We’ll set out in a month. It’s a two month march to the dragon’s lair-” Another cheer went through the crowd. “Yes, yes, I know, it’s quite exciting, isn’t it? Well, from there… We’ll attack the monster, and bring it down! And then we can harvest its scales, teeth, and best of all, its gold!”
The men cheered even louder, and even Daric, with a huge grin on his face, joined in.
Talnic felt a red-hot fury boiling through his veins, and he swiftly strode up to the front of the room.
“Are you an idiot?” he growled, jabbing Daric in the chest with his finger. “Do you know nothing? Do you want to get yourself and everyone else killed? What makes you think that you can kill a dragon? And why would it be a good idea in the first place?”
Daric took a small step backwards, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. “Enlighten me, please,” he said, his voice cold.
“No.” Talnic spun, heading towards the door. He wouldn’t tell these men what he knew. They were the type who would use that information for money and prowess. Talnic only helped men who would keep his secrets.
Steel scraped wood. Talnic paused, then turned, a small smile on his lips. Daric was holding his sword out in front of him, a look of grim determination on his face. “People do not turn me down, kid. We can’t let word of this get out, you hear? We can’t have people beating us to that dragon.”
“If you didn’t want any competition, then why did you invite a bunch of men here when you weren’t even certain if they would help you? One of them could go out as soon as the meeting ends and create his own little group of adventurers.”
“Kid-”
“Don’t call me kid.”
“Listen, kid. You don’t want me as your enemy. Stop making me look like an idiot, and don’t you leave this room. You’re outnumbered, and each and every man here is easily more skilled than you.”
“If you’re all so much better than me, then why ask me here in the first place?”
Daric scowled, but Talnic just drew his sword. He held it firmly in both hands, the weight comfortable and familiar.
Daric advanced, but unfortunately, with a one handed sword and no shield, he was at a disadvantage to Talnic’s longer, two handed sword.
Talnic blocked the first strike with ease, and a moment later, Daric’s sword clattered to the ground. Talnic’s opponent stood clutching his right arm, blood seeping through his fingers, staining the sleeves of his coat and dripping to the ground.
With a quick movement, Talnic sheathed his blade and strode from the room, not bothering to look back. The men behind him didn’t make any move to stop him.
Talnic didn’t bother acknowledging the man at the desk as he left. He only paused for a moment in front of the door to pull his gloves on, then exited the shop, his only emotion a sort of grim satisfaction.

 

Edited March 11, 2021 by Tesh

[Bearer of all agonies]

1 minute ago, Tesh said:

I posted a status update a while back about potentially either starting or joining a role play.

I decided to start one.

These are the people who originally commented on that update, so if you're interested, please join!

  Reveal hidden contents

@Condensation @Channelknight Fadran @Knight of Iron @Matrim's Dice @Experience 

 

Basically I just made a really standard fantasy world, a character, and the start of a story. This was originally going to be a short story, but wasn't working out. 

You can make a character with whatever powers/magic/skills you want (nothing too crazy), as there's no set magic system. If you want me to add something to the map, I'll happily do that.

Here's the map:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

From now on, all non-role play stuff goes in quote boxes.

---

The streets were quiet, almost completely devoid of life. Only the occasional person would appear outside. Their hands shoved deep into their pockets, and their breath would puff out with each exhalation. Soon after coming into view, they would disappear again, either around a corner or into the warmth and light of a tavern or shop.

