OOC: This'll be my first time moderating a play on my own, so I apologize in advance for any confusion or mistakes I make along the way.
The story so far...
Interplanar Investigator Ottilie O'Dethburr was instructed by her nameless organization to assist the rich and influential royal family of Algos in retrieving a treasure of nameless worth that was hidden in a mazelike place called the Eulerian Complex many years ago. This treasure is rumored to be capable of ending the war between Algos and her sister country Rithm, meaning the mission was supposed to be super secret. Unfortunately, word of it has leaked into the criminal underworld, and now others would seize the treasure for themselves or on behalf of Rithm. Ottilie alone was given the 'key' that will unlock the treasure. Without it, the task is virtually impossible.
Meanwhile, Jerin Jestwood is strapped for cash and out of peanut butter. He agrees to work on behalf of Rithm to retrieve the treasure before Ottilie, seeing the job as a snap because it was he who designed the Eulerian Complex.
And heres where you come in. Are you out to help Algos or Rithm? Aid or deter Ottilie? Will you side with Jerin? Or will you simply take the key and the treasure for your own purposes? Here are some suggestions:
--Your character could be another mercenary hired by Algos to assist Ottilie.
--Your character could be a spy or mercenary hired by Rithm to retrieve the key and treasure.
--Your character could be a mercenary hired by some underworld crime boss to retrieve the treasure.
--Your character could be an adventurer, out to claim the treasure for his or her own purposes, or just for the thrill of it.
--Your character could be lost and not want to be involved in any of this at all. A classic case of wrong place, wrong time.
You can, of course, choose any number of other options. These are just some to get the wheels in your head turning. This play is open to humans, robots, anthros, most anything, so long as its written in an interesting way.
Rules / Guidelines are as follows:
1) Original characters only. This doesn't mean that you can't take fan characters you've created, tweak their respected stories to suit this play, and then bring them in. (For instance, if you have a Sonic fan character you really want to work with, by all means). As for characters who come from other dimensions or worlds, I'll allow it, but it's up to you to arrange how they enter this world (by mistake or for specific reasons) and also regulate any special powers they have, which brings me to point 2.
2) Magic is mostly obsolete in this world. You can still use a magical character if you choose, but understand that that character will be in the minority and may have trouble with certain locals or other players who are superstitious. Furthermore, if you do want to use a magical character, I again implore you, please keep their powers to a sensible level. No one wants to play with a character that can kill their own with one 'super duper magical attack.'
3) Technology and nature coincide peacefully in this world, meaning the humans who live in it have made fantastic technological advancements (hover crafts, weaponry, sky cycles, etc.), but not at the cost of the various ecosystems. In fact, one of the main reasons Algos does not want to simply destroy the Eulerian Complex in order to extract the treasure within is that the structure now supports a complex ecosystem of undiscovered species they wish to study.
4) Jerins name is somewhat famous in the criminal underworld, but only as a sort of boogeyman. It would not therefore be strange for anyone introduced to him to either a) not believe he is the 'real' Jerin or b) laugh. Its ok. He's used to it.
5) The lifespans of those born into this world are substantially longer than normal. Jerin, for instance, has been around for half a dozen centuries, and it is not uncommon to find people or creatures who have lived longer. Keep in mind though, these types are not immortal or ageless, they simply age slower.
6) The use of more than one character is permitted, but no more than three to four characters per player, just to keep things from getting bogged down.
7) You're welcome to play as an earthborn creature, but not an Oasis one. I'm implementing this rule for two reasons:
a) The Oasis never has more than two or three of its inhabitants outside its parameters for extended periods of time, and those that are on the outside are usually on different missions all over the planet. So it wouldn't make sense to have five or however many Oasis creatures running around on the same mission as Ottilie.
b) You'd need an extensive knowledge of the Oasis to accurately represent one of its inhabitants. As I'm still fine tuning that area of this world, I'm not particularly comfortable letting anyone else run with it, especially since there are things I'm still not sure about. Sorry! If its any consolation, Oasis creatures aren't any better or worse than earthborn creatures at anything. The only thing they're really good at is staying hidden. Thats all!
As for Ottilie and Jerin, information and images for both can be found here, as well as information on their accomplices, Legs (Ottilie) and Junk (Jerin).
Here are some miscellaneous pieces of information that might be useful:
--Jerin designed the Eulerian Complex and therefore knows the fastest way through, but this does not mean the place has not changed since he completed it. Its been several centuries. Walls collapse, corridors flood, animals move in, plants take over. So its not so much of an advantage since he doesn't know what he'll find either. That said your character might be aware of the fact that Jerin designed the place, and could attempt to get him to lead him/her through.
