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Glossolalia Presents: [SlateGray] Engles is Burning [Resonance] Requisite Bar Fight
Stilts
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Welcome to the Gloss thread!
On these hallowed grounds that the great and powerful DE?AD created two years ago, a bunch of people with too much time on their hands create play-by-post roleplaying games (often shortened to PbP's) so they can have fun crafting a crazy variety of stories and characters. And sometimes we just hang out.
In other words, this is the Critical Failures forum done the SE++ way.
We've got three games going on right now, and all of them are taking new members. They are:
The year is 2560, and humanity has colonized the solar system. On the terraformed, paradise-world of Callisto, the Temple of the Harmonic Mind teaches a select group of dedicated humans to attune their minds and bodies to the patterns and rythms of the universe. The training is difficult, but once completed the monks can bend the fundamental elements of our world--earth, fire, water, and even the fabric of space--to their will. However, many teachers believe that one's talents can only be found in the heat of battle.
It's for this reason that a handful of students has been sent to Mars to shut down a small band of slavers. Their sesei believes victory is assured, but will they be able to work as a team and unlock their superhuman abilities? And, more importantly, will they be ready for what happens next?
The Story Thus Far
GMed by Stilts
Player list:
Post Archive
GMed by Stilts
Player list:
DE?AD as Yan
Huntera as Riyan
Dichotomy as Vek
alternatingAberration as Jin
Shabooty as Buko
Dux as Rokkuhado
Fire Truck as Fir
Cheeseliker as Booya'n
joshua1 as Jamyan
Tommy2Hands as Sagan
ShockG as Harold
Marshmallow as Sosse
NeoToma as Gin Mei
Huntera as Riyan
Dichotomy as Vek
alternatingAberration as Jin
Shabooty as Buko
Dux as Rokkuhado
Fire Truck as Fir
Cheeseliker as Booya'n
joshua1 as Jamyan
Tommy2Hands as Sagan
ShockG as Harold
Marshmallow as Sosse
NeoToma as Gin Mei
Post Archive
SlateGray
A band of colorful characters wake up in the brig of an airship with no memory of who they are, where they're from or why anyone would bother to capture them. In the process of escaping their imprisonment, they learn they're all members of the Slate family, and that someone's been sending letters in red envelopes that make rather suspicious requests of certain powerful people and organizations. Hoping to find some answers (and a place to temporarily call home), the Slate siblings have teamed up with the Serpent Clan. With the Clan's influence and the Slates' skills, they both might find what they're looking for.
Assuming this dysfunctional family can get along.
GMed by DE?AD
The world's long ended, but there's stories yet to be told. The nations have fallen, but that don't stop a man from calling himself a king. There's nothing left to explore, but that don't stop a man from finding seeking treasure.
The seas have dried up, but that can't stop a man from setting sail.
Unlike the other games that are played directly in this thread, Derelict is played once a week on AIM for two or three hours. The only posts that will show up in the thread are Speed's supplementary narrations (which usually tie in somehow to the next AIM session) and his summaries of what happened during each AIM session.
So, figured out which ones you want to join? Now it's time to make a character. Thankfully, this is pretty easy, even if you've never played an RPG in your life.
If you want to join SlateGray, this is how you make a character:
(Name) 0 0 0
[???][?][?]
[i: inventory goes here]
The only thing you need to fill in at first is your name. The three colored numbers next to your name represent different points you can earn for solving problems in different ways. These points can then be spent on stuff like plot twists (i.e. "Your character now speaks Cantonese" or "This awesome sword was in your backpack all along"), special actions that will always succeed, extra-powerful traits and saving your ass from certain death.
Speaking of traits, those are on the next line. You have three traits slots: one for your bolded Major trait and two for Minor traits. During the course of the story, the GM will reveal words that are in [Brackets]. Those words represent traits that have been unlocked that any character can take as long as they have an empty slot. Sometimes, these traits will have points after them ([Example] 3 7), which means you have to spend that many points to get the trait. Now, you may not have that many points at the time a trait is unlocked. That's okay. As long as no one else takes it, it'll remain available forever. So when you do finally get that seventh blue point, it's all yours.
Sometimes, your character will acquire temporary traits that keep track of things like wounds or limited-duration buffs. These traits are always written in [Italics] and should be added on the same line as your permanent traits.
Finally, we have the inventory. Any items you pick up go here. Pretty self-explanatory.
[???][?][?]
[i: inventory goes here]
The only thing you need to fill in at first is your name. The three colored numbers next to your name represent different points you can earn for solving problems in different ways. These points can then be spent on stuff like plot twists (i.e. "Your character now speaks Cantonese" or "This awesome sword was in your backpack all along"), special actions that will always succeed, extra-powerful traits and saving your ass from certain death.