Talnic watched each person with interest. He himself didn’t mind the cold, and so he took his time, relishing the quietness of the main street. He hadn’t been in this particular city for several years, but the last time it had been spring, and everywhere had been bursting with merchants and civilians and visitors.
Now it was all empty and quiet. And Talnic liked the quiet. It was when he could think best.
Unfortunately, as he neared his destination, he knew that he would soon have to leave the quiet behind. It would be replaced by the rowdy sounds and smells and heat of life.
Another person hurried into view from around a corner, and then quickly stepped into a building alongside the road. The sound of laughter spilled into the street, but Talnic didn’t spare it a second thought. He had long ago realized that he was best suited to his own company. Other people were simply too unwieldy and unpredictable.
The door slammed shut, and Talnic was once again left with the sounds of his boots crunching in the snow, and the gentle noises of his own breathing.
A moment later, he reached an intersection in the road. He turned to the right, and went up to the first door on the new road.
It opened with a soft ping, and he quickly stepped inside, stomping the snow from his boots on the thick rug across the entryway. The door shut softly behind him as Talnic took off his gloves and tucked them into a pocket of his coat.
“May I help you?” a soft voice asked.
Talnic looked up, making sure his hat was down low enough that the person wouldn’t be able to get a clear view of his face.
The speaker was an elderly man with a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles perched at the edge of his nose. He was sitting behind a desk that was tucked between a pair of bookshelves right to the side of the door.
“We have books from all ages of the world, all parts of the world, and in many languages from across the world. Many are originals, but even more are reproductions that can be bought for cheaper here than anywhere else in the world!” The man’s voice was frail, but he had about himself the eager air of a merchant about to make a sale.
“No,” Talnic said. “I’m here for the meeting.”
The man’s mouth opened in a small “o” of realization, but he quickly pushed aside his initial reaction and began to nod.
“Yes, yes, yes, of course you are lad. This your first time going on one of these adventures?”
“Where is the meeting?”
The man seemed taken aback by the terse reply, and he sat up a little straighter, pushing his glasses up his nose a little further. With the glasses in a better position, apparently the man could see Talnic a little better. Or, more specifically, his sword, the hilt of which protruded from the front of Talnic’s coat, and the blade out behind.
The man sighed, but motioned towards the back of the shop. “In the back room. Door’s closed but not locked. Let me know if you want to buy anything on the way out.”

Talnic gave the man a quick nod, then began making his way through the maze of shelves. There really were a lot of books in the store. Some did look to be quite old, but it was unlikely that very many were originals as the man claimed.
Once he found the back wall of the shop, the door was easy enough to find. He easily picked up on the faint sense of human life issuing from the room beyond and was able to follow it quite easily. Talnic eased the door open, and quickly slipped inside.
There were probably about thirty men in the room, but none gave Talnic much notice. They probably didn’t know who he was. Or, at least, hadn’t connected “The Shadow,” the notorious underground adventurer who never got caught, with the tall, gangly teenager in the large hat.
Talnic’s anonymity didn’t last long, however. After a few moments, he caught the eye of a large man with a short sword strapped to his waist.
“Aye! Look who decided to show!” the man shouted across the room. The others quieted, and all eyes turned to Talnic.
“Evening, Daric,” Talnic said, subtly adjusting his coat so that the pommel of his sword stuck out a tad.
One of the men spoke up through the silence. “Well, who is he? What do we need this kid for?”
Daric grinned. He took a deep breath, then proudly proclaimed, “This here… Well, this here is the Shadow! He’s gonna be assisting us, gentlemen!”
There were a few chuckles, but most remained silent.
“Carry on,” Talnic said.
Slowly, the chatter started up again. Occasionally, a pair of eyes would flick up to look at him, as if to make sure he was still there. Daric began making his way towards Talnic, a large smile on his lips.
“Glad you could join us, lad!” he said, thumping Talnic’s shoulder.
“Don’t call me lad,” Talnic whispered, looking Daric straight in the eyes. “And don’t. Touch me.”
Daric pulled his hand back with a jerk, and took a haisty step back.
That was better. With that short sword, Daric would have the advantage in a fight that was too close quarters. He’d be faster to draw, for one, and it would be harder for Talnic to block.
“You still haven’t told me what the job is,” Talnic said, pulling his hat down just a little further.
“Aye, I was gonna get to that. We were just waiting for you. Have a seat, and we’ll get this thing moving, shall we?”
Talnic didn’t move from his position beside the door.
“Alright, then,” Daric said, sounding a little hesitant.
Talnic still wasn’t sure precisely why Daric had brought him on. Not only did Talnic still not know what he was supposed to be doing, but Daric had also been the one to come directly to Talnic, and had told him of the meeting even after learning of his young age. Generally, people found Talnic through talking to others in the underground who he had interacted with in the past, and those people generally kept his young age to themselves as well. The more desirable the information that they shared was, the more that they’d get paid.
“Alright, everyone,” Daric said, his voice cutting through the noise of the room. “Take a seat.” The people who were standing sat, and the general volume of the room lowered considerably. It wasn’t as silent as it had been when Daric had first greated Talnic, but it was a manageable volume.