--Ottilie is not aware of the fact that Jerin designed the complex. She is also not aware of his presence at all, and will likely not be at first. Furthermore, if your character was sent from Algos to assist Ottilie she likely has no idea about that either and will probably react with suspicion. Algos was kind of bad at preparing her for anything, actually. But they're at war so I suppose it's understandable.
--'Evil' characters do not necessarily need to pair up with Jerin or other 'evil' characters, and vice versa. Perhaps your character is pretending to be on one side or the other in order to get where they need to be.
--Feel free to partner up or form groups with other players, not just Jerin or Ottilie.
--Also, you aren't stuck with anyone. Lose yourself and join up with others if you think you've found a more interesting angle to write from.
--Feel free to write in specific about areas of the Eulerian Complex if you are inclined. Maybe you want your character to go up against some of the creatures that have moved in since the place was built, deal with mechanical traps, or navigate a particularly dangerous area underwater.
Finally, I suppose this is obvious, but I'll be playing my OCs, Ottilie and Jerin. When making your first post, please include a short bio with information about your character(s), or provide a link to a short bio about them. If anyone has any questions, first posts would also be a good place to ask them =) and please, don't be shy. Be creative, be original, and lets have some fun!
In fact, I'll get us started =)
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It was an ancient place, as the story often goes. Then again, most of the best stories come from the places that have stood the longest, so I suppose that is not surprising. The walls were built high and of cold stone, and thick vines lined with sharp thorns ran about them in a network of twists, turns, and loops nearly as complex and confusing as the walls of the structure itself.
This was the Eulerian Complex Ottilie had been searching for. However, her plans for the place hadn't involved becoming so irrecoverably...lost.
"Bollocks."
She swore.
"What a load o'cack. Don't s'pose the rest o'this maps any good either eh?"
Frowning, Ottilie regarded the mazelike diagram she held. For a moment she felt the muscles in her paws tense as she fought the urge to tear the useless thing in two. Shaking her head, she simply tucked it into her satchel with a sigh and turned away from the dead end before her. What followed next was a series of sardonic chirps from her only companion, which I will translate for you.
"What we get for coming to a place built by sadists if you ask me."
Ottilie regarded the small insect on her shoulder, brow raised.
"Oy, that may be. Whatevers bein' kept here must be important. Why go ta so much bother otherwise?"
"I say we leave the bother to the humans. Let them fetch their own belongings."
"Never could disobey an order, mate."
Catching a look from him, Ottilie smiled sheepishly.
"Er, that is to say, a direct order. An' anyway, you know we need the capital. Best just resolve yerself ta the task o'gettin' through the next few days with sumthin' of a smile on yer buggy face."
Clicking his mouthparts together sharply in annoyance, Legs nevertheless reclined on her shoulder, supporting his head with one arm.
"You're enjoyin' this too much kitto."
Ottilie smiled a little, pausing at the end of the path they were returning from and kneeling to arrange several of the rocks along the ground in an X formation.
"Bit more relaxin' than the usual bollocks is all."
"We haven't had much of 'the usual bollocks' in months. Oasis keeps sendin' us on stuff like this."
"True. But I haven't forgotten me original mission. Soon as we get the capital we'll get back to it."
"If you say so..."
Legs paused, and then continued as gently as he could.
"Or maybe the powers that be have..."
He trailed off, leaving the indication of the sentence behind them. The next hour passed mostly in silence as they wandered further down the Eulerian path, slowly ticking off dead ends and routes that went nowhere by marking each with a X formation of small stones. Finally out of a series of meaningless remarks Ottilie inquired anxiously.
"Think anyone elses out fer the bounty o'it?"
Legs didn't respond at first. Finally he chirped.
"Yeah, by now, most likely. None of them have what we got though. So I don't suppose it matters too much."
Ottilie paused at a bend in the wall, peering around.
"'Less they know 'bout that."
Legs turned about on her shoulder to watch their rear.
"Indeed..."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elsewhere in the Complex, cold air whistled past Jerins seated form. He didn't mind the icy wind so much. In fact, he rather liked it. Mostly because it kept him from getting too sleepy. But also because it carried many sounds he wouldn't otherwise hear, even given his range, which was quite expansive.
