RPG, Chapter One: A Day at the Fair.

[Rando]

**free-form, hop in as you see fit, just like the good-'ol-days.**










You have all gathered on the final day of the Mooretide Spring Fair. It is a bright and colorfull extravaganza, and thousands of people have made thier way here from all across the land.

The fair has been going on for a full six days, and today is the seventh. It is around mid-day, and the air is thick and sweet with the combinded smells of roast meats, candies, incense and perfume, and most conversation is drowned out by the din of thousands of happy voices.

All the while, you can here the clatter of metal on metal at the Challange Pit, a place for champions to chalange eachother in non-lethal combat, and the only time that duelling is allowed by law.

There is a booth for every imaginable type of good or service, and inside that booth is a smiling vendor more then willing to sell you his wares.

All around you are May Polls and daisy chains, childrens games and contests of strength, magic shows and beer gardens.

It is almost time for the SpringTide Parade! It is in this parade that all the maidens of the village, dressed in extravagante gowns, dance down the street, chasing away men dressed in frightening skeleton costumes. This is meant to symbolize the young and fresh Spring casting out the deadly presence of Winter, but most people just enjoy the dancing and exotic costumes.

 

[sageridder]

Looking down apon this sceen from the hilltop,I flip a gold coin.Falcon I go down to get some food,(were it not for my hunger and the smells I would not even consider this)or if it comes up dagger I'll just continue on my way.Falcon,"Damn it." I have little use for the company of humans,with the exception of just a few they seldom say what they mean,or do what they say.
(Sigh) "Well the coin has yet to ssteer me wrong."
I head down the path towards town.

 

[EricBess]

Gorn had never enjoyed following caravans. In the past, he had done so as a paid guard, but for the past few days, he had been following the caravan to Mooretide in search of his neice who had run off. The previous year, his sister's family had visited Mooretide during the festival and Sharl, Gorn's 15-year old neice, had become completely lost in the festivities. She was at a difficult age and the fact that she disappeared a week before the festival after obsessing about it all year could not have been a coincidence.

Now he had arrived in Mooretide and had a bit of time to kill before he would even be able to start looking for Sharl. He decided to check out the challenge pit. Having been an war officer years before, he was used to combat. The pit was tame by his standards, but at least it was a chance to keep his skills sharp.

 

[Spiderman]

After the sudden conclusion of the past adventure, with the feast and murder and surprisingly swift capture of the culprits, I decide to relax and partake in the fair's offerings. So many booths to look at! I am currently browsing a "book" booth, in hopes of finding any ancient manuscripts or such. Next would be the coin dealer for odd coins.

 

[Rando]

***Rules and Regulations for new players...if any show up. By the by...where is everyone? Is this all that wants to play?

1) You control your character and no other. Do not make up actions or dialoge for non-player characters or other player's characters.

2) Do not try to do anything that is grossly over-powered. If you do, I will exersise my veto and declare that what ever it was in question never occured. If Spiderman would be so kind, I will also ask him to delete the infringing post for ease of reading.

3) Ask about your character's suroundings, and do not make up what you see, hear, taste, smell, etc. Do not say you are picking up a bucket to douse the flames, ask if there is a bucket anywhere around.

That's all I can think of for now. If any of the "old hats" have anything to add, please do so.

Game on!***

 

[Melkor]

Jonas Barathion has been enjoyed this fair greatly and has decided that he should make attendance a yearly event. The knight has stashed his armor and horse at the inn but still carries his sword (unless there is some sort of regulation against this). He has heard such great things about the parade and especially about the costumes the maidens wear. He has set himself up for a good spot to see what happens. Stroking this well groomed beard he awaits the start of the parade.

(Other rule, disable your signatures. But most importantly remember rule #3, this is not an add-to-the-story type thing say what you want to do then await Rando's response.)

 

[rkoelsch]

"Food... Drink...Pretty Girls, Me like"

 

[Prince RXI]

(I've made a few changes ever sence the last one. RXI is now a half-human, half-elven Druid, Barbarian, and Sorceror. Plus, He has an animal friend, A wolf named Aniya, and he has gotten over his fright of seeing an animal being eaten by a non-animal creature.)

RXI walks around the fair with Anyia and stares longingly at the multiple plant, animal, and herb boothes lining the streets. He yerns to have a horse (for him to ride) and a giant eagle (for Aniya to ride) so to make his travels easier.

"Oh well Aniya," RXI says, reaching down and scratching behind her ear as he reaches the end of the last street. "I guess this town doesn't have a giant eagle big enough for you, like the last 3 towns. Well, I hear there's a parade tonight so we might as well stay and watch it."

RXI notices Dorgath and walks over to him.

To Dorgath-
"Hello again, Dorgath. It's been a while hasn't it."