“I know that I haven’t told many of you of this new plan of mine, but I think most of you will find it agreeable.”
These people haven’t even promised to go with him? Talnic thought. This man is an idiot. Without a devoted group, whatever he was planning would likely fall through the cracks halfway through.
“Men, we’re going to kill a dragon.”
A cheer went through the crowd, and a growl rose in the back of Talnic’s throat.
The whole lot of them were idiots.
“We’ll set out in a month. It’s a two month march to the dragon’s lair-” Another cheer went through the crowd. “Yes, yes, I know, it’s quite exciting, isn’t it? Well, from there… We’ll attack the monster, and bring it down! And then we can harvest its scales, teeth, and best of all, its gold!”
The men cheered even louder, and even Daric, with a huge grin on his face, joined in.
Talnic felt a red-hot fury boiling through his veins, and he swiftly strode up to the front of the room.
“Are you an idiot?” he growled, jabbing Daric in the chest with his finger. “Do you know nothing? Do you want to get yourself and everyone else killed? What makes you think that you can kill a dragon? And why would it be a good idea in the first place?”
Daric took a small step backwards, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. “Enlighten me, please,” he said, his voice cold.
“No.” Talnic spun, heading towards the door. He wouldn’t tell these men what he knew. They were the type who would use that information for money and prowess. Talnic only helped men who would keep his secrets.
Steel scraped wood. Talnic paused, then turned, a small smile on his lips. Daric was holding his sword out in front of him, a look of grim determination on his face. “People do not turn me down, kid. We can’t let word of this get out, you hear? We can’t have people beating us to that dragon.”
“If you didn’t want any competition, then why did you invite a bunch of men here when you weren’t even certain if they would help you? One of them could go out as soon as the meeting ends and create his own little group of adventurers.”
“Kid-”
“Don’t call me kid.”
“Listen, kid. You don’t want me as your enemy. Stop making me look like an idiot, and don’t you leave this room. You’re outnumbered, and each and every man here is easily more skilled than you.”
“If you’re all so much better than me, then why ask me here in the first place?”
Daric scowled, but Talnic just drew his sword. He held it firmly in both hands, the weight comfortable and familiar.
Daric advanced, but unfortunately, with a one handed sword and no shield, he was at a disadvantage to Talnic’s longer, two handed sword.
Talnic blocked the first strike with ease, and a moment later, Daric’s sword clattered to the ground. Talnic’s opponent stood clutching his right arm, blood seeping through his fingers, staining the sleeves of his coat and dripping to the ground.
With a quick movement, Talnic sheathed his blade and strode from the room, not bothering to look back. The men behind him didn’t make any move to stop him.
Talnic didn’t bother acknowledging the man at the desk as he left. He only paused for a moment in front of the door to pull his gloves on, then exited the shop, his only emotion a sort of grim satisfaction.

 

Quote

Storms. SOunds awesome. I'll be Taln, but I have to go now. Be back in a bit.

 

[Mat]

1 minute ago, Bearer of all agonies said:

 

Quote

Why did you quote that whole thing Bearer ._.

I'm in, but I likewise have to go but will return.

 

[Knight of Iron]

Quote

I do intend to participate, and I will wait until one of these two or someone else properly joins in so I can see how it's done.
Nice story!

