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Post by Celebes on Feb 11, 2019 16:40:19 GMT -5
~ Great Beasts of Old ~
Quest Synopsis
A journey by Redwallers and their roguish pursuers to find a recruit a champion of immense size to fight their battles.
Current Scene
It wasn’t immediately obvious that our heroes were being followed. Most in the party chalked up their early suspicions as paranoia. The snap of a twig far off, the shadows of trees that didn’t quite play right, or the faintest of whispers that could be heard by the night watch. But as these occurrences continued day after day, each beast began to suspect more and more that these signs weren’t just coincidences. They were being tracked. When one in the party was finally brave enough to broach his feelings, he was relieved to see that the others agreed. But what to do? Many ideas were thrown out, but it was soon established that a known enemy is much safer than an unknown one. An aggressive course was planned. This very night, our heroes stake out in the darkness, away from their campfire. They had learned from habit that their pursuers observe them in the night, it’s time that they were caught in the act, and made to explain themselves. Naturally, our heroes have had to spread out to maximize their chances of catching a spy, but its no challenge a proper warrior can’t handle. If their nerves hold until then.
Cast of Characters
Main Characters August - Diplomat - Played by Aquamarine Brookfill - Diplomat - Played by Burfle
Celebes - Guide - Played by Celebes ________ - Guide Thorn - Warrior - Played by Barkfur
Isaiah - Warrior - Played by Isaiah
________ - Warrior
Supporting Roles Horace - Tracker Captain - Played by Celebes Genji - Tracker Elite - Played by Barkfur
Raina - Tracker Elite - Played by Isaiah
Quest Standards
1.) Writers should plan on posting at least once a week. The hope is that this will keep the story moving at a moderate pace where no writer will feel left behind, nor feel like their character's are trapped in a conversation due to their counterpart not posting. If being able to post for a time is foreseeable, just drop a quick note so others know to work around it.
2.) Realism (of a fantasy sort) is aimed for, especially in combat situations. Try not to have your characters hewing down scores of vermin with nay a scratch, for one there would be no reason to find a champion if we are already gods of war, and for two we will quickly run out of vermin. Consider taking some cuts, bruises, and sprains that linger longer than a single post.
3.) Newcomers are always welcome! If you wish to join the quest, simply leave a message here in the planning thread, and we will get an entry set up for your character to come in.
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Post by Celebes on Feb 11, 2019 16:40:37 GMT -5
Quest Tracker
Book 1 - Hunters
- Starlight Ambush -
Into the Highlands (example)
Too Many Flowers (example)
Act II
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Act III
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Post by Celebes on Feb 11, 2019 16:40:51 GMT -5
Quest Profiles
Typically when it comes to NPCs in Rps, we tend to jointly share responsibility for writing their dialogue and actions. While this system does tend to make the story flow a bit faster, it can sometimes lead to somewhat inconsistent characterizations. Given that this quest will have a handful of recurring characters beyond our mains who will be playing critical roles, I think that it would be well worth it if these supporting characters were individually assigned to us to write. Interactions with the vermin tracking squad could be much more engaging if their dialogue was written by another person, for instance, rather than writers essentially talking to themselves. So if in addition to writing your own character, anyone willing to write for a supporting character, that would be great
This section is for displaying mini-mini profiles (3-5 sentences) for everyone in the quest that describes the basics of their looks, personality, and motivations, especially for those supporting characters.
..The Redwallers..
Name: Lt. Augustus "August" Bryant
Species: Hare
Specialty: Diplomat
Background: When rumors of the Red Rogue's movements reached Salamandastron, August was dispatched to Redwall with a warning by Badger Lady Ameline Forgesinger. In an unfortunate coincidence, the Long Patrol was engaged in extended combat with an alliance of corsairs, and no other fighters could be spared. With the abbey preparing for a potential assault and knowing that little if any aid was forthcoming from Salamandastron, it was determined that August's skills in combat and communication would be of best use in the party seeking the Great Beasts of Old. As a regular liaison between Salamandastron and the surrounding area, August falls naturally into a role centered on diplomacy. He may remember vague rumblings of a defector from his days as a fresh Long Patrol recruit, but one Horace Brayer McLarkin was long gone by the time August was anybeast worth noting.
