Forgotten Worlds (DnD-Style) RP - OPEN TO ADVENTURERS

[Crayons Are Snacks]

NOTE: This RP will be kept PG-13 for fantasy violence a la Dungeons and Dragons.
Absolutely NO porn writing allowed.
Romances are one thing, but we aren't gonna get explicit here.
Again, think PG-13. "Off-screen" and "Implied, but not explicitly written about."

The year is 2010;
"Modern times" by the standards of some.
The world as we know it is moving along at its usual pace. Technology advances as it normally does.
Humans, feral animals and all kinds of plant life cover the face of the earth;
All very "normal" things by the standards of some.
On the same plane of existence, a hidden Old World, invisible to our perception of reality, sits right on top of the New World like a gossamer veil.
This Old World is occupied by creatures that the New World would call "fantasy," "legendary," "magical."
It is a world lost in a pocket of time, preserving the ways of ancient myth and magic within its realm.
Few residents of either world are aware that the other exists.
The only creatures that may pass through the gossamer veil are the ones that have learned the name of the other.
The New World is known as "Earth."
The Old World is called Terra Arcana
Several trusted Caretakers ensure that the two worlds will never collide, as that would bring on the destruction of both worlds.
But that hasn't stopped everyone from discovering the secrets...
You see, a terrible disease has plagued the Old World, weakening the magical barrier that separates the two planes as the centuries go by.
Strange anomalies have been appearing in the New World. Some call them "cryptids," "urban legends," "aliens."
The majority still believe these things to be fake - thank goodness - but the truth can't be hidden forever.
It is up to you as a Dual-Worlder to enter this mysterious Old World, stop the decay of the magical barrier, and restore balance to both planes.

IMPORTANT NOTES:
-If you are uncomfortable with descriptions of blood, this isn't the RP for you. There will be battles.
-The Old World has a very "Dungeons and Dragons" feel to its setting. (Think swords, dragons, dwarves, centaurs, etc.)
- All creatures that successfully pass between the worlds are referred to as Dual-Worlders by the Caretakers.
- If your character is non-human, it will take on a human disguise while in the New World unless the GM (that's me!) has other plans. Muahaha
- As you explore and look around, you will encounter various locations, creatures and NPC's. Being observant is your friend.
-Remember that having access to both worlds also gives you access to *items* from each world.

. If you would like to play, introduce your character!
- It can be your fursona, it can be a shameless self-insert, it can be a flying spaghetti monster. Whatever you think would be fun!
- I will give everyone an "OPENING SCENE" to play with below.

OPENING SCENE:
It is the end of July in the year 2010.
The outdoor heat is scorching, yet it seems that the entire city is out and all abuzz for the Festival Parade that will soon come down the street.
Bright orange traffic cones block the ends of the avenue. There are enough lawn chairs lining the street to restock a camping supply warehouse, and every one of them is occupied. Street vendors roll their carts of goods past hungry eyes, sporting colorful signs advertising ice cream, nachos, corn dogs, funnel cakes, waffles and every soft drink you can think of. Small children wave tiny flags from their parents shoulders as their eager eyes scan the horizon for signs of the Parade participants.
This is one of the biggest events of the year, and each year the floats and costumes displayed in the parade seem to get bigger and more elaborate.
This year is set to be the best and biggest event yet after a rather large donation came in from an anonymous source.

GM: What are you doing? What is your character's story? Why are they here now?

 

[JozeffTech]

I want to try, but I have no prior experience in this kind of RPs, can I join?

 

[Crayons Are Snacks]

I want to try, but I have no prior experience in this kind of RPs, can I join?

Absolutely!
It’s pretty simple:
First, all of the characters will meet and team up. This will be largely orchestrated by me.
Throughout the story, the characters will be faced with monsters to fight, puzzles to solve, etc. They can choose to fight, run away, exchange insults, try to charm people, ignore challenges, face them head on, etc.
It is an adventure story, so most anything goes.
Characters can make alliances along the way, if they say or do the wrong thing to the wrong people they may make some enemies as well.
As the Game Master, I will throw an element of the story at the characters and they have to choose how to react based on how their character would actually react.