 

[LukeWasTaken]

17 minutes ago, Tesh said:

I posted a status update a while back about potentially either starting or joining a role play.

I decided to start one.

These are the people who originally commented on that update, so if you're interested, please join!

  Reveal hidden contents

@Condensation @Channelknight Fadran @Knight of Iron @Matrim's Dice @Experience 

 

Basically I just made a really standard fantasy world, a character, and the start of a story. This was originally going to be a short story, but wasn't working out. 

You can make a character with whatever powers/magic/skills you want (nothing too crazy), as there's no set magic system. If you want me to add something to the map, I'll happily do that.

Here's the map: (It's actually a good quality picture for once. You have to zoom in to read stuff, at least on my phone.)

  Reveal hidden contents

From now on, all non-role play stuff goes in quote boxes.

---

The streets were quiet, almost completely devoid of life. Only the occasional person would appear outside. Their hands shoved deep into their pockets, and their breath would puff out with each exhalation. Soon after coming into view, they would disappear again, either around a corner or into the warmth and light of a tavern or shop.

Talnic watched each person with interest. He himself didn’t mind the cold, and so he took his time, relishing the quietness of the main street. He hadn’t been in this particular city for several years, but the last time it had been spring, and everywhere had been bursting with merchants and civilians and visitors.
Now it was all empty and quiet. And Talnic liked the quiet. It was when he could think best.
Unfortunately, as he neared his destination, he knew that he would soon have to leave the quiet behind. It would be replaced by the rowdy sounds and smells and heat of life.
Another person hurried into view from around a corner, and then quickly stepped into a building alongside the road. The sound of laughter spilled into the street, but Talnic didn’t spare it a second thought. He had long ago realized that he was best suited to his own company. Other people were simply too unwieldy and unpredictable.
The door slammed shut, and Talnic was once again left with the sounds of his boots crunching in the snow, and the gentle noises of his own breathing.
A moment later, he reached an intersection in the road. He turned to the right, and went up to the first door on the new road.
It opened with a soft ping, and he quickly stepped inside, stomping the snow from his boots on the thick rug across the entryway. The door shut softly behind him as Talnic took off his gloves and tucked them into a pocket of his coat.
“May I help you?” a soft voice asked.
Talnic looked up, making sure his hat was down low enough that the person wouldn’t be able to get a clear view of his face.
The speaker was an elderly man with a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles perched at the edge of his nose. He was sitting behind a desk that was tucked between a pair of bookshelves right to the side of the door.
“We have books from all ages of the world, all parts of the world, and in many languages from across the world. Many are originals, but even more are reproductions that can be bought for cheaper here than anywhere else in the world!” The man’s voice was frail, but he had about himself the eager air of a merchant about to make a sale.
“No,” Talnic said. “I’m here for the meeting.”
The man’s mouth opened in a small “o” of realization, but he quickly pushed aside his initial reaction and began to nod.
“Yes, yes, yes, of course you are lad. This your first time going on one of these adventures?”
“Where is the meeting?”
The man seemed taken aback by the terse reply, and he sat up a little straighter, pushing his glasses up his nose a little further. With the glasses in a better position, apparently the man could see Talnic a little better. Or, more specifically, his sword, the hilt of which protruded from the front of Talnic’s coat, and the blade out behind.
The man sighed, but motioned towards the back of the shop. “In the back room. Door’s closed but not locked. Let me know if you want to buy anything on the way out.”