Name: Brookfill Streamdog
Species: River Otter
Specialty: Diplomat
Background: News travels fast, and reports of the approach of a large warband lead by a figure named the Red Rogue had raced their way northwards. Upon hearing the news, Brooky began to worry for her old home of Redwall, which in its history had so often lain in the sights of vermin conquerors as a prize amongst the woodland landscape. Convincing her husband to come with her, the two set out from their tribe to head down southwards to visit the abbey. On their journey, they heard updates on the progress of the Red Rogue from passing travelers, and by the time they had reached Redwall itself there was already full discussion about what the abbey must do to protect itself. When the call for volunteers went out, Brooky signed herself up straight away. As part of her new tribe up in the north, she had taken on a role as a messenger and go-between to other groups and tribes in the area.
Name: Celebes Islehound Species: Sea Otter (Lutra lutra)
Specialty: Guide Background: Celebes was at Redwall when the call for volunteers went out, and the sea otter was quick to join. The opportunity was unique, to say the least, and worked well with a trip he had already been planning to take. Having worked as a messenger, courier, and general well-wisher between Redwall and the species of the coast, Celebes is familiar with several of the lesser known paths that cross the woodlands. He is pleased to be able to help his friends at the Abbey, as well as rather excited to see if the legends are true about these "Great Beasts."
Name: Isaiah
Species: Mouse
Specialty: Warrior (Sentinel)
Background: Facing depression after being cooped up at Redwall after an unreasonably long winter season and a lack of self-motivation to leave, Isaiah practically bullied his way onto the task force for this mission. Though not offering much in the way of immediately demonstrable woodland skills, the mouse is quite proficient with the sling and stones, and offered to be the party's token fighter and lookout. Though eager for an excuse to get out of the Abbey, Isaiah is glad to have the opportunity to fight for it, though he may not be so ready to admit it.
Name: Thorn
Species: Fox (Vulpes vulpes)
Specialty: Warrior (Archer/Tinkerer)
Background: After depleting his supplies of sulfur and mercury, Thorn set out on the quest to replenish his supplies and to catch a glimpse at the great beast of old. With his skill with the bow, and his various devices, Thorn is the group's tinkerer supreme, along with expert marksman. After his choice of giving everyone in the group signal arrows of his own making, Thorn is confident that the group is ready for any event ranging from a fording to an ambush. On this particular quest, Thorn's arsenal consists of his hammers, a foldable (not exactly reliable) bronze cudgel, his shortbow, and his crossbow, along with a large quiver of his signature arrows. Thorn is prepared in any way to use these weapons to fight, fur and fang, to protect his friends.
..The Rogues..
Name: Horace Brayer McLarkin
Species: Hare (Lepus timidus)
Specialty: Tracker Captain
Background: A mercenary hare attached to the warband of the Red Rogue, Horace is a soldier of fortune. He is an experienced wayfarer, owing to his early days of soldiering for Salamandastron. The task is his to keep tabs on a woodlander expedition that was spotted leaving Redwall. Pragmatic as a leader, Horace encourages initiative in his followers, so long as their personal ambition does not necessitate crossing him. It is a fine line to walk, but the hare generally manages the middle way between the paternalism of a Long Patrol officer, and the iron discipline required of a leader of vermin.
Name: Genji Satoshi
Species: Tanuki (Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus)
Specialty: Tracker Elite
Background: One of the Red Rouge's most trustworthy lieutenants, Genji was sent on the tracking party to hunt down some woodlanders. Due to him coming from a land far to the east, Genji knows the many shortcuts and passages in the eastern mountains. As Genji's kind, the Tanukis, are peaceful warriors, Genji was the tribe's sole exception as he sold his swords to the Red Rouge. Genji's skill with the naginata is formidable, and Genji can revert to a pair of katanas if he needs it. As a final resort, Genji can use his arsenal of shurikens and throwing darts, but he prefers to use the longer naginata. With his exotic fighting style and intelligence (Satoshi means quick-witted in the tanuki tongue), Genji is ready to take brutal measures to achieve his goal.
Name: Raina Syenoa
Species: Red Fox
Specialty: Tracker Elite
Background: A newcomer to the Red Rogue's horde, this vixen proved her ruthlessness by slaying half a score of elite soldiers in their sleep. Wielding just a dagger and a quiet authority, Raina has risen in ranks very quickly, much to the chagrin of those beneath her. Still, she commands respect even from those above her in rank. With a mind equal parts for strategy and blood lust, the Red Rogue's only fear is that her role in the horde won't satisfy her forever. For now, a leash is maintained on her, and she fulfills her role as an elite paw-picked mercenary.
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Post by Celebes on Feb 11, 2019 17:01:01 GMT -5
The point of all the boilerplate up above is to try and keep our quest somewhat organized as we go along, and to have an easy reference to our characters and timeline. I think the next things we need to determine before we start are: -Do we even like the title (  ) -Who is going to be playing what character (And how many?) -What are the roles for those characters (Lover or Fighter?)