Speaking of traits, those are on the next line. You have three traits slots: one for your bolded Major trait and two for Minor traits. During the course of the story, the GM will reveal words that are in [Brackets]. Those words represent traits that have been unlocked that any character can take as long as they have an empty slot. Sometimes, these traits will have points after them ([Example] 3 7), which means you have to spend that many points to get the trait. Now, you may not have that many points at the time a trait is unlocked. That's okay. As long as no one else takes it, it'll remain available forever. So when you do finally get that seventh blue point, it's all yours.
Sometimes, your character will acquire temporary traits that keep track of things like wounds or limited-duration buffs. These traits are always written in [Italics] and should be added on the same line as your permanent traits.
Finally, we have the inventory. Any items you pick up go here. Pretty self-explanatory.
If you want to join Resonance, this is how you make a character:
(Name)
[??? (???)][?][?]
[i: Harmonic Mind gi]
For now, fill in your name.
Below that is your Major trait that consists of two parts and two Minor traits. Throughout the course of the game, certain words will appear in the narrative marked in [brackets]. These are traits that any player can put into their sheet. Major traits are in bold, while minor traits are not. In Resonance, the Major trait encompasses both your fighting style and elemental specialty, the latter of which goes in the parenthesis.
As the game progresses, you may gain Temporary Traits (usually injuries during combat). You put these after your real Traits. Temporary Traits are italicized.
The last line is your inventory. You all start with a Harmonic Mind gi, which prevents normal weapons from dealing lethal damage to the areas they protect.
[??? (???)][?][?]
[i: Harmonic Mind gi]
For now, fill in your name.
Below that is your Major trait that consists of two parts and two Minor traits. Throughout the course of the game, certain words will appear in the narrative marked in [brackets]. These are traits that any player can put into their sheet. Major traits are in bold, while minor traits are not. In Resonance, the Major trait encompasses both your fighting style and elemental specialty, the latter of which goes in the parenthesis.
As the game progresses, you may gain Temporary Traits (usually injuries during combat). You put these after your real Traits. Temporary Traits are italicized.
The last line is your inventory. You all start with a Harmonic Mind gi, which prevents normal weapons from dealing lethal damage to the areas they protect.
You may notice that the rules for Resonance and SlateGray are pretty similar. That's because I'm using an experimental system DE?AD recently came up with specifically for SlateGray. It's meant to bring a more improvisational style to character creation and allow new people to jump right in and write without sweating over what words to put in their brackets.
Derelict, however, uses the traditional style of DE?AD's system. You can find the rules here. Ignore the stuff on the bottom about Trait Classes, though. Derelict doesn't use them.
Stilts on
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THAT NEW THREAD SMELL
---Mars---
With the help of Vek's crazy muscles, Jin and Rokku find a large crate in the cargo bay and drag it up to the hallway, then carry the artifact from the engine room and pack it in the crate. By the time they finish, the Martian police arrive and start rounding up the slavers that tried to make a break for it...which is pretty much all of them.
One of the cops--Officer Nolan, according to the badge affixed to his body armor--jogs up to you.
"Man, you really bailed us out of a tricky situation," he says. "I really can't thank you enough."
As he continues to gush, the monks' spaceship lands nearby. One of the pilots walks out and approaches Officer Nolan.
"Excuse me, sir," the pilot says, "but as we were waiting in orbit, our sensors picked up a shuttlecraft exiting the sandstorm. Right before it left Mars' atmosphere, we detected a large but very brief gravitational anamoly about 3000 kilometers from our location. The shuttle flew toward the area where the anamoly occured and disappeared. A few seconds later, we detected a second anamoly. Did your sensors record something similar?"
"Uh...yeah, actually we did. One of our traffic controllers gave me the details as we flew over here. Apparently is has him baffled, but he says he'll get in contact with one of Space Force's astronomers. You have any guesses?"
The pilot is silent for a moment. "No. Not yet. I await your specialist's analysis."
"Yeah, we'll be sure to send any info we get your way. No problem." He bows to your pilot and then to you before walking off.
"A job well done, I see," the pilot says turning to you. "I'm sure Master Kanno will be very pleased. And it seems you've brought a present, too." He waves his hand toward the crate you dragged up to the surface. "I'll make sure it gets properly secured in the ship. Now, if you could all board the ship, we'll be on our way home shortly..."
---Callisto---
Five minutes out from Callisto, one of the pilots activates the intercom.
