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[GoldenCityBird]

-Mysteries of the Floating Islands-

It's been about a year since your homeland became one of many floating islands above a cloudlike floor. Initially, there was the shock of being newly nestled in an unknown realm, but, after a mere month, bridges were improvised, and flying steeds and ships traversed the perilous ravines. In time, it almost felt like nothing happened.

It wasn't until the letter arrived that you truly remembered your old way of life, your old neighbours and landscapes. The letter was a short note, but still more than a little impactful:

"To the potential adventurer,

"I know who broke the world. Go to the Stubborn Unicorn inn in the town of Kirkdale, on the island of Rashbold (the one with the big cliff and the castle). You won't meet me. Further instructions and allies await.

"Yours truly,

"The Snide Snake"

This letter did indeed intrigue you, and it wasn't too hard to go to Rashbold. There was maybe even something you wanted - or needed - to do. Undeterred, you found your way to the inn, a timber-framed building among many of its kind upon a cobbled street, and strode inside.

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Welcome to my fourth attempt at an RP here. To condense the above paragraphs, you're all in a fantasy land consisting of floating islands of all sorts of terrain and culture. There's an overarching plot about trying to figure out what caused the lands to become like this, each island has its own big story, and there are loads of dungeons and settlements to explore. Now, let's get on with the basics:

The Engine

For each action you wish to take, simply submit it in an emphasised way. For example:

>Punch the Skeleton King

Please only use this for non-trivial actions that require GM input. (Entering a building is a valid use of this, for instance, if you don't already know what's inside.)

Actions that are tests of skill will use a modified version of the "Roll to Dodge" system of scoring, done on a D4:

* 1: Failure with consequences (the Skeleton King blocks with his sword, slicing your hand severely)

* 2: Failure with no/light consequences (you miss and stumble)

* 3: Adequate success (you land the strike, knocking him back)

* 4: Great success (you land the strike, breaking one of his bones or dropping his sword)

Rolls can be modified with items, abilities, and the various situations you find yourself in.

A successful roll grants you 3 XP. Being at an advantage for that roll reduces that to 1. Being at a disadvantage increases it to 5. Whenever you accumulate 15 XP, your XP track resets and you Level Up.

Whenever you level up, you may do one of the following:

* Increase your HP by 10.
* Get one of your items, spells, or traits improved by the GM.

Character Building & Restrictions

The character building form is located here:

* Name:

* Gender:

* Species: (Pretty much anything goes. If you think your species warrants a little explanation, explain it here. Keep in mind that, to enforce variety, only one character of each species may be in play at any given time. Humans are the exception; there can be three humans of different ethnicities in play at any given time.)

* Appearance: (Make a note of anything that isn't covered by the species - distinctive marks, clothing, ect. Just keep it at 50 words or under. I would prefer no images, but it's not a deal-breaker if they're included.)

* Backstory: (Write out your character's backstory in around 100 words, maybe more or less.)

After that, I'll build your character. Each species has its own equal mix of positive and negative traits (except for humans, which are unavoidably a blank slate). Further traits will be provided by your character's backstory. You will also have a starting inventory of 3-5 items, including sets of clothes. (Note for aspiring spellcasters: your starting pool will be 2 different spells at most, but you can have up to 6 different spells at any given time.)

The Different Islands, summarised

This is a list of the main islands of the RP. These are the ones that can be casually visited via bridges or easilly-attainable other means. Humans are present on all of them. You can make up more, but don't expect to visit them.

• Rashbold, the Royal Kingdom: This sleepy kingdom is under siege from a huge dragon, which burns down villages and farms like there's no tomorrow. King Edward Rashbold does his best to calm the citizens, but isn't any closer to dealing with the winged menace. (Western European High fantasy. Lord of the Rings and such things.)
  
• Ozubené, the Clockpunk City: Full of amazing inventions, bustling colleges, and sinister guilds, this largely-urbanised island hides a lot of grime under its colourful surface. (Renaissance-ish Urban Fantasy. Dishonored and Assassin's Creed are major inspirations.)
  
• Ferbyldlan, the Wonderland Queendom: Fairytales and metaphors come alive in this fairytale realm, where even the strangest of things can show up and ask you to join them for tea. Good luck finding a way to go there, though. (Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, ect.)
  
• Kuyama, the Shogunate in the Mountains: A war between two daimyos was brought to a halt by the obvious circumstances of "Where the FUCK is everyone else?". But, between the heavy tensions between the two lords, a lack of resources, and the general incompetence of the Emperor, the peace may not last much longer. (Sengoku Japan, mostly influenced by folktales and such.)
  
• Cheng'en, the land of Three Kings: In the remnants of a great empire, three warring monarchs have taken the scraps of what's left - and have every desire to rebuild the empire in their image. (Think Journey to the West meets the War of the Three Kingdoms.)
  