Changing positions, he lifted his head from its former position on his knees, long ears standing to attention. He entertained himself for a few minutes by listening to the echoes of the voices deep within and further out of the corridor he found himself in. Mostly it was fragments of sentences that didn't make too much sense. Still, Jerin had long ago learned to go on fragments. Who knew what would become useful later on?
Shifting again, he addressed the metal robot adhered to the wall just above his head, impatient.
"Hows it coming up there?"
The red light of the robots single eye flickered in and out lazily, brightening and then dimming as it addressed him in a dry, male voice.
"I'm nearly finished, master. This isn't so easy, especially from such a remote location."
"Right..."
Getting up, Jerin fell to a restless sort of pacing, wishing he had never left his bed. After a minute, Junk spoke again.
"Ahem. Current records seem to indicate that the key is already in this location."
"Oh yeah? So we were right to just shake it out here."
"It has proven to be the most logical course of action."
Jerin stretched, tilting his head from side to side.
"Anything on the guy they got?"
"They employed the services of Ottilie O'Dethburr."
CRACK.
Somehow, his neck felt tenser than before. He stared at Junk, brows raised.
"My Ottilie?"
"The voice print from her transmissions to the citadel and the voiceprint of the Ottilie we have encountered match."
Silence. Junks head swiveled to regard Jerin, who gazed down the path, eyes searching as though he expected to see Ottilie right there in front of him.
"How long has it been, anyway."
"She departed from restricted grounds a week ago in search of this place, master. She checked in with them the day before yesterday, and her transmission seems to indicate she found it then. Meaning she is most likely already in here somewhere."
"Good to know. But I meant how long since I last saw O?"
Junk paused, then replied.
"Half a year, master. Six months, fourteen days, twelve hours, three minutes, and sixteen seconds exactly."
"Hm. I was starting to think..."
There was a long pause as he trailed off, thoughts and plans hurrying to re-arrange themselves accompanied by the soft, discordant hum that punctuated his lips when he was thinking hard. After a moment Junk spoke briskly.
"You will take the key from her."
Jerin glanced upwards. Row upon row of twisting, thorny vines made it hard to see the sky. It was getting dark.
"I suppose I will."
Plucking his metallic companion from the wall, he strode purposefully down the corridor, not bothering to mark his location or surroundings. There simply wasn't any need.
"That said, we'd better reach her before anyone else does."
Junk coiled around Jerins neck loosely, literally positioning himself to watch his back.
"Indeed, master."
The story so far...
Interplanar Investigator Ottilie O'Dethburr was instructed by her nameless organization to assist the rich and influential royal family of Algos in retrieving a treasure of nameless worth that was hidden in a mazelike place called the Eulerian Complex many years ago. This treasure is rumored to be capable of ending the war between Algos and her sister country Rithm, meaning the mission was supposed to be super secret. Unfortunately, word of it has leaked into the criminal underworld, and now others would seize the treasure for themselves or on behalf of Rithm. Ottilie alone was given the 'key' that will unlock the treasure. Without it, the task is virtually impossible.
Meanwhile, Jerin Jestwood is strapped for cash and out of peanut butter. He agrees to work on behalf of Rithm to retrieve the treasure before Ottilie, seeing the job as a snap because it was he who designed the Eulerian Complex.
And heres where you come in. Are you out to help Algos or Rithm? Aid or deter Ottilie? Will you side with Jerin? Or will you simply take the key and the treasure for your own purposes? Here are some suggestions:
--Your character could be another mercenary hired by Algos to assist Ottilie.
--Your character could be a spy or mercenary hired by Rithm to retrieve the key and treasure.
--Your character could be a mercenary hired by some underworld crime boss to retrieve the treasure.
--Your character could be an adventurer, out to claim the treasure for his or her own purposes, or just for the thrill of it.
--Your character could be lost and not want to be involved in any of this at all. A classic case of wrong place, wrong time.
You can, of course, choose any number of other options. These are just some to get the wheels in your head turning. This play is open to humans, robots, anthros, most anything, so long as its written in an interesting way.
Rules / Guidelines are as follows:
1) Original characters only. This doesn't mean that you can't take fan characters you've created, tweak their respected stories to suit this play, and then bring them in. (For instance, if you have a Sonic fan character you really want to work with, by all means). As for characters who come from other dimensions or worlds, I'll allow it, but it's up to you to arrange how they enter this world (by mistake or for specific reasons) and also regulate any special powers they have, which brings me to point 2.
2) Magic is mostly obsolete in this world. You can still use a magical character if you choose, but understand that that character will be in the minority and may have trouble with certain locals or other players who are superstitious. Furthermore, if you do want to use a magical character, I again implore you, please keep their powers to a sensible level. No one wants to play with a character that can kill their own with one 'super duper magical attack.'
