Out There!, A GM-less RP of Wonder & Escapism [Interest / Signups]

Salix Babylonika

:Khaled voice: "another one".

Anyway, this concept requires some explaining.

We've all seen pictures that inspire a sort of longing wonder. I post them from time to time, you know the type. They make you wonder about stories untold, stories about yawning chasms and dizzying cities, cold nights under bright stars and hot days adrift at sea, stories that star drifters, priests, maids, schoolgirls, wizards, and other magical people. Stories that unspool over the course of weeks, months, years, or centuries.

Out There! aims to tell one of those stories, one small piece at a time. The main characters of Out There! are....well, anybody! When you sign up, all that is required is a short description of your character, and a description of where you imagine them living. The RP's eventual setting will be a combination of all of these, and these characters will interact. Any stories that form will do so of their own accord, there won't be any 'guiding hand' to the narrative, and as such I think that will give the RP a rare endurance. Any major changes will be proposed in a discussion thread and voted on by committee.

I'm open to changing up the format a bit (I thought about trying to use some kind of rules system myself but I couldn't really think of any that were applicable. This ain't no d20 game I'll tell you that), but I think the core idea is solid.

What say you, Heap?

LOAD Cherry

How do you think we're gonna handle having multiple types of settings? Our characters do need to interract, perhaps there should be some kind of common ground they share? Like a school, or a specific location like a city?

One-Winged Eagle

I'm in.

Salix Babylonika

Knightess Cerise said:

How do you think we're gonna handle having multiple types of settings? Our characters do need to interract, perhaps there should be some kind of common ground they share in common?

Basically I was thinking that everyone would try to describe their settings somewhat vaguely so that they can all be connected fairly easily.

Or, people could describe one or two details about their setting and then from those we could sort of reverse engineer a setting that has all of those traits.

LOAD Cherry

In any case, I'm in! Character idea forthcoming.

Yarrun XIX

You already knew I was signing up

Yarrun XIX

Jane, would it be a problem if I decided to be a mute slender man who welds dogs to people?

I mean, if it is, I can change

One-Winged Eagle

So we need one of these pictures, and our interpretation of what it means.

Salix Babylonika

Yarrun XIX said:

Jane, would it be a problem if I decided to be a mute slender man who welds dogs to people?

I mean, if it is, I can change

you know how i feel about over-the-top silliness in RPs.

MachSpeed said:

So we need one of these pictures, and our interpretation of what it means.

you do not need those things, they are just good inspiration

LOAD Cherry

Aina Ashlind

Age: 19

Gender: Trans girl

Occuptaion: college dropout

Hobbies: The occult, especially as pertaining to spirits of the dead

When she was a little boy, Aina found herself lost in a world that she wasn't meant to find for a long time. Lost in the land of the dead, she had to use her wits to find her way home. Ever since, she's seen the world from both sides. Giving up on a boring but doubtlessly lucrative career in law, she decided to pursue a life as an occult investigator, with the help of the spirits that make their home near the old shrine she squats in.

Personality: Aina is wary of new people until she feels secure around them, allowing her to open up. Around such unfamiliar people, she's very reserved and cold, but around her closest friends, she's honest, loyal, and quick to laugh. This guarded persona of hers allows her to keep from being possessed by spirits unwillingly, while her love of her close friends allows her to channel familiar spirits readily. Not that it's often this talent of hers becomes necessary.

Likes: Hot food, the forest, the internet, freedom

Dislikes: Being judged, losing things, chocolate, cold weather

Appearance: Aina 's long legs give her slightly above average height for a young woman, with brown skin and long, thick black hair. She dresses for hot weather, preferring shorts to long pants, and wears a hunter's green leather jacket over graphic tank tops. 

Belongings: She keeps her cell phone on hand at all times, along with a roll of custom-printed duct tape for quick-use sealing talismans. Her phone has a cloudy emerald carved in the shape of a ring attached to it by red cord. This is an artifact of her time in the land of the dead, and serves no special purpose outside of its borders.

Can be found in:

• Busy cities, looking for work or entertainment.
• Shady alleys, delivering spirit bounties.
• Port towns or islands, they remind her of her time in the land of the dead, which she remembers fondly.
• The forest, she lives in an old shrine that was built there and left behind as people moved away.

Keeps the company of:

• Spirits of any kind, be they deceased or supernatural entities.
• The psychically or magically inclined, these are the kind of people who give her work or work with her. They can also understand her experiences with the dead and give them the proper respect.
• People who enjoy games, games of any sort are a favored pastime of hers.
• Students, as a disproportionate number of supernatural troubles occur at or around schools, especially high schools. So having a few schoolgirl friends is often a key to a steady paycheck in her field.

Tachyon

idk whether i can commit or not but i'm interested in this.

Yarrun XIX said:

Jane, would it be a problem if I decided to be a mute slender man who welds dogs to people?

I mean, if it is, I can change

You didn't come up with that character, though . . .

Odradek

I could do this.

Salix Babylonika

Tachyon said:

idk whether i can commit or not but i'm interested in this.

no harm in trying!

Yarrun XIX

There, there, Jane. You know I like pressing the wacky button at least once before I get serious.

Esther Mathieu

Age: 23

Occupation: Mechanic

Gender: Female

Hobbies: Throwing dice at the pub, playing the accordion, drinking

Mathieu grew up in a sleepy port town, with nary a penny to her name for most of her childhood. The rest of her family was dead or gone by the time she was eight. Hanging around the docks looking for scraps turned to working on ships for scraps, starting a lifelong love with machinery. Though she has a few regular haunts, she spends most of her time wandering, looking for new tech on her route.