Talnic gave the man a quick nod, then began making his way through the maze of shelves. There really were a lot of books in the store. Some did look to be quite old, but it was unlikely that very many were originals as the man claimed.
Once he found the back wall of the shop, the door was easy enough to find. He easily picked up on the faint sense of human life issuing from the room beyond and was able to follow it quite easily. Talnic eased the door open, and quickly slipped inside.
There were probably about thirty men in the room, but none gave Talnic much notice. They probably didn’t know who he was. Or, at least, hadn’t connected “The Shadow,” the notorious underground adventurer who never got caught, with the tall, gangly teenager in the large hat.
Talnic’s anonymity didn’t last long, however. After a few moments, he caught the eye of a large man with a short sword strapped to his waist.
“Aye! Look who decided to show!” the man shouted across the room. The others quieted, and all eyes turned to Talnic.
“Evening, Daric,” Talnic said, subtly adjusting his coat so that the pommel of his sword stuck out a tad.
One of the men spoke up through the silence. “Well, who is he? What do we need this kid for?”
Daric grinned. He took a deep breath, then proudly proclaimed, “This here… Well, this here is the Shadow! He’s gonna be assisting us, gentlemen!”
There were a few chuckles, but most remained silent.
“Carry on,” Talnic said.
Slowly, the chatter started up again. Occasionally, a pair of eyes would flick up to look at him, as if to make sure he was still there. Daric began making his way towards Talnic, a large smile on his lips.
“Glad you could join us, lad!” he said, thumping Talnic’s shoulder.
“Don’t call me lad,” Talnic whispered, looking Daric straight in the eyes. “And don’t. Touch me.”
Daric pulled his hand back with a jerk, and took a haisty step back.
That was better. With that short sword, Daric would have the advantage in a fight that was too close quarters. He’d be faster to draw, for one, and it would be harder for Talnic to block.
“You still haven’t told me what the job is,” Talnic said, pulling his hat down just a little further.
“Aye, I was gonna get to that. We were just waiting for you. Have a seat, and we’ll get this thing moving, shall we?”
Talnic didn’t move from his position beside the door.
“Alright, then,” Daric said, sounding a little hesitant.
Talnic still wasn’t sure precisely why Daric had brought him on. Not only did Talnic still not know what he was supposed to be doing, but Daric had also been the one to come directly to Talnic, and had told him of the meeting even after learning of his young age. Generally, people found Talnic through talking to others in the underground who he had interacted with in the past, and those people generally kept his young age to themselves as well. The more desirable the information that they shared was, the more that they’d get paid.
“Alright, everyone,” Daric said, his voice cutting through the noise of the room. “Take a seat.” The people who were standing sat, and the general volume of the room lowered considerably. It wasn’t as silent as it had been when Daric had first greated Talnic, but it was a manageable volume.

“I know that I haven’t told many of you of this new plan of mine, but I think most of you will find it agreeable.”
These people haven’t even promised to go with him? Talnic thought. This man is an idiot. Without a devoted group, whatever he was planning would likely fall through the cracks halfway through.
“Men, we’re going to kill a dragon.”
A cheer went through the crowd, and a growl rose in the back of Talnic’s throat.
The whole lot of them were idiots.
“We’ll set out in a month. It’s a two month march to the dragon’s lair-” Another cheer went through the crowd. “Yes, yes, I know, it’s quite exciting, isn’t it? Well, from there… We’ll attack the monster, and bring it down! And then we can harvest its scales, teeth, and best of all, its gold!”
The men cheered even louder, and even Daric, with a huge grin on his face, joined in.
Talnic felt a red-hot fury boiling through his veins, and he swiftly strode up to the front of the room.
“Are you an idiot?” he growled, jabbing Daric in the chest with his finger. “Do you know nothing? Do you want to get yourself and everyone else killed? What makes you think that you can kill a dragon? And why would it be a good idea in the first place?”
Daric took a small step backwards, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. “Enlighten me, please,” he said, his voice cold.
“No.” Talnic spun, heading towards the door. He wouldn’t tell these men what he knew. They were the type who would use that information for money and prowess. Talnic only helped men who would keep his secrets.
Steel scraped wood. Talnic paused, then turned, a small smile on his lips. Daric was holding his sword out in front of him, a look of grim determination on his face. “People do not turn me down, kid. We can’t let word of this get out, you hear? We can’t have people beating us to that dragon.”
“If you didn’t want any competition, then why did you invite a bunch of men here when you weren’t even certain if they would help you? One of them could go out as soon as the meeting ends and create his own little group of adventurers.”
“Kid-”
“Don’t call me kid.”
“Listen, kid. You don’t want me as your enemy. Stop making me look like an idiot, and don’t you leave this room. You’re outnumbered, and each and every man here is easily more skilled than you.”
“If you’re all so much better than me, then why ask me here in the first place?”
Daric scowled, but Talnic just drew his sword. He held it firmly in both hands, the weight comfortable and familiar.
Daric advanced, but unfortunately, with a one handed sword and no shield, he was at a disadvantage to Talnic’s longer, two handed sword.
Talnic blocked the first strike with ease, and a moment later, Daric’s sword clattered to the ground. Talnic’s opponent stood clutching his right arm, blood seeping through his fingers, staining the sleeves of his coat and dripping to the ground.
With a quick movement, Talnic sheathed his blade and strode from the room, not bothering to look back. The men behind him didn’t make any move to stop him.
Talnic didn’t bother acknowledging the man at the desk as he left. He only paused for a moment in front of the door to pull his gloves on, then exited the shop, his only emotion a sort of grim satisfaction.