3) Technology and nature coincide peacefully in this world, meaning the humans who live in it have made fantastic technological advancements (hover crafts, weaponry, sky cycles, etc.), but not at the cost of the various ecosystems. In fact, one of the main reasons Algos does not want to simply destroy the Eulerian Complex in order to extract the treasure within is that the structure now supports a complex ecosystem of undiscovered species they wish to study.
4) Jerins name is somewhat famous in the criminal underworld, but only as a sort of boogeyman. It would not therefore be strange for anyone introduced to him to either a) not believe he is the 'real' Jerin or b) laugh. Its ok. He's used to it.
5) The lifespans of those born into this world are substantially longer than normal. Jerin, for instance, has been around for half a dozen centuries, and it is not uncommon to find people or creatures who have lived longer. Keep in mind though, these types are not immortal or ageless, they simply age slower.
6) The use of more than one character is permitted, but no more than three to four characters per player, just to keep things from getting bogged down.
7) You're welcome to play as an earthborn creature, but not an Oasis one. I'm implementing this rule for two reasons:
a) The Oasis never has more than two or three of its inhabitants outside its parameters for extended periods of time, and those that are on the outside are usually on different missions all over the planet. So it wouldn't make sense to have five or however many Oasis creatures running around on the same mission as Ottilie.
b) You'd need an extensive knowledge of the Oasis to accurately represent one of its inhabitants. As I'm still fine tuning that area of this world, I'm not particularly comfortable letting anyone else run with it, especially since there are things I'm still not sure about. Sorry! If its any consolation, Oasis creatures aren't any better or worse than earthborn creatures at anything. The only thing they're really good at is staying hidden. Thats all!
As for Ottilie and Jerin, information and images for both can be found here, as well as information on their accomplices, Legs (Ottilie) and Junk (Jerin).
Here are some miscellaneous pieces of information that might be useful:
--Jerin designed the Eulerian Complex and therefore knows the fastest way through, but this does not mean the place has not changed since he completed it. Its been several centuries. Walls collapse, corridors flood, animals move in, plants take over. So its not so much of an advantage since he doesn't know what he'll find either. That said your character might be aware of the fact that Jerin designed the place, and could attempt to get him to lead him/her through.
--Ottilie is not aware of the fact that Jerin designed the complex. She is also not aware of his presence at all, and will likely not be at first. Furthermore, if your character was sent from Algos to assist Ottilie she likely has no idea about that either and will probably react with suspicion. Algos was kind of bad at preparing her for anything, actually. But they're at war so I suppose it's understandable.
--'Evil' characters do not necessarily need to pair up with Jerin or other 'evil' characters, and vice versa. Perhaps your character is pretending to be on one side or the other in order to get where they need to be.
--Feel free to partner up or form groups with other players, not just Jerin or Ottilie.
--Also, you aren't stuck with anyone. Lose yourself and join up with others if you think you've found a more interesting angle to write from.
--Feel free to write in specific about areas of the Eulerian Complex if you are inclined. Maybe you want your character to go up against some of the creatures that have moved in since the place was built, deal with mechanical traps, or navigate a particularly dangerous area underwater.
Finally, I suppose this is obvious, but I'll be playing my OCs, Ottilie and Jerin. When making your first post, please include a short bio with information about your character(s), or provide a link to a short bio about them. If anyone has any questions, first posts would also be a good place to ask them =) and please, don't be shy. Be creative, be original, and lets have some fun!
In fact, I'll get us started =)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was an ancient place, as the story often goes. Then again, most of the best stories come from the places that have stood the longest, so I suppose that is not surprising. The walls were built high and of cold stone, and thick vines lined with sharp thorns ran about them in a network of twists, turns, and loops nearly as complex and confusing as the walls of the structure itself.
This was the Eulerian Complex Ottilie had been searching for. However, her plans for the place hadn't involved becoming so irrecoverably...lost.
"Bollocks."
She swore.
"What a load o'cack. Don't s'pose the rest o'this maps any good either eh?"
Frowning, Ottilie regarded the mazelike diagram she held. For a moment she felt the muscles in her paws tense as she fought the urge to tear the useless thing in two. Shaking her head, she simply tucked it into her satchel with a sigh and turned away from the dead end before her. What followed next was a series of sardonic chirps from her only companion, which I will translate for you.
"What we get for coming to a place built by sadists if you ask me."