 

[Firuthi Dragovic]

((I think I'm going to have to have the GM decide the actual disguise this guy uses. I tried to avoid cheaping out by saying "magical trinket makes disguise" and the only physical disguises I could consider would absolutely draw suspicion in the middle of July.))

((Also, newer RPers should not be intimidated by the size of my posts - I've been at this forum RP thing a while and I tend to be relatively thorough.))

Low batteries. Have I really been playing that long? I didn't think to bring any spares. Oh well, parade's starting soon.

Oliver had been lucky. He had made sure to get out to this parade early - he'd had to bum a ride off a friend, since his bike had been stolen earlier in the week - and he'd been able to situate his red lawn chair so even a short guy like him could see the whole parade. He'd been playing on a Gameboy Advance while waiting for this parade to start, only putting the game down to purchase several corn dogs and some orange soda.

As for how he got here....

It had been a few months now since he'd crossed the barrier. In the Old World, he had been a fairly successful alchemist and sold the occasional enchanted trinket on the side. He'd had a good relationship with a few adventuring parties to get these, and as a result of them and his draconic heritage he had an instinctual knowledge of most magical items. One day, one of his adventuring parties had gone after a big score and not come back. He decided to do something he said he'd sworn not to do and investigate for himself. He found out that they'd gone after a far bigger score than they told him - an actual dragon's hoard. He'd only heard of his people talking about these. He managed to plunder a few gems and was about to leave unnoticed when he discovered something deeper under the hoard - a small bronze plaque. He pulled it out and fled, but that had awoken the dragon.

While hiding, he had taken a more serious look at the plaque and silently read the name on it. Suddenly, he found himself in a place that looked like it had a huge number of crates on metal racks. He opened up a crate to find it was way flimsier than the ones back home, and several bottles had spilled out... somehow not breaking in the process. He'd pried open a bottle to find a bunch of strange discs, ate a few of them... and woke up in the custody of some very creepy men, clearly having been the recipient of medical treatment. Apparently, he'd wound up in a pharmaceutical warehouse and someone had improperly left out a crate of dangerous medication that he'd just sampled. The men had confiscated his plaque and the gems, but had set him up with funds, language lessons, and an incognito job sorting out the medicines in exchange. They also made it clear that he had to be very careful to keep up a disguise and that they could strongarm him into investigating incidents now that he'd crossed the veil.

However, he didn't want to think about that encounter. It had robbed him of his existing career in the Old World - and he still had to worry about that dragon if he went back.

He wanted some actual entertainment in his life. He'd seen some portable devices that could provide, but he wanted more. He wanted actual grandeur that a digital screen could not provide. This parade promised more actual splendor than the dragon's hoard had been. Oliver could have used such a thrill now that he'd gotten accustomed to his disguise and didn't feel like he was being crushed on all sides.

((Okay, to explain on the character. Oliver is half prism dragon, half kobold. Prism dragons can actually shift their elemental affinity - which is clued by them changing color - and each affinity gives them access to a small range of spells and abilities. Oliver is about 2 feet 11 inches tall in his natural form and has both dragon wings and a lizard tail, as well as several horns on his head. So imagine a short bipedal dragon and you have a good idea what needs to be disguised here.))

 

[marshmellow9987]

Pepper steps alone off the subway onto the sidewalk taking a bite of something far too sweet for his health. He's late again, he tries not to make a habit of it, and look at it this way, he still made it. He slips in, indistinguishable from the excited parade crowd, but he's not here for the parade, he's searching.
He's onto something, he's seen the beings of the other world. He doesn't know where these things come from, or anything much about them other than they aren't from here. And he has reason to believe some of them may show up at the parade. The roaring of the crowd would usually make him nauseous, but not today. Today he's going to finally learn the truth.