Personality: A lifetime of seeing childhood friends go through strife has made her a bit melancholy. A lifetime of hanging around blue collar workers has made her coarse and lively, especially if alcohol's involved. She makes close friends slowly, but she's willing to lend a hand to perfect strangers, especially if it means fixing things.

Likes: Rubix Cubes, Zouk, Her modded motorcycle and handgun

Dislikes: Prideful people, mistreated machinery

Appearance: 4'10, dark-skinned, crewcut. Usually in jeans, which are usually filthy, a flannel shirt wrapped around her waist, less filthy, and a tanktop. Has a really elaborate tattoo that makes her left hand look like a robotic prosthetic

Belongings: A travel bag, a set of travel tools, a custom-built revolver (with a license), motorbike and accordion

Can be found in: 

* Small port towns, fixing ship stuff and hanging out with sailors

* Abandoned industrial areas, digging for spare parts

* Long empty roads, camping out on the shoulder

Keeps the company of:

* Sailors

* Blue-collars

* Truckers

* The downtrodden, wherever they lurk

Sredni Vashtar

I'm in, but I need some time to think.

Epitome

Might do this.

Tachyon

Sredni Vashtar said:

I'm in, but I need some time to think.

same

One-Winged Eagle

I got a bunch of pictures, which one should I use?

On the Road; Are We There Yet; Tea Service; Fictional Friends; Boy And His Lion; Seven-Star Strike; Three Heads Six Arms Decathlon; Red Riding Huntswoman; Wandering Swordsman; Grandmother Sifu.

Salix Babylonika

Whichever one or combination of ones you want, we're not making that a formal thing, like I said, it's just something you can use for inspiration.

One-Winged Eagle

I'm having a hard time picking, is what.

Epitome

I'm fond of Are We There Yet. 

LOAD Cherry

I'm fond of On the Road, Are We There Yet, and a Boy and hid Lion.

Salix Babylonika

Are We There Yet and Red Riding Huntswoman are closest in mood to what I am going for, I think.

Anyway, when you are all done I will post my own character and we can begin.

Alduin

I guess I'm in.

One-Winged Eagle

Name: Jingjing and Taotie.

Description: Jingjing is a god-girl of thirteen, Taotie is a very large demon of gluttony, also of thirteen.

Every demon in the world is also a dragon, and every devil is also a god. 

Once upon a time, there were two celestial children who loved each other. They ran together with the herds of heavenly horses, got into fights with other child-deities, played in the streets and got into trouble. But one day, the young goddess' family got a new posting, far into the south. Tearfully, the two friends said their goodbyes, and promised to meet in ten years.

That was eight years ago. Exactly one week from yesterday, Jingjing managed to snag a ride back to the celestial city with her mother, visiting for business, and found that much had changed. Taotie's family had all gone demon out of the stress of modernity and financial troubles, Taotie herself slowly changing into the same, gorging herself on everything she could get her hands on and chew.

Jingjing then did what any reasonable child would do; pull up her sleeves, restrain the half-demon with exorcist ropes and bells, and carry her best friend to their new home in the south.

The duo can be found on the sacred roads, looking for their way home; restaurants, where one will be restraining the other from eating everything; shrines, where they will be paying visits to other spirits; police stations, after Taotie has been gorging herself; rest-stops, where they will be plotting their course; various shops and trade-houses, where they will be doing odd jobs for money.

Salix Babylonika

Still waiting on some folks'

I've also been thinking about this and might adopt a very minimal GMing role if people want me to, otherwise I am content to leave it as is.

Salix Babylonika

Name: Zenja Ao'Tong

Alias: The Tolago Unraveler

Description: 

Zenja is, at least theoretically, the keeper of the Shrine of Tolago, found in the coastal town of the same name. Nicknamed "The Unraveller", Zenja's hobby is pulling on the strings of the world, picking apart mysteries, and engaging in strange occult practices, mostly for her own amusement. "Eccentric" would be putting it politely. Furthermore, she possesses several unusual skills, such as a mastery of claw-type weaponry (and a collection of said weaponry), and is extensively knowledgeable about history both local and global.

Zenja is tall, wears her thick, curly black hair loose, and has green eyes, and tends to dress in layered, expensive-looking robes that may or may not be related to her alleged position as a priestess.

Zenja can be found at her shrine, and also out and about.

Salix Babylonika

sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

are we just killing this, or

One-Winged Eagle

I'm not sure what to do.

Salix Babylonika

well several people said they were gonna make a character and then didn't so i don't know what to do

i could start the thread if everyone is fine with it, or we could wait more, but waiting more risks us all forgetting about it

Alduin

whoops, nevermind

signing out due to other RPs

Salix Babylonika

jin that case

we start tomororw

Sredni Vashtar

Hmmm.

I have a couple characters worked out in my head who might work but I feel like I should go with one that's fairly natural for me and then develop them as things go on.

Odradek

You can go without me, it's cool.

Tachyon

>_<

i'm sorry about this, i couldn't find a picture that inspires me to RP, and also i'm ultra busy today

so like, i'll try to put something up here in the next few hours, if i don't you can just start without me, it's fine

Salix Babylonika

bump

Salix Babylonika

yarrun

yarrun what do i do from here

Yarrun XIX

fixing...

Yarrun XIX

fixed!

I'm now climging up your hill

Salix Babylonika

bamp

Yarrun XIX

You should probably put the other thread in the Roleplay section

Salix Babylonika

fixed

who wants to describe town