• Risam, the Oasis Kingdom: The dead have stopped staying dead in the desert sun, as pretenders to the Pharaoh's Throne scramble to blame one another and devoted priests accuse one other of heresy. (Ancient Egyptian-esque. Mostly inspired by Magic: the Gathering's Amonkhet block.)
  
• Bir-Amal, the Sultanate: Nestled in the middle of a scorching desert, this tiny nation prospers from a bountiful well, providing water since time immemorial. But, with signs of the well running dry, the locals are starting to panic. (Arabian fantasy, mostly based on 1001 Nights.)
  
• Qullachaka, the Besieged Temple: Once a bustling city surrounded by villages, Qullachaka has been swiftly reduced in size by plagues, conquerors, and new wildlife. The only surviving community leader, a renowned priestess, does what she can to help her people from her temple. (Incan-inspired, no fictional reference point)
  
• Columnasos, the Classical Empire: In a realm of high-pillared temples, togated philosophers, and overcrowded pantheons, only one empire, led by the famously egomaniac Alessandrus Ioulous, rules its people - whether they like it or, more likely, not. (Ancient Greece and Rome, mostly based on Magic's Theros plane.)
  
• Yakni, the Young River Valley: The peoples of Yakni have far more change on the horizon than just the whole floating island stuff; the discovery of iron smelting a few years back, for instance, has made farming easier - and weapons stronger. (Inspired by the Mississippian culture, no fictional reference point.)
  

Current Party Members (three required to start):

• Magnus Ingvar: a Drow stealthy-person-thing (SmilyCube112)
  

[Mr. Lee Hammer]

* Name: Mordecai
* Gender: Male
* Species: Undead Wraith (formerly human)
* Appearance: Very tall (6'7), tattered armor, scar on the head from where he got shot in the arrow back when he was alive, red eyes, pale skin
* Backstory: A knight who lives for fighting, something of a soldier of fortune. After getting killed in battle, he has risen back from the dead via necromancer. Now he just wants to pick up where he left off. Perhaps he could put his skill to good use to figure out the mystery of the floating islands.

[Despair's Archon of Memes]

Name: Kizuna Itsuki
Gender: Female
Species: Human/Demon fusion/posession
Appearance: Red hair and eyes, along with black horns and a black and white outfit...
Backstory: Originally a Japanese idol that quickly rose to stardom, only to slowly fall into obscurity... After her final concert, she quite literally collapsed on the spot from exhaustion. The agency, seeing her as past her prime, effectively left her there in a coma. Not long after, she was declared dead. Eventually, a demon would latch onto Kizuna's body and revive her... When she tried to come back to her idol career, she was captured and experimented on to test out her demonic powers... which ended up bonding Kizuna and the demon together... Now, Kizuna, reborn, resolves to use her demonic powers to bring justice, love, and salvation as a demonic magical girl idol!

[GoldenCityBird]

@Matthew: Mordecai has the following traits:
* Wraith traits:
** + Beyond natural death: You do not need to eat, drink, sleep, or be cured of regular disease. However, you may still do these things if you wish to.
** - Frightening: -1 to all rolls involving persuading or calming a vast majority of non-player characters.
* Other traits:
** + Skilled swordsman: +1 reroll to all rolls involving swords.
** + Experience with Arrows: Enemy archers get -1 to all rolls against you, allowing you to dodge way better.
** - Lives for Fighting: If you have not fought today, -1 to all non-combat or military-focused rolls.
** - Thrall: Yeah, your necromancer CAN show up. You can't disobey them unless you manage to break free of their control.

Mordecai starts with the following items:

* Worn-out armour: Absorbs all physical damage that would be dealt to your torso. Is destroyed as soon as it takes in 25 accumulated damage. Can be repaired by a skilled enough character.
* Longsword: A double-edged sword appoximately 38 inches long. In surprisingly good condition, given the state of your armour.
* Coin Purse: You have a nice, secure purse with 20 Rashboldian Ducats.

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@Despair: Kizuna has the following traits:
* Half-Demon traits:
** + Intimidating: +1 reroll to any rolls involving intimidating, threatening, or scaring non-Demon NPCs.
** - Weak against holiness: You take 10% more damage from Holy attacks.
* Other traits
** + Kuyama Lore: While you're in the party, players will be able to easily identify denizens of Kyuyama (basically Japan), as well as significant cultural aspects of the land.
** + Beautiful Singing Voice: +1 reroll to any rolls involving singing or other musical performance.
** + Dark Magic: You start with the Arcane Beam spell (pay 5 HP to deal 5 damage to any target you can see. Can be dodged.).
** - Short-sighted: -1 to all rolls if you don't have your glasses.
** - Thought to be Dead: Some people may have heard of you, and, since you died at a concert, will know that you're meant to be dead. This will almost certainly complicate stuff.
** - Feud with the Agency: Be warned - members of your idol agency will NOT join the party as long as you're around.