-What are the needed supporting roles/ who is playing them (Any non-vermin?)
-What's our first scene going to be (Better be some good action!) -Agree on some basic expectations for everyone in the quest like posting rate, word count, realism, etc. (if needed). And any other things we can think of along the way! Regarding that last point, I just put it in there to try and guide the quest a bit. Could we agree that writers should post at least once a week in the quest? I don't think that is unduly difficult. The hope is to keep the thread plodding along at a moderate rate where no one feels left behind or frozen in place. |
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Post by Barkfur on Feb 11, 2019 19:47:36 GMT -5
Before i start with the main discussion, i'd like to register a character. First, i'd like to register Thorn as a Warrior, and i'm fine roleplaying a NPC as well.
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Post by Celebes on Feb 13, 2019 19:29:16 GMT -5
So I've been mulling over an intro scene for a little bit, and I'd like to here what you all think of it. The goal is to get in the midst of some good action quickly, as well as establish who the vermin are that are following the Redwallers: It wasn’t immediately obvious that our heroes were being followed. Most in the party chalked up their early suspicions as paranoia. The snap of a twig far off, the shadows of trees that didn’t quite play right, or the faintest of whispers that could be heard by the night watch. But as these occurrences continued day after day, each beast began to suspect more and more that these signs weren’t just coincidences. They were being tracked. When one in the party was finally brave enough to broach his feelings, he was relieved to see that the others agreed. But what to do? Many ideas were thrown out, but it was soon established that a known enemy is much safer than an unknown one. An aggressive course was planned. This very night, our heroes stake out in the darkness, away from their campfire. They had learned from habit that their pursuers observe them in the night, it’s time that they were caught in the act, and made to explain themselves. Naturally, our heroes have had to spread out to maximize their chances of catching a spy, but its no challenge a proper warrior can’t handle. If their nerves hold until then.
In other planning talk, what do we think the situation should have been when our heroes set off? Naturally this event will have already past by the time we are writing, but it would be useful for background. Perhaps it would be a good idea to not have Red Rogue necessarily banging at the gates when the expedition sets out? Maybe he was more of a rumor in the area, or a threat that was certain to come but at an unknown time. I think it would be a little hard to believe that the Abbey would have sent some of its better warriors off in the middle of a siege, maybe the idea was to get a great beast back in to preempt the hostile warband?
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Post by Barkfur on Feb 13, 2019 20:30:08 GMT -5
That intro sounds nice, though i may suggest a paragraph highlighting the heroes' departure from Redwall, because the intro seems like there's a relatively small chunk missing from it.
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Post by Isaiah on Feb 14, 2019 3:24:45 GMT -5
-Do we even like the title (  ) I like it! The only other title that I could think of is The Ancient Ones, but that doesn't convey the same sense of size or "greatness" that yours does. Great Beasts of Old isn't too vague but also just vague enough to still be intriguing. -Who is going to be playing what character (And how many?)-What are the roles for those characters (Lover or Fighter?) I'll definitely take the responsibility for one vermin—possibly the lieutenant—since I'll probably be one of the more active posters once the quest starts. I'll work on a mini-profile for them tomorrow. Are there any specific ideas as to where these vermin come from/are like that we want to consider? -What are the needed supporting roles/ who is playing them (Any non-vermin?) . Nothing at Redwall. I would like to avoid having two story lines running at the same time here at all costs. That's an easy way to kill activity and one story line always winds up being far more active and interesting than the other anyway. I certainly think our crew might run into other people on their journey though. Mossflower and surrounding countries are full of friendly critters. It might be nice to have some friendly NPCs that provide food/shelter as kind of... rewards? for reaching certain checkpoints in the RP. I know that's thinking in a dangerously gamey sense, but it might be nice to have small sections of downtime where we meet friendly animals in between the action and we can have more chill conversations between our characters. I don't know if these are characters we'll want to fully plot out in advance or just come up with as we go. -What's our first scene going to be (Better be some good action!) I do like what you have so far! To ease Barkfur's concerns about the beginning seeming abrupt, we could have a small chunk of flavor text before any actual RP that provides context/background on the threat and why the Redwallers are where they are currently. I like your idea Celebes, but I almost want to push it even further. What if we were to start mid-fight with the vermin? Or maybe during a chase sequence of sorts? I'm just thinking it might give us good momentum to do so. The campfire ambush probably works just as well, as long as we don't get stuck perpetually in the "waiting for vermin to come" phase. -Agree on some basic expectations for everyone in the quest like posting rate, word count, realism, etc. (if