Pepper has an incredible mind, always putting two pieces together, even as a child. He was among the first of the Earth dwellers to pick up that there was another plane of reality, small whispers of magic turned into huge leads, and now he is on a mission. A mission to find and talk to the foreign people, and know more about their world and their intentions. They are here for a reason, maybe they want to take over, maybe they need help. If he could just find one.

Really, Pepper hopes they'll take him away from his mundane life. Slaving away at a nine to five job always left him unfulfilled, maybe it's better in the other place. Wherever that is. One thing is for sure, there's really nothing for him here anymore.

I hope this was okay this is my first time.

 

[Firuthi Dragovic]

((OP, I get the feeling you may have to start this with just two of us and let any others - until the point where the party grows to six - drift in as the story goes along.))

 

[Crayons Are Snacks]

((OP, I get the feeling you may have to start this with just two of us and let any others - until the point where the party grows to six - drift in as the story goes along.))

Ack! Sorry, I’m going to start this for sure. I’ve kinda been all over the place this week and my creative writing skills were temporarily sitting in a dumpster fire.
I’m back on track and will kick this off tomorrow. <3

 

[Crayons Are Snacks]

As you go about your business, suddenly people begin clapping, then cheers erupt and grow gradually louder as the crowd's excitement explodes.
The parade has begun.
Brightly colored floats make their way down the street. Costumed dancers and marchers perform their routines with giant smiles on their faces, stepping off to the side to throw candy at the bright-eyed children looking on.
Confetti and soap bubbles are flying everywhere, the excitement is contagious, and the clamor is deafening.
An enormous float shaped like a swan rolls slowly down the road. White roses cover its surface, bringing a lovely fragrance with it.
A lone woman stands on the swan's back, dressed in an elegant gown with a flower crown on her head. She smiles with perfect teeth and tosses her long, black hair over her shoulder. A ribbon crosses over her chest that reads, "FESTIVAL QUEEN."

Suddenly, the excited screams of the crowd turn into screams of fear. People are running for cover and diving out of the way. From where you stand, you can't see what is going on, but the fear seems to be hitting the onlookers like a wave, getting closer until the people around you start to panic as well.
Then you see it.
A giant frog is making its way down the street, taking great leaps as though it were on a mission.
The Festival Queen on the swan float is too distracted by the screaming crowd to notice the frog's approach.
Suddenly, the frog lashes out a long red tongue, wraps it around the waist of the beauty and swallows her whole.

The frog continues its hasty journey down the street, completely disinterested in the fleeing people. It has its prize.

What do you do?

 

[Firuthi Dragovic]

Oliver had seen giant frogs before. He'd heard stories about them. He'd known adventuring parties who lost their friends to the beasts. As magical creatures go... they were actually one of the weaker ones.

They usually didn't swallow full-grown humans though. They usually snacked on beings his own size.

Oliver knew he'd probably get strongarmed into going after the beast in a situation like this. He knew his own life was at risk if he let one of these go rampaging around. It was one of those moments for him, a moment he suspected would come ever since he crossed the veil. This was no time to just sit and watch.

It was time to be the hero.

Underneath his disguise, his scales shifted to an icy blue. He knew ice worked wonders on these guys, and he'd be ready if he had to ditch the disguise. He didn't carry a knife or anything with him, but he could make do when it was necessary.

He jumped from his chair, moments before it got knocked over in the chaos. He had put his game away when the parade had started, but that wasn't on his mind. Nor was the leftover soda or corn dogs. He just started running to follow the giant frog, as fast as his short legs would allow.

If he found a bike suited for his size, he'd use that, but he didn't count on it. He expected to have to follow it on foot by relying solely on the trail of carnage.

 

[Crayons Are Snacks]

The frog continues its war path - it is seemingly unconcerned with the rest of the crowd. It hops on at a steady pace, turning a corner and heading up a road that leads out of the city. Muffled screams of terror can be heard from within it. The screams end in "OOF!" each time the frog's massive legs make contact with the ground.
Pedestrians continue to dive out of the way and hide behind whatever large object they can find as the frog makes its way for the outskirts of town.