 

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I'll Join at some point.

 

[The Awakened Salad]

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*slides in* I saw dragons and, well, dragons, so I’m here now

I’m thinking my character will be from Tafen, but do you have any set worldbuilding that I should adhere to? 

[Channelknight Fadran]

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Holy cremling was that a long exposition...

Spoiler

Name: Valzwyn (she goes by Val or Wyn)

Age: 88 (pretty hecking young for an elf)

Skills: She uses tendrils of wispy colored smoke to fuel her magic. Several of these follow her wherever she goes, generally invisible depending on the situation. You said that there isn't any set magic system, so allow me to divulge and create my own for her to use (I'll post it once I have it complete, and I'll edit it into her character description as well. For now, I'll just give her some vague abilities and call it a day)

Physical Appearance: On the shorter side for an elf child (meaning approximately the normal height of a human child), with ears pointy enough to stab through chain mail that poke up through wavy silver hair. Her skin is on the darker side, with a slightly olive hue. She's on the brink of puberty and isn't exactly happy about any of it; especially the fact that she's getting crushes on basically every boy she sees. She has occasional growth spurts, and tries to hide her features by wearing baggy clothing. In other words (Rhythm of War spoilers):

Spoiler

Give you a couple of these

Spoiler

Just in case

Spoiler

In other words, she's Lift in RoW.

 

 

Personality: She's a kid! What can I say? She curious by nature, so you'll often find her staring at wildlife or absorbed in a book. On the giggly side, likes fenangling with her hair, tries her best not to blush too much whenever a guy talks to her. The basics. However, she's also known for episodes of depression, which some of her village elders believe to be a side effect of her weird form of magic. Mixed with common teenage anxiety, her sad-o-meter can dial from 0 to 11 in moments. When she isn't experiencing bouts of soul-crushing emotional agony, however, she enjoys spending time with her friends or performing lighthearted feats with her magic.

History: From the moment her parents introduced her to the village council, the elders knew she was different. Val grew up taking her powers for granted, unconsciously assuming that the fact that she had them but nobody else did was just the way of the world. Obviously, that paradigm changed when the childlike haze of being the center of the universe passed on to show her the reality of the world, and she started questioning why she was different. Nobody really treated her differently because of her powers, though on occasion she'd get glances from strangers if her fumes were visible.

At the age of 40, a traveling wizard named Feldspar (yes, like the crystal) took special interest in her powers, then invited her to his tower for a week of harmless experiments and whatnot. She walked out with a tome filled with spells and stuff that the wizard had written on her powers, and she's been studying that for her entire life since. You'll often find her experimenting with her powers late at night and recording them in her book, which never seems to run out of pages she can use.