Kizuna starts with the following items:

* Dark Spellbook: A book of demonic spells. The demon brought it up with them. With expert help, you can use this to fine-tune your demonic powers.
* Maid Outfit: Don't lie, that's exactly what it is. On the plus side, many people hire maids, so it'll be easy for you to sneak into high-class places.
* Glasses: I'm assuming they're not aesthetic, OK?
* Coin Purse: You have a well-made purse containing 10 Rashboldian Ducats and 500 Kuyama Yen (these are roughly equivalent).

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You can request different traits before posting in the thread, if you want to.

[MadameButterflyKnife]

Name: Hadil Al-Samara

Gender: Female, she/they

Species: Anthro Sand Cat

Appearance: A 22 year old tall (6'0), well-built, muscular young catperson. Her eyes are electric blue, with dark rings around her limbs and eyes. Usually wears a white robe with dark blue accents.

Backstory: Hadil is a devout monk from Bir-Amal, who has been part of a monastery that dedicates itself to worshiping and maintaining the eternal well. Prodigious in their studies, both spiritual and physical, Hadil has put it upon herself to find a reason as to why the well has turned its back on her people, and a solution to that problem. Maybe she shall find it amongst the other islands.

[GoldenCityBird]

@MadameButterflyKnife: Hadil has the following traits:

* Sand Cat traits:
** + Built for the Deserts: You don't lose your footing in sand and don't need extra water in particularly hot days.
** - Carnivore: Due to your feline nature, your diet needs to have a lot of meat. Expect to become hungry faster if you're not getting any.
* Other Traits:
** + Bir-Amal Lore: While you're in the party, players will be able to easily identify denizens of Bir-Amal, as well as significant cultural aspects of the land.
** + Erudite: You're a very quick learner, meaning that you get +1 reroll to all rolls involving learning new things.
** - Disciplined: All your time as a monk has taught you that rules are life. If you know of any laws, you can't really go around breaking them unless you manage to justify it.
** - Cloistered: You haven't gone out in the world much - you rarely leave the monastery, and even then that's just for supplies. 25% chance on getting a -1 to communication-based rolls.

Hadil starts with the following items:

* Monastic Robes: They don't provide much protection, but they're really good in the heat, and, more importantly, make sure everyone knows you're a monk.
* Religious Tome: A book recounting important stories and rules about your religion.
* Water flask: A sturdy flask that holds about two pints of water.


You're welcome to ask for different traits before posting in the main thread.

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Main thread should be up at 2PM GMT. More signups are allowed - appreciated, even.

[TenOfSwords13]

* Name: Jack Rookfiend

* Gender: Male-presenting (he/him), no biological parts that point in any particular way.

* Species: Sentient Scarecrow, having been brought to life as an unintended result of magic.

* Appearance: Has decorated his jacket with feathers from all sorts of birds, and the rest of his outfit is fairly mix-and-match - odd shoes, a patchy jacket, a battered old hat.

* Backstory: Jack has been alive for three years-ish now. For the largest part of those three years, he worked as a field worker, carrying on with his bird-scaring and newly added work duties. Now, after his boss died of dysentry or something, he decided to leg it and go on an adventure.

[SmilyCube112]

Name: Magnus Ingvar

Gender: Male

Species: Drow Elf

Appearance: He's short, but not too short (5' 02''; 157cm), has a slender build, with black skin. Has eyes of a very pale red colouration, and typically wears a dusky red gi with a black belt and a white mask obscuring all but his eyes and mouth.

Backstory: Magnus was once a member of a stealth coven (Coverts In Sky Era (C.I.S.E.)), one that not only taught stealth ops but also engages in them. He no longer works for C.I.S.E. because of a significant mistake he made, one they could not overlook, nor tolerate.

[GoldenCityBird]

@TenOfSwords13: Jack starts with the following traits:

* Scarecrow traits:
** + Rustic Automaton: Being made entirely of straw and wood, you don't need to eat or drink.
** + Bird-Scaring: Look, scarecrows like you really work. +1 reroll to all intimidation rolls.
** - Made of Straw: Being a scarecrow has its obvious downsides: you start with 25% less HP than the average fighter.
** - Lacking Digits: Your fine motor skills are a little lacking, so you get a 1/4 chance of a -1 to any task involving tiny things.
* Other traits:
** + Agricultural Experience: You and the party start with knowledge of the finer and important parts of running a farm, caring for crops, and looking after livestock.
** - No Sense of Style: I mean, seriously, look at yourself! Good luck going anywhere fancy looking like you do.