needed). And any other things we can think of along the way! Regarding that last point, I just put it in there to try and guide the quest a bit. Could we agree that writers should post at least once a week in the quest? I don't think that is unduly difficult. The hope is to keep the thread plodding along at a moderate rate where no one feels left behind or frozen in place. I agree with this... tentatively. My fear is that we set expectations that are too high and scare people off from possibly participating. I want to do an epic quest, but I also want to make it as available and accommodating to as many people as possible. I do think small guidelines are necessary and helpful though. - 100 word posts minimum is pretty standard for more serious role plays. Obviously, some will go quite a bit above this, but it means if you're someone with less time or someone who just isn't as naturally wordy and struggle to hit high word counts you can still muster up a solid paragraph and not feel shamed. To be clear, NO SHAME FOR NOT WRITING WALLS OF TEXT! 100 word minimum is what I would advocate for. Probably not a maximum, and long posts are okay and will happen, but let's make our words count. - Once a week activity rate seems fair. 100 words a week even if you're busy is still feasible. There's no punishment for not following this, of course, but we can recommend that you not sign up/participate if you don't think you'll be able to meet that. - As far as realism goes, we could go in a couple different directions. We're going on an epic quest for ancient beasts so we could have a highly mystical (eg: many interactions with Martin) sort of magical role play, or we could go more down-to-earth classical Redwall. In general, just follow site wide rules of no god moding and stuff like that. One thing I would urge people to do, especially with RPs like this, is consider making the "worse choice" happen for your character. What happens if your character flaw gets the better of your character? What happens if they fails to block that stunning blow? What happens if they aren't effortlessly cool and suave? In general, we're all pretty good about this, but it's good to keep in mind that the more interesting choice can sometimes just be letting your character lose. I'll think about more specific story ideas and come back tomorrow. |
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Post by Isaiah on Feb 14, 2019 3:45:16 GMT -5
Name: Isaiah
Species: Mouse
Specialty: Warrior (Sentinel)
Background: Facing depression after being cooped up at Redwall after an unreasonably long winter season and a lack of self-motivation to leave, Isaiah practically bullied his way onto the task force for this mission. Though not offering much in the way of immediately demonstrable woodland skills, the mouse is quite proficient with the sling and stones, and offered to be the party's token fighter and lookout. Though eager for an excuse to get out of the Abbey, Isaiah is glad to have the opportunity to fight for it, though he may not be so ready to admit it.
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Post by Isaiah on Feb 14, 2019 3:48:37 GMT -5
Perhaps it would be a good idea to not have Red Rogue necessarily banging at the gates when the expedition sets out? Maybe he was more of a rumor in the area, or a threat that was certain to come but at an unknown time. I think it would be a little hard to believe that the Abbey would have sent some of its better warriors off in the middle of a siege, maybe the idea was to get a great beast back in to preempt the hostile warband? Or perhaps a threat that was certain to come at a known time? It might be interesting to has a sort of timer on us. Perhaps the danger has been slowly creeping upwards from Southsward and is currently marching down the road towards Redwall some weeks away. Also, another random though, where will our travels take us in searching for this Great Beast? I feel like Eastern Mossflower and beyond may be interesting to explore, if only because that direction is explored so little in the books. |
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Post by Celebes on Feb 14, 2019 12:25:20 GMT -5
I'll definitely take the responsibility for one vermin—possibly the lieutenant—since I'll probably be one of the more active posters once the quest starts. I'll work on a mini-profile for them tomorrow. Are there any specific ideas as to where these vermin come from/are like that we want to consider? As far as the trackers go, I didn't have any particular thoughts about them other than their competency. Being that they were a picked group, I'd imagine that they are at least a cut above the average warbander in combat skill, and perhaps another half a cut above in terms of general intelligence. Unit cohesion is probably reasonably strong, reducing the chance that they will dissolve into infighting or factionalism. I don't see them having to be uniform in species, other than that they are the typical vermin races. If we want to get a bit more creative with them, perhaps they were already an established group in the warband before this one mission? This wouldn't be their first mission together, rather they are already established comrades and know how to operate effectively as a unit. Maybe they have uniform, well-maintained equipment like spears and short-swords, owing to their captain's experience training with those weapons? It would show the priority the Red Rogue is giving this task by sending away such an elite squad. They would probably deserve a fancy name. I do like what you have so far! To ease Barkfur's concerns about the beginning seeming abrupt, we could have a small chunk of flavor text before any actual RP that provides context/background on the threat and why the Redwallers