She's currently off at an academy in (what's one of the villages...?) Dayth. Her current crush is a boy named Tom, though she's sure that her eye will move on eventually. Her friends at the academy like recording everyone that Valzwyn has had a crush on, and shipping her accordingly. 

 

 

[Tesh]

37 minutes ago, The Awakened Salad said:

I’m thinking my character will be from Tafen, but do you have any set worldbuilding that I should adhere to? 

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Nope. With Tafen, I put it on the coast for access to ocean trade, although i don't have the rest of the map, so I don't know who they would trade with. And there's pirates.

 

20 minutes ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

Holy cremling was that a long exposition...

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Thank you.  "I'm a fantasy author. We struggle with the concept of brevity."

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(Didn't mean to make another quote box... Oh well.)

Once we get some more characters, we can get going.

 

[xinoehp512]

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How much worldbuilding do you have?

 

[Tesh]

33 minutes ago, xinoehp512 said:

How much worldbuilding do you have?

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The information that's in my character sketch, Fadran's sketch, the map, the first written thing, and the relation of the place on the map in relation to the equator.

So very little.

I might add trade routes, though. Because that sounds like fun.

Edit: also, if you look in the mountains, it says "only know entrance to the tunnels." I was thinking that there was a sprawling network of tunnels in the area, with prophecies written by an ancient people on the walls.

So there's that specific tidbit too, I guess.

 

Edited November 23, 2020 by Tesh

[xinoehp512]

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Can I craft the magic system, then?  

 

[Knight of Iron]

30 minutes ago, xinoehp512 said:

 

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In original post: “You can make a character with whatever powers/magic/skills you want (nothing too crazy), as there's no set magic system.”

 

[Bearer of all agonies]

4 minutes ago, Knight of Iron said:

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In original post: “You can make a character with whatever powers/magic/skills you want (nothing too crazy), as there's no set magic system.”

 

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Yeah, make whatever you want. I' working on one now.

 

[xinoehp512]

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Yes, but I want to make a system, not necessarily a powerset.

 

[Bearer of all agonies]

Just now, xinoehp512 said:

Yes, but I want to make a system, not necessarily a powerset.

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oh. I still think you can, it just has to be reasonable. 

 

[Experience]

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I'm joining this. And I believe that is the longest RP post I have ever read.  

 

[Condensation]

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Heck storming yes! I'm making a Graceling. Probably with Katsa's same Grace, but none of you need to know that. Or should I do Po's?... Or Leck's...

 

[Tesh]

45 minutes ago, xinoehp512 said:

Yes, but I want to make a system, not necessarily a powerset.

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Go for it. Your character might be the only one who uses it, though. Maybe make one that only applies in a certain region? (Just a suggestion).

 

18 minutes ago, Experience said:

I'm joining this. And I believe that is the longest RP post I have ever read.

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I take that as a compliment. 

 

[Channelknight Fadran]

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Mmm... I get the whole week off for Thanksgiving Break. That means I have the entire day to write out my character's magic system (though it likely won't take that long).

 

[Vapor]

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*conflicted noises*

I wanna join this so bad but...

*sigh*

Spoiler

Name: Rosalie Thyme

Age: 56

Skills: She's a pirate, so she's good at knivey stuff. er... pirate stuff.

Appearance: Boyish cut black hair with a white streak, gray-blue eyes, looks younger than she is. Fairly average height, pretty muscly.

Personality: Adventurous, the type who would sound good roaring with laughter. Teasing and carefree, doesn't care what others think.

 

 

[xinoehp512]

53 minutes ago, Bearer of all agonies said:

oh. I still think you can, it just has to be reasonable. 

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Alright, I guess...

Mark has never truly known whether or not he would rather have been born an elf. 