Ottilie regarded the small insect on her shoulder, brow raised.
"Oy, that may be. Whatevers bein' kept here must be important. Why go ta so much bother otherwise?"
"I say we leave the bother to the humans. Let them fetch their own belongings."
"Never could disobey an order, mate."
Catching a look from him, Ottilie smiled sheepishly.
"Er, that is to say, a direct order. An' anyway, you know we need the capital. Best just resolve yerself ta the task o'gettin' through the next few days with sumthin' of a smile on yer buggy face."
Clicking his mouthparts together sharply in annoyance, Legs nevertheless reclined on her shoulder, supporting his head with one arm.
"You're enjoyin' this too much kitto."
Ottilie smiled a little, pausing at the end of the path they were returning from and kneeling to arrange several of the rocks along the ground in an X formation.
"Bit more relaxin' than the usual bollocks is all."
"We haven't had much of 'the usual bollocks' in months. Oasis keeps sendin' us on stuff like this."
"True. But I haven't forgotten me original mission. Soon as we get the capital we'll get back to it."
"If you say so..."
Legs paused, and then continued as gently as he could.
"Or maybe the powers that be have..."
He trailed off, leaving the indication of the sentence behind them. The next hour passed mostly in silence as they wandered further down the Eulerian path, slowly ticking off dead ends and routes that went nowhere by marking each with a X formation of small stones. Finally out of a series of meaningless remarks Ottilie inquired anxiously.
"Think anyone elses out fer the bounty o'it?"
Legs didn't respond at first. Finally he chirped.
"Yeah, by now, most likely. None of them have what we got though. So I don't suppose it matters too much."
Ottilie paused at a bend in the wall, peering around.
"'Less they know 'bout that."
Legs turned about on her shoulder to watch their rear.
"Indeed..."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elsewhere in the Complex, cold air whistled past Jerins seated form. He didn't mind the icy wind so much. In fact, he rather liked it. Mostly because it kept him from getting too sleepy. But also because it carried many sounds he wouldn't otherwise hear, even given his range, which was quite expansive.
Changing positions, he lifted his head from its former position on his knees, long ears standing to attention. He entertained himself for a few minutes by listening to the echoes of the voices deep within and further out of the corridor he found himself in. Mostly it was fragments of sentences that didn't make too much sense. Still, Jerin had long ago learned to go on fragments. Who knew what would become useful later on?
Shifting again, he addressed the metal robot adhered to the wall just above his head, impatient.
"Hows it coming up there?"
The red light of the robots single eye flickered in and out lazily, brightening and then dimming as it addressed him in a dry, male voice.
"I'm nearly finished, master. This isn't so easy, especially from such a remote location."
"Right..."
Getting up, Jerin fell to a restless sort of pacing, wishing he had never left his bed. After a minute, Junk spoke again.
"Ahem. Current records seem to indicate that the key is already in this location."
"Oh yeah? So we were right to just shake it out here."
"It has proven to be the most logical course of action."
Jerin stretched, tilting his head from side to side.
"Anything on the guy they got?"
"They employed the services of Ottilie O'Dethburr."
CRACK.
Somehow, his neck felt tenser than before. He stared at Junk, brows raised.
"My Ottilie?"
"The voice print from her transmissions to the citadel and the voiceprint of the Ottilie we have encountered match."
Silence. Junks head swiveled to regard Jerin, who gazed down the path, eyes searching as though he expected to see Ottilie right there in front of him.
"How long has it been, anyway."
"She departed from restricted grounds a week ago in search of this place, master. She checked in with them the day before yesterday, and her transmission seems to indicate she found it then. Meaning she is most likely already in here somewhere."
"Good to know. But I meant how long since I last saw O?"
Junk paused, then replied.
"Half a year, master. Six months, fourteen days, twelve hours, three minutes, and sixteen seconds exactly."
"Hm. I was starting to think..."
There was a long pause as he trailed off, thoughts and plans hurrying to re-arrange themselves accompanied by the soft, discordant hum that punctuated his lips when he was thinking hard. After a moment Junk spoke briskly.
"You will take the key from her."
Jerin glanced upwards. Row upon row of twisting, thorny vines made it hard to see the sky. It was getting dark.
"I suppose I will."
Plucking his metallic companion from the wall, he strode purposefully down the corridor, not bothering to mark his location or surroundings. There simply wasn't any need.
"That said, we'd better reach her before anyone else does."
Junk coiled around Jerins neck loosely, literally positioning himself to watch his back.
"Indeed, master."