 

[marshmellow9987]

Frozen with fear, Pepper can only watch the carnage unfold. Somehow his confusion is more overwhelming than his fear. Big frog? The... the Festival Queen, why her? before he has much time to question much of anything he sees someone zip by... following right behind the GIANT FROG. Is he not afraid, can he even see the monster?

It all clicks at once. That person, knows something about this. If nothing else, he's definitely seen this before with that resolve.
This is it! This is what he's been waiting for, he's finally going to bring these secrets to light! One problem, his legs won't move. Terror is apparently a stronger force than curiosity. The stranger however, shows no signs of stopping as he rounds the corner after the beast. Inspired, Pepper finally subdues his urge to flee and takes off after the stranger. "If he knows what he's doing, I have nothing to fear"

As he sprints, he seriously doubts his ability to fix this... situation.
Lay low, find an opportunity, uhh improvise! That's a terrible plan.

I wonder if giant frog is a good excuse for workplace absence.

 

[Firuthi Dragovic]

Oliver may have had more stamina than usual for a being of his size, but there was still the fact that he was running, had short legs in the first place, and not using the full abilities of his body due to needing to maintain a disguise. At about the point where he realized the beast was headed to the town's outskirts, his legs had taken as much as they could handle. He slowed down to catch his breath.

He lamented hiding his true self at moments like these, but the situation demanded it.

At least he knew the path this creature was going to take.

It then occurred to him he was being followed.

He tried ducking into as quiet a spot as he could find. He didn't care about shaking off the stranger following him. He was probably going to have to talk about that thing... and wanted to minimize who else could find out about it.

 

[marshmellow9987]

Pushing aside a few screaming pedestrians as he runs, Pepper seems to have trouble maintaining composure. No one's ever gonna believe this, unless.
Clumsily reaching inside his pocket as he sprints, he pulls out his phone and attempts to take a picture of the creature. Only then does he notice the stranger, ducking out. "Oh brother, they noticed me. Okay, new plan, now I need to-"
In his distracted state he trips over a rock and clumsily tumbles over himself on the ground. absent and clumsy as ever.

Cursing under his breath he gives the street a once over and he notices. The stranger doesn't seem to be fleeing from him.
Were they waiting for him? Pepper dusts off his pants as he trots over to where he last saw the stranger. Clutching his satchel strap at his chest he uneasily hunches his thin frame.

After a few moments he catches sight of the stranger, he's a guy. Much... smaller on close inspection, but something about him seems, prepared. Somehow, that's a little comforting given the circumstances.
Pepper awkwardly raises his hand to wave.
He opens his mouth and speaks in a smooth, kind voice, almost a whisper.
"You gave pursuit to that... thing with no hesitation. You know what's going on here don't you?"

 

[Firuthi Dragovic]

Oliver looked up at the person who'd approached him.

"I know what that thing was.... I do not know why it took the Festival Queen... or for that matter.... why it's HERE of all places. That.... thing is way out of place, to put it lightly."

Oliver stretched a bit.

"I wanted to do something about it.... knowing it doesn't belong.... but it looks like I... overestimated my leg strength."

Oliver then considered something.

"Come closer.... you followed me for a reason. There's some... details about that thing I can't just tell anyone. There's a certain.... thing you need to already know.... before I'll talk, and if you do know it.... it can't be said aloud. It has to be whispered."

 

[marshmellow9987]

Attempting to hide his excitement Pepper quickly leans in closer "Oh, you're talking about the 'other place' aren't you?"

"Magic, dragons, giant town-destroying death frogs. A realm we consider fantasy."
He stifles a smile.

His tone becomes a bit more frantic as he once again hears the rampage.
"I know there are people in that world, similar to us. They come here and try to blend in, I've seen it."

He leans in closer to whisper.