are where they are currently. I like your idea Celebes, but I almost want to push it even further. What if we were to start mid-fight with the vermin? Or maybe during a chase sequence of sorts? I'm just thinking it might give us good momentum to do so. The campfire ambush probably works just as well, as long as we don't get stuck perpetually in the "waiting for vermin to come" phase. I like the idea of getting right into the action, and I know what you mean about getting stuck in the anticipation scene, ha hah. The reason I was kind of leaving the scene intro as a build-up scene was because I was hoping it might be exciting to experience some tension/ paranoia as our characters were waiting in the dark, but I can see how that might drag a bit as we all describe the same general things. Maybe a hybrid? We can kick off the action immediately in the first post by having that be the moment contact is first made. That way we might still get to write a bit on the stress our characters may have been feeling immediately before the fight, and then get right into it in the same post. And I'm all for a more flavorful intro! It would be a good kickoff. I agree with this... tentatively. My fear is that we set expectations that are too high and scare people off from possibly participating. I want to do an epic quest, but I also want to make it as available and accommodating to as many people as possible. I do think small guidelines are necessary and helpful though. Completely understand. Last thing I want to do is scare anyone off just because we try to raise the expectations too high. And I think add-a-line has shown us that you can pack quite a bit of content into just 100 words. Who knew that would turn into a writing workshop? I do think the posting window is important for the aforementioned reasons, and one week seems to be a good compromise. Of course, if there is a foreseeable lapse in posting, that would be completely understandable. Just a quick "Out-Fishing" note in the chat or in here and would help ensure that the other writers aren't out on a limb.
And as far as where we are on the fantasy/realism scale, I'm more of a low fantasy kind of otter. Of course we are going after something that is supposedly legendary, but in the sense that the Okapi was legendary before someone actually set eyes on it and wrote it down. I think that we should keep it more earthy, with dreams and Martin deux ex machima saved for very select times. I'm all for subverting the typical Redwall narrative in a few ways, like a hare working for the bad guys, running into giants, or having slightly less incompetent vermin, but I still think it should be Redwall at its core.
Let's have some injuries! Let the blood flow on our side too!  |
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Post by Barkfur on Feb 14, 2019 21:02:27 GMT -5
Name: Thorn
Species: Fox (Vulpes vulpes)
Specialty: Warrior (Archer/Tinkerer)
Background: After depleting his supplies of sulfur and mercury, Thorn set out on the quest to replenish his supplies and to catch a glimpse at the great beast of old. With his skill with the bow, and his various devices, Thorn is the group's tinkerer supreme, along with expert marksman. After his choice of giving everyone in the group signal arrows of his own making, Thorn is confident that the group is ready for any event ranging from a fording to an ambush. On this particular quest, Thorn's arsenal consists of his hammers, a foldable (not exactly reliable) bronze cudgel, his shortbow, and his crossbow, along with a large quiver of his signature arrows. Thorn is prepared in any way to use these weapons to fight, fur and fang, to protect his friends.
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Post by Isaiah on Feb 14, 2019 21:42:15 GMT -5
Setting up the vermin band as an elite squad is a good idea. It could even have some overly dramatic and cheesy name like The Red Claw or The Claw or something. Since they are elite soldiers, it allows us to keep them as antaganists throughout the RP, as I doubt it would be realistic for our group to dispatch them easily in our first encounter. I imagine much of the RP will be the vermin pursuing our band and occasionally catching up for conflicts.
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Post by Celebes on Feb 15, 2019 16:53:31 GMT -5
As to where they are heading off to, I agree that Eastward-ho seems like a fine direction to set off in. It will give us a bit of play with the geography. I was thinking that some sort of highland terrain would be interesting, with some opportunities for mountaineering or having to get past obstacles like scree or rockslides. Not the most creative place they could go, of course, but it is better than endlessly walking through woodlands and the occasional cave.
Going back to the idea of NPC checkpoints/ rewards, I do think it would be good to run into friendly locals now and again. What if during one of these run ins, the bad guys manage to get there first? Say the hare is able to convince the populace that HE is indeed the good guy, and the creatures following after him are indeed the ones that they should try to slow down. Would probably be a hard sell considering the company he keeps, but he may just be able to charm them. Would be interesting to see how the heroes handle that scenario when the typical roles are reversed.
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Post by Isaiah on Feb 16, 2019 2:12:03 GMT -5
Did we decide which beast exactly we're looking for or will find? That could impact the environment the quest is set in quite a bit.
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)
)
Well, they're in the kitchen now so if you want you can have him end up there maybe? Or near them?
2024 can be the year of your return 