"We're...receiving an emergency message from the Temple," he says. "Patching it through...now."
A cacophony of shouting, screams and gunfire explodes out of the speakers, shocking your eardrums. Through the maelstrom of noise, though, you can recognize a familiar voice: Master Hisako Kanno.
"Callisto is under attack! I repeat, Callisto is under attack! The ships came out of nowhere. Sensors estimate there are at least a hundred. Your ship is fragile and practically unarmed. Do not attempt to land or they may blow you out of the sky! Again, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO LAND! WE ARE BEING INVA--!"
And just as suddenly has it began, the transmission cuts out. The pilot takes over the intercom again. His voice is noticeably shaken.
"I-I'm trying to re-establish contact, but it's...timing-out. They must have knocked out the relay."
Then a long pause.
"It...it should be noted that my colleagues and I are merely pilots. Our duty is to take you where you wish to go."
I mentioned in one of my PM's to him that I really should get working on making one.
Then he sends that to me, like, a few minutes later, and it's exactly what I wanted.
[Charging Bull (Fire) 1][Bold 1][Strong]
[i: Harmonic Mind gi, Breather and Goggles] [Bruised] [Wounded Arm]
Vek shoots bolt upright in his chair, the restraints holding him back. His knuckles are white on the armrests.
"LAND! LAND! NO TIME FOR TALK! WE ARE NEEDED!"
http://www.audioentropy.com/
Twitch (I stream most days of the week)
Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
[Springing Viper (Gravity)1][Engineer][?]
[i: Harmonic Mind gi, Urumi, Filter Mask, Clear Goggles]
Jin sits slumped with arms folded in thought.
"Enough forces to overwhelm a world of monks, likely using technology we have yet to grasp or even think of, we're hardly more than students and several of us are wounded. No matter how you look at it, we are at a great disadvantage and would likely be killed the second we drop out of warp."
Jin looks up, "I don't know what to do. Honor dictates we defend our home, and fight the enemy to a glorious end. Though common sense says to avoid a lost battle and avenge our home another day."
[Stinging Scorpion (Earth)][?][?]
[i: Harmonic Mind gi, Golden Melon Hammer Pair, Filter Mask, Clear Goggles]
"I believe that our Honor takes a backseat to common sense in situations such as the one we find ourselves in."
Riyan cracks his neck and looks down to the floor, "We need information. One doesn't go attacking a monk world if they expect to lose. They go in with overwhelming firepower and a plan. Maybe if we can glean that plan we could be of help, but short of traveling back in time to their base and listening in there, nothing is to be done."
"Though if Vek really wants I'm sure we could orbital drop him, encase him in a gravity well so he doesn't burn up on re-entry."
Man, that's just how that guy makes an entrance.
So maybe the well gives out around re-entry.
Sokudo
[??? (???)] [???] [???]
[i: Harmonic Mind gi]
You want me to just suddenly be on the ship or you wanna take care of putting me in?
http://www.audioentropy.com/
to make a bigger explosion when he punches the ground upon landing.
[??? (Mind)][Diplomatic][?][Wounded Foot]
[i: Harmonic Mind Gi, Jian, Keycard]
"We must wait. Wait for them to finish whatever they're doing, then investigate the aftermath. We must find out who has the resources, motive, and the cojones to commit such a crime. Although, I do have a primary suspect."
Steam
[Relentless Panther (???)][Ruthless][?]
[i: Harmonic Mind Gi, Breather and Goggles]
"We need to send a message to all the monks who are off world. They need to be warned."
[??? (Mind)][Diplomatic][?][Wounded Foot]
[i: Harmonic Mind Gi, Jian, Keycard]
"How do you propose sending a message to them if we do not know where they are?"
Steam
[Charging Bull (Fire) 1][Bold 1][Strong]
[i: Harmonic Mind gi, Breather and Goggles] [Bruised] [Wounded Arm]
Vek is incredulous.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! THE TEMPLE IS UNDER ATTACK!"
He starts fumbling with his restraints, managing to lower his voice. "Fine, fine, stay here and debate. Just hit atmosphere and drop me. I'll save the Temple by myself if I have to."
[Relentless Panther (???)][Ruthless][?]
[i: Harmonic Mind Gi, Breather and Goggles]
"How do you propose we investigate the aftermath, as you call it? Do you think whoever is doing this is just gonna leave after they're done? They're gonna have ambushes waiting for returning monks. Like us, for instance."
[??? (Mind)][Diplomatic][?][Wounded Foot]
[i: Harmonic Mind Gi, Jian, Keycard]
"An ambush is easier to deal with than an armada."
Steam
Meigin
[??? (Time)1][?][?]