 

[Daggertooth]

Calmly resting, back against a tree, Deyja watched the battle. It was interesting to watch the different styles of fighting, the parry's and thrusts, all with different timing he wasn't used to. But thats why he was watching.
He hadn't intended to fight. Afterall, the only reason he came was to see the best arms from accross the land, and perhaps purchase some...If the cost was not to high.
But there he was, Dressed in his full Battlemage Regelia, waiting his turn to fight. He wasn't the strongest Human around, and his armor, though the best one could have in the swamps, wasn't the best for protection. Afterall, Heavy steel makes you sink. But layered lizard leather is light and alows for maximum agility. Which was one thing he was counting on.
Although he had offensive magic he wasn't even considering the use of them. No, a match of pure steal is the funnest anyway. He smiled to himself as he study'd their moves. Although powerfull, many of the swings were slow and left much open for a quick opponent to take advantage of.

"I'm glad I came," I thought, "This is going to be fun."

 

[EricBess]

***Rando,

You need to create a standard set of rules that you keep in a text document somewhere. That way, you wont forget any...

- Comments made out the game context should use '*'s to set them apart.
- Posting your character name as the subject line will help everyone to keep people straight.
- Anything said vocally in quotes. Anything outside of quotes is not out loud. At least, not if posted by me

***

"It's been a while since I've participated in the pits around here. What's the waiting pool like?" I see Deyja and think to myself how bulky and inhibiting the armor must be. A crutch to rely on such defences when they can so easily be turned against you. Still, he holds himself with enough experience that it might be best not to assume easy victory.

 

[sageridder]

***I draw my hood over my head,and continue down the path untill I find the tent these wonderfull cooking smells are coming from.***
"Mam"
***I put 4 silver coins on the table***
"Plate of mutton,if you Pleassse."
***I quickly devoure the meal.Wipeing the grease from my hands and face onto an old rag,I smell somehting even more desireable.Battle and blood,anger and sweat.Sniffing the air I head to the source, an arena of sorts a pit of punishment.Yes I quite like that.I spy the table of the oddsmaker,I approach.***
"Oddsssmaker have yea a champion of the pit?If sso I SSSShould like to chalange him.The name is Snake,call me when it isss ready."
***I slam down a pouch containing 50 gold pieces.***
"I will be watching the fightsss from the front of the pit."

 

[Bob]

***Uhm, Sageridder, I think your supposed to use the *'s to indicate OUT OF CHARACTER messages, not in character, but anyway...***

Bob walks through the Spring Fair, and looks around at all the merry people, and smiles. He's hungry, and sits down to eat something.

"Excuse me, waitress...I'd like a strong wine..."

Bob hands over as small pouch of gold, and looks around again. He sees the people fighting, and decides to try it out. He hasn't tested his fighting skills in a while. Bob took off his cleric robes and wore his light plate mail, and unsheathed the SunBlade he had stolen from the Cyrarian Palace when he lived there. he stepped up to register. "I'd like the participate in the dueling..."

 

[Spiderman]

"Why, hello there RXI. Nice to see you again. Have you been to one of these before? Do you know if there's any booth that deals with antique books or the like?"

 

[Daggertooth]

***EricBess: I was actualy saying that I was wearing the Thick Lizard leather. And comenting on the heavy body armor some of others were wearing. In the swamps the heavyer you are the faster you die, basicaly almost any clothing made of metal is considered a bit heavy to me. I guess I better proof read my posts better. ***

Yawning, I get up and streach out. I take the shield I had just bought and start playing around with it to figure out the best way to use it. Although deftly skilled with the short sword, my left hand is free in battle to use magic, or other devices to increase my advantages to winning. That being the case, I figured I'd buy a cheap shield since I'd probably never use it again. It's a wooden small shield with rusted metal rivets latching the segments together.

I also Streach out and get ready for combat, since I've been waiting a while I should be up soon.

 

[Rando]

***Big turn out this time. One more thing...I would like it, in future games, if all players would be a bit more creative in naming thier characters. You know who you are. And EricBess, good idea 'bout the rules, I shall do that.***


To all players -

As you are making your way through the fair, you hear a chorus of bells ring out from the center of the village. It's the call for the SpringTide parade, which is about to begin!

The fights in the Challange Pit wind down and it is clossed. The oddsmaker calls out, "Bets off! Bets off until after the parade. The next match sign up will be right afterward."

All of the booths close down, the merchants asking the customers to be sure to return after the parade.


To all players going to the parade -
(the following assumes you are going to see the parade as opposed to hanging out in the near-empty fair grounds.)

Almost all of the fair-goers leave the field outside the village and make their way into town. Only a couple of guards and a few merchants remain behind to guard the wares.