When he was a child, he had been envious of the elves' natural abilities. All he knew of them was from stories - he'd seen elves only rarely, and even then never using their vita - but what he'd heard was enough to make his heart ache with the wish to be able to channel the powers of the world. No human would ever be able to cast spells of their own, no matter how much they tried. It had always seemed unfair to the young, imaginative Mark that he had been born into a race so cursed.

His opinions had shifted as he'd grown older. He'd learned about the Dichotomy- the fundamental rule that no person, animal, or thing could both generate and and use vita. He'd learned about the vita produced by humans and everything that they created. He'd also learned about the secretive Arcanist's Guild, and their Dichotomy-defying abilities. His heart had ached then with the wish to join their ranks, to learn to shape the world in a way he'd thought impossible. And - after years of study and effort - he succeeded.

He'd learned, then, how the Arcanists were able to steal magic from the world and enchant it into artifacts such as wands, staves, and rings. He'd learned how to use the magic in those artifacts as well. It had been everything he'd dreamed of.

Well, almost. As powerful as he could become as an Arcanist, there were still abilities which only the elves could access. They were, after all, the masters of using vita; able to craft spells of their own instead of relying on ones evolved over the ages. The only way for Arcanists to access those abilities would be to take them from the elves - and murdering one of them would be practically guaranteed to end in disaster.

However, elves weren't the only creatures that had mastered vita. And not every magical race was as protected as the elves were.

Dragons are rare, and dragon deaths even rarer. But if Mark can make use of this opportunity, he will become the most powerful human the Arcanists Guild has ever seen.

 

[Condensation]

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 Here she is! I´m so proud of her. Does she work?

Spoiler

Name: Minuet

Age: Gah I don´t know. Ask me later. She has a young-looking face, though. Probably from 17-27.

Skills/Powers: Minuet is a Graceling whose Grace is... survival but she thinks it´s killing. You´ll see how this plays out, but basically she can fight really well(in the book Katsa can easily disarm 10 men, and disarming is harder than killing). She can survive longer without food/water, she can tell herself when to sleep and for how long, and temperature doesn´t affect her much. She doesn´t know that the last three things are unusual. Because of her Grace, she is naturally skilled at any weapon and has trained at most of them to become expert.

Physical Appearance: Bright curly red hair(think Merida from Brave), one bright green eye and one bright blue eye(this is how you know that she´s Graced), fair freckled skin, wears a dark turquoise long-sleeved tight shirt, brown leggings, and black boots that come to mid-shin. She often takes off her boots, though. She doesn´t look like the kind of person who could fight as well as she does. She is thin, but her muscles are well defined.

Personality: Minuet is perky and cheerful, but she acts dark so that people won´t be burdened by staying with her and being affected by her Grace. She tends to push people away because she doesn´t feel she deserves friends. She definitely has a temper.

Backstory: When Minuet was little, she accidentally killed a distant cousin because she felt threatened by him. Because of this, her uncle decided to train her in her Grace and now he uses her like a weapon. He sends her after people who disagree with him or don´t give him what he wants, and she does what he tells her to: hurts them until they do what he wants. She doesn´t fight back against her uncle because her parents told her to do what he wanted and because she´s afraid of how she gets when she´s mad.

 

 

[xinoehp512]

1 hour ago, Tesh said:

Go for it. Your character might be the only one who uses it, though. Maybe make one that only applies in a certain region? (Just a suggestion).

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My character kind of depends on a universal rule, though.

 

[Knight of Iron]

3 minutes ago, xinoehp512 said:

 

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Will your magic system impose some universal rule upon my magic system, potentially invalidating it!? Jk, I’m fine with what you have

 

[Tesh]

21 minutes ago, xinoehp512 said:

My character kind of depends on a universal rule, though.

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Yours would affect Fadran's character. If he's okay with it, I personally think that what you wrote works pretty well with this whole thing.

We'll have to see how the two magic systems fit together, though. We could probably get them both to work pretty easily.

Since we have a few characters now, should we start? Someone could either run into Talnic in the town or in the woods farther out. He's in Zemel at the moment, by the way.