"also."

"I know you're one of them. How can I help you stop this?"

 

[Firuthi Dragovic]

Oliver had hoped the stranger could actually recite the name of the other place. However, it's clear that they knew enough that he could explain properly. He whispered back.

"You already know enough that I can tell you. I was informed when I crossed over to this side that there's a barrier between the two worlds. I was also told that the barrier is weakening. I don't know the circumstances, but the people who informed me said that if the barrier should collapse completely... the consequences would be disastrous. For both worlds. Finding out why it's weakening may be the key to stopping these incidents."

Oliver massaged his legs a little. He continued his whisper.

"There's a key phrase necessary to cross the barrier. I was told never to recite the key in the open unless I absolutely had to, so I don't dare say it here. You know enough that I realize I may have to tell you it once it actually becomes necessary to cross. But that giant frog most likely didn't recite it. Either the frog was dragged over by someone else... or it's one of the consequences of the barrier weakening. Why it specifically targeted the Festival Queen, I unfortunately have no clue - but that's why I considered the chance that the creature was dragged over. Not a word of all this to anyone else until we have to talk about it."

Oliver finally found the strength to stand up. His voice returned to normal volume.

"Come on, let's go find out where that frog went. I last saw it go to the outskirts."

 

[Crayons Are Snacks]

Your pursuit of the frog leads you to a long, wide road on the outskirts of the city. Wide wheat fields line either side of the path.
Cars heading toward the frog swerve to get out of its warpath.
Suddenly, the frog stops in the middle of the road, pivots its giant feet and leaps off to the left, crashing through a section of white fencing. The height of the wheat is no match for the frog's gigantic size. You can still see him very well as he hops out into the field. He hasn't made it in very far just yet.
Suddenly, with one final leap, the frog vanishes into thin air, leaving behind a trail of broken fence, trampled wheat, and what remains of a wooden sign that says, [KEEP OUT. VIOLATORS WILL BE SHOT.]

What do you do?

 

[marshmellow9987]

Approaching the scene, Pepper slows his pace.

It's gone, just like that? He thinks. This definitely has something to do with that barrier the stranger mentioned.
He quietly walks up to the fence, gulps with fear at the sign and the carnage, and treads no further.

"It may be best not to intrude any further here." he warns.

He crouches to inspect the patch of trampled earth. Obviously confused he speaks still inspecting the ground.
"You mentioned a weakening barrier, that means this is only going to get worse."

"Who was the Parade Queen exactly? Why would she be worth all this trouble?"
"If the presence of this world is a closely guarded secret then this is an incredibly high risk. Either this is all an accident or she is incredibly important."
He stops confused, and he realizes the key to understanding all this lies with this strange person he met.

He turns to the stranger, scratches his head and asks.

"So what do you make of all this um, dude? What was your name again?"

 

[Firuthi Dragovic]

Did that frog just-

Oliver had a feeling he knew where the frog went, but still couldn't believe a frog could make that move unassisted.

"I still don't know about the Parade Queen... but if that frog were merely hungry, it'd have picked up others. She has to be important."

Oliver then realized he never introduced himself.

"The name's Oliver Blackshale. In the other world, some people called me Knochenmus. And you're right, we won't be intruding any further - in this world. I suspect I know exactly where the frog went, and this is a perfect opportunity."

He looked at the stranger with him.

"I'll give you one chance to decide whether you're in or out on this. It's time to jump worlds. If you're in... I'd like to know your name as well."

 

[marshmellow9987]

Did he just say jump worlds? The sudden proposal caught Pepper off guard.

Could he even survive where this thing came from? Some nobody city boy, and what about his parents?

No!

This is his chance, what he's been waiting for!

"I don't think I'd ever forgive myself if I turned back now. "

He makes his most inviting handshake invitation.

"Well Oliver, I'm Pepper Peters. And yeah, I'm right behind you just lead the way."

 

[Firuthi Dragovic]

Oliver shook hands.