The crowd maks thier way from the fair ground into the village and line up on the sides of HighStreet, the main road through town. Children sit down in front of their parents feet, and a few hawkers walk up and down the street in front of the crowd selling small toys, ribbons and whistles from thier wooden trays.

After a few mommnets, the crowd settles down and the street clears, and from the north end drums and flutes can be heard. Very soon, you see a dozen clowns and fools tumbleing and cavorting down the street, pausing to make children laugh and perform minor magic tricks. Each clown is unique, and thier costumes range from grotesque to funny.

After the clowns have passed, next comes a small band of musicians and dancers playing a happy tune. The are accompanied by a group of trained dogs that do tricks and hop over each other as they pass.

Next comes a mechanical dragon! You can see the men's feet who operate it underneath the cloth, but it is wonderous none-the-less. It is bright green with long spines and glowing eyes and small bursts of flame leap from it's carved wooden nostrils.
The children squeal with delight as it passes them by, some of them clutching thier parent's knees in mock fear.

And then, there comes the symbolic purpose of the parade that everyone has been waiting for. A girl of Mooretide is not allowed to participate in the SpringTide until they are of marrying age, which is 16, and so several young and elligible men step up to the street-side to scope out the prospects.

Down HighStreet come the maidens. Each is dressed in a gawdy, bright, unusual and delightful costume created by themselves just for this occasion. One has designed her dress to look like she is a walking tree filled with birds, while another is made up to be a dragonfly. Yet another is disguised as a trout with shimering scales and fins, and another is costumed as the Spring Hare.

Shortly, after all watching have had a good chance to "Ooo"and Ahh" over the costumes, there comes the symbol of winter.

From out of dark alley ways and side streets, and from out of quiet buildings and roof-tops leap, hop and run the Death of Winter. These men are dressed as hideous skeletons in torn and tattered robes and shrouds, and some of the costumes are very convincing. As they enter the street and shamble around, they confront the maidens who giggle and squeal and act frightened. A dance ensues and the maidens form up to chase the terrible chill of winter from thier village. The maidens gather together and press forward in a chain to put down the skeletons, all the while the crowd cheers.

All of the fun and games are cut horribley short as one of the costumed men produces a hatchet from under his filthy robes and burries it deep in the skull of the trout-costumed girl. There is a wet "thwack" sound as blood spurts and the maiden goes face first onto the street.

The crowd screems in horror and several run. A guard rushes forward and grabs the man responsable. There is a struggle, and the robe is ripped off of the assailant, reveiling that it is not a man in costume at all, but an actual skeleton, some how brought to life! The skeleton lashes out at the guard with it's hatchet and takes him down, and then searches for another victim.

As this is happening, you all hear more screems, and then realize that all the costumed skeletons are in fact actually undead fiends, and they are attacking the crowds! The street is splatered with blood as the horrible things produce weapons, cast off thier robes and shrouds and wade into the fair-goers, hacking at men, women, and children...

 

[Spiderman]

Horrified at these turn of events, I nevertheless step into the fray and engage the skeletons with my martial skills.

 

[rkoelsch]

At 6'6 300+ lbs Bing has no trouble wading through the townspeople. He raises his iron banded cudgel and brings it down on the closest skeleton
"Bad Bones!!!"

 

[Prince RXI]

"What!!! No! This must be stopped, now!!!"

*I summon up 3 hawks, pull out my staff, change it into a spear, and charge into the fray with Aniya at my side, teeth beared*

"DIE EVIL WARRIORS!!!!"

*As I charge,I start to chant the spell of Magic Missiles."

 

[Daggertooth]

Startled by this turn of events I quickly look for the nearest Skeleton. Being a seasoned Warrior in the tribal conflics of the Nzumbe, Seeing Undead fight is something I've dealt with before.

I discard The cheap shield I've been holding, Draw my Short sword and with a battle cry charge the nearest Skeleton. My Left Hand Glows blue as I fire an Unraveling spell on my target. If the magic used here is similar to the Necrolibban Clan (True NeZumbu Necromancers) My Unraveling spell may have an effect. Acting as if it wont work, I close in for the kill.

 

[Bob]

Bob, at first, is horrified at the Maiden's gruesome death, but when he sees the fiends are undead, he smiles grimly. This is his department. ( I am a good Cleric, ya know.)

As the nearest skeleton lurches towards me, I say a short prayer to Pelor(D&D 3rd edition God of Light) and swing my SunBlade* up, diagonally, from the right side to the left...Like this. ( \ )

"DIE FOUL BEAST OF DARKNESS!!"

*For those that don't know what a SunBlade is, it is a magical sword. It feels to the weilder like a short sword, yet appears to be a Bastard Sword with a golden blade. It is more powerul than a bastard sword on most enemies. On evil enemies, it is even more powerful. Against undead, it's twice as powerful.