[i: Harmonic Mind Gi, Breather and Goggles, Shurikens]
"Oh man. This is shitty. Super shitty. Who are these assholes?"
Sagan
[??? [(Transmutation)]???)][?][?]
[i: Harmonic Mind gi, Krabi, Explosive Shurikens]
Sagan sits, quietly meditating as he hears the news
"Kanno..."
"We can't go"
"Not now, at least. Harold is right, we need to wait until we might survive exiting warp, then we can explore the rubble..."
[Charging Bull (Fire) 1][Bold 1][Strong]
[i: Harmonic Mind gi, Breather and Goggles] [Bruised] [Wounded Arm]
Vek finally manages to wrestle free of his restraints. He rises, making his way to the airlock.
"You can't go. I am going. I'm not going to skulk around in orbit while my home is burned to the ground!" Vek slams a fist against the airlock door. He exhales, and it is steam that shoots from his nostrils.
"All I ask is that you take the ship just deep enough into the atmosphere that I can breathe," Vek addresses the pilots. "The rest I'll figure out on my own. You ought to be able to sneak that close without anyone realizing you're there." He glowers at everyone else present. "You'll be free to come back later."
Also, if anyone wanted character art or whatever, I am now taking preemptive commissions, to be completed the minute I get a computer up and running. So there's that.
[??? [(Transmutation)]???)][?][?]
[i: Harmonic Mind gi, Krabi, Explosive Shurikens]
"I..."
"...I won't argue with you"
(Harold)
[??? (Mind)][Diplomatic][?][Wounded Foot]
[i: Harmonic Mind Gi, Jian, Keycard]
"I will treat your corpse with reverence."
Steam
Not a character, but a neat derelict logo would be pretty cool
http://www.audioentropy.com/
It occurs to you that if you were close enough to enter Callisto's atmosphere, you'd also be close enough to be noticed by any enemy ship that happens to be near your location.
Also, Jin's not entirely confident that his abilities are good enough to make a semi-permanent gravitational anomaly or guide Vek that far down while he's still in the ship.
The pilot, who's been listening in all this time, chimes in, "There could be a way to land unharmed. It would be...risky, but the monks believe they can do it. Basically, we would wait to slow down from light speed until the last possible moment, then stop as quickly as possible. If we do it right, we should be travelling fast enough that any ships in orbit wouldn't get enough time to notice us, lock on and fire their weapons. If we do it wrong, however, we'd make a very large dent on Callisto."
[Berserking Bear (???)][Perceptive][Motherfucker]
[i: Harmonic Mind gi, Extendable Quarterstaff, Breather and Goggles]
Sosse approaches the pilot, clearing his throat. He leans in close, his voice low. "How many fuckin' thruster engines does this craft have, and how many would you, personally, need to pilot this heap to the nearest safe zone? What I'm sayin' is, how many motherfuckin' engines can you spare."
he fully intended to figure it out on his way
By dropping down ass-first and... you know what? Forget it.
Rokkuhādo
[??? (Air)][Resourceful][?]
[i: Harmonic Mind gi, Adjustable Quarterstaff, Breather and Goggles ]
"That sounds like a plan. Is there something we monks can do to help?"
http://deicidecomic.tumblr.com/
READ MY COMIC ^^
[Berserking Bear (???)][Perceptive][Motherfucker]
[i: Harmonic Mind gi, Extendable Quarterstaff, Breather and Goggles]
"And these thrusters have emergency quick release mechanisms for when they are damaged or malfunctioning, correct?"
[??? [(Transmutation)]???)][?][?]
[i: Harmonic Mind gi, Krabi, Explosive Shurikens]
Sagan looks down at his feet for a moment, before standing up and moving over to Vek.
"If...if I can't complete my training, I'm not going back. I'm not going to let Master die"
"and I'm not going to let Vek die alone either"
[??? (Air)][Resourceful][?]
[i: Harmonic Mind gi, Adjustable Quarterstaff]
Rokku crosses his arms and thinks. After a short while he sighs and gives up on his train of thought. "We know too little to form a concrete plan of attack. When we are on the ground, we should try to.... improvise."
Edit: Edited my post because tommy edited his.
http://deicidecomic.tumblr.com/
READ MY COMIC ^^
One head is good, but five are much better. A monk's companions may open their minds to him or her, acting as catalysts for his or her unique abilities. Each mind link increases the chance of success of an action by 10%, but the catalyst monks sacrifice their own actions for the round. It also very slightly increases the likelihood of triggering a Resonance event.
two words
fighting
spirit
something something impossible
something something unbreakable
row row fight the power