"Good to be working with you."

He then turned to the fence.

"Now, I slightly misspoke earlier. There are actually two key phrases to pass through the barrier. One for each direction. To get from the other side to this one, the key is 'Earth'. I tell you this part... to also inform you just how important it is to keep these words a secret. When I saw a bronze sign with that word and just read it, I suddenly wound up on this side. Even casual mentions of the words can pull someone across the first time they encounter them."

Oliver stretched a bit. Now was the moment.

"So don't call the other place 'Earth', or mention that phrase to anyone over there. You'll use the other name, the other key phrase.... the name of the other world."

Oliver took a deep breath.

"Its name.... is Terra Arcana."

Oliver was about to make the leap to the Old World. He knew now that he uttered the key phrase that Pepper would be along for the ride. What would they encounter on the other side, entering from here?

 

[Crayons Are Snacks]

The air around you shimmers with an opalescent shine like the delicate skin of a soap bubble. A warm wave passes over you and you feel a change in atmospheric pressure, as though an invisible air-tight container just cracked its lid.
You have entered Terra Arcana.
You are standing in a narrow alleyway. It's a bit musty, cylinder bins filled with rubbish line the opposite wall. A single line of rope stretches from one rooftop to the other between the buildings, donning somebody's soggy underwear.
You can hear a lot of racket coming from the street before you. You realize fairly quickly that this is a marketplace, and a very busy one at that.
From where you stand, you can see flashes of various creatures passing by the opening of the alley. They haven't seemed to notice your sudden appearance at all.
A satyr clops by, carrying a basket of fruit and cheese.
A centaur grumbles as he heads in the opposite direction.
A HUGE kobold with bulging muscles stomps by, trying with great frustration to count a handful of change that a potion merchant had just handed back to him - there are only three coins in his hand, but he keeps getting confused and starting his counting over.
There are many other creatures bustling about their daily errands.

What do you do?

 

[marshmellow9987]

Pepper opens his eyes and goes completely wonderstruck.
Looking at the mundane day to day life of the market-goers fills Pepper with incredible joy. He tries unsuccessfully not to look like a giddy child.
"It's real, it's all real Oliver. And look at all those people, they're not even human!"
Running his hand along the cold alleyway wall he lets out a satisfying sigh.

"There's so much to know. I'm sorry if I'm acting like an idiot."

Finally coming back to reality, he inspects his dress. A jacket, a band tee and sneakers.

"Uh, we should probably find some more suitable clothes right? Oliver... Oliver?"

Pepper turns to face Oliver.

 

[Firuthi Dragovic]

Finally, Oliver could shed the disguise he had been wearing.

What Pepper was looking at now... was a kobold. Nowhere near as muscular as the one that had been trying to count change, but did have a little muscle to speak of. He also had full-size wings, the kind that could easily let him fly.

Though there was a prismatic sheen to some of the face-scales, most of the scales on his body were currently an icy blue.

His attire was a very plain open-backed shirt and pants. Open-backed allowed as much room as possible for his wings.

"Yeah, Pepper. There's a lot to know, and a lot of the beings here dress... well, the band tee has to go for sure. The sneakers, odd style, not the worst offender. You might be able to get away with the jacket for the moment."

Oliver sighed.

"I had gems and coins on this side, unfortunately they were tucked away in my shop and I haven't been there in months. Place probably got ransacked. We'll figure something out."

 

[marshmellow9987]

As his gaze sets upon Oliver, he notices where his short peculiar friend stood; now stood what he would call a small shiny lizard.
"O-Oliver? Is that you?" He chuckles playfully.
"Fascinating! Do you normally look like a death metal album cover?"
Catching himself, he winces in embarrassment.

"Actually forget I said that, I swear I'm not trying to be rude."
Pepper discreetly zips up his jacket and begins to walk down the alley into the market,
he motions for Oliver to follow.

"Where should we start looking? Surely there are going to be giant frog footprints nearby if it exited here."