Jack starts with the following items:

* Scythe: With this curved blade, your enemies will surely fall! Kinda blunt and rusty, but can be fixed by a skilled enough character.
* Assortment of Feathers: If a potion or something calls for feathers, you'll definitely have a few on you.
* Coin Purse: You start with 10 Rashboldian Ducats in a tiny patchwork bag.

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@SmilyCube112: Magnus starts with the following traits:

* Drow Elf traits:
** + Creature of Darkness: The drow have a natural affinity for dark magic. It'll be easier for you to learn Arcane spells.
** - Suffering in daylight: Your aversity to direct sunlight ensures that your max health is 10% lower when you're outside during the day.
* Other traits:
** + Stealth Experience: Thanks to your time as a member of CISE, you get +1 reroll to all stealth rolls.
** + Superb Brawling Skills: Everything about you just screams "martial artist", so I'm going to give your unarmed attacks +3 damage.
** - Hunted by the Coven: Keep your eyes peeled: your former "friends" from CISE could easily show up when it's inconvenient.
** - Old Wound: A reminder of your past mistake - a small wound on your hip. It's healing and scarring over, but not quickly. Try not to make it worse.

Magnus starts with the following items:

* Stealth Outfit: Your cool mask and gi make sure that you're at least 20% stealthier. That's no joke - 20% chance of a +1 on all stealth rolls.
* Coin Pouch: A coin pouch, blending in with your pockets, contains 10 Rashboldian Ducats and 10 Ozubené Guilders. It's all you've managed to scrouge together.
* Tiny Dagger: One easily-concealed silver blade. Barely half an inch long, but every bit as deadly as a normal sword.
* Backup Outfit: You have a spare pair of civilian clothing to use if you end up a little too suspicious.

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You can ask for different traits before making your first post.

[Florien]

Name: Avanyiss "Threeline" Evireiter

Gender: Female, for what it's worth. She/Her.

Species: Lizardfolk.

Appearance: Average Height... for her species. (About 6'8'') Extremely thin, roughly triangular head, greyish eyes with slit pupils, and a long, ridged tail. Former Spellsword, and wears the brigandine vest and insignia to prove it.

Backstory: A former guild-employed spellcaster/research assistant in a distant universe who happened to be really good at making sustained teleportation rings (for which she earned her nickname, emblazoned now on her nametag that she refused to get rid of), one day she botched it and ended up stuck here a few years back due to what she ominously refers to as "arcane instability". Then the floating island thing happened, and she set about researching what was going on. Unfortunately, she never managed to get ahold of a research team, so she hasn't managed to figure much out yet. She minored in combat magic with a focus on spellsword work, which has ended up being the primary skillset she's used while out here on the islands.

[GoldenCityBird]

@Florien: Threeline has the following traits:

* Lizardfolk Traits:
** + Natural Armour: Yes, I'm stealing this from DND 'cause I was running low on ideas. Anyway, you take half as much damage from blunt attacks if you're unarmoured.
** - Cold-Blooded: In the literal sense, of course. Your low body temperature means you'll suffer if it gets too cold.
* Other Traits:
** + Spellsword: You start with the "Standard Spellsword" spell, which temporarily conjures a sword for you to use in combat.
** - "Arcane Instablility": Magic in this world is much different than what you're used to. Learning new spells will be a lot harder (taking more experience or being a harder roll to land, for instance).

Threeline starts with the following items:

* Guild Gear: Your day-to-day clothing, from when you were back home. It protects you much better against magical attacks.
* Book from Another World: This tome contains a lot of the knowledge of your world's magic. Might be useful down the line.
* And money, of course: Your starting funds are 15 Rashboldian Ducats in a very simple purse.

[Mr. Lee Hammer]

@GoldenCityBird Have to be honest with you. I think I'll just drop out of this one. No offense to you, I think this is a real fun RP, but I feel like my heart isn't really into it. Got some things going on now, so I'm going to leave this. Sorry for the inconvenience, I enjoyed my time while I was in it

[SmilyCube112]

@Matthew Sorry to hear that, hope things work out for you.

[GoldenCityBird]

@GoldenCityBird Have to be honest with you. I think I'll just drop out of this one. No offense to you, I think this is a real fun RP, but I feel like my heart isn't really into it. Got some things going on now, so I'm going to leave this. Sorry for the inconvenience, I enjoyed my time while I was in it

Understandable. Thank you for participating.

[GoldenCityBird]

Requesting a few more signups as Ten, DAOM, and Knife seem to have dropped out but haven't given explicit confirmation. Signups don't close ever, so don't be afraid to wait.

[Florien]

Well, I'm enjoying it so far.

[SmilyCube112]

Hey, I'm with ya. I like this game.

[noodlesnook]

hey, can i join this?

[Mr. Lee Hammer]

I think this has been pretty much abandoned now. No updates on it for a while. Even the host of it hasn't been on here in four months

[noodlesnook]

้hm
seems like a good concept, so that's a shame-