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1) I am based in Southeast Asia (UTC +8) so my posting hours may be unusual (especially for those in North America). I usually update at least one or twice per day. Just to keep the game moving, please post at least once every day and at least once during the weekend. If you disappear for more than 24 hours, especially during combat, I will simply place your character on infinite delay just to keep things moving.
2) Please label all three of your actions. Even if you think what you are doing is obvious.
3) If I am unavailable for longer than 24 hours, I will let you know in the Discussion Tab. Out of respect for your fellow players and myself, I ask that you do the same. Real life happens, and real life will always take priority over the game, but out of fairness for your fellow players, please let us know if you will be unavailable for an extended period of time.
4) Please complete the Macros and the Slides linked at the top of the page.
5) Questions, concerns? Feel free to share them in the Discussion tab.
6) Let's have some fun and tell a great story together! After all, that's what we are here for.
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Your adventure begins in Anthusis, capital of Vidrian in the Mwangi Expanse. You are currently in the Broad Captain Inn, a favorite gathering place for aspiring adventurers, mercenaries, and sailors due to its low prices, decent fare, and a meticulously maintained bulletin board displaying job opportunities and upcoming events. You are seated at a table, finishing a decent meal with a complimentary mug ale when you see two people walk up to the board to read a prominently displayed scroll.
The Silverscales Tournament seeks the brave and the daring!
Join us at the Lower Harbor to pit your skill, wit, and magic against other participants in an exciting competition to catch silver trout and win incredible prizes!
But victory doesn’t simply go to the angler who reels in the most or the biggest fish! Our judges award prizes to crews who embody the Vidric values that brought our liberation: bravery, dedication, cunning, and solidarity. Due to immense popularity, spots for teams are limited! Each crew is required to secure their own fishing spot for the tournament, so come early!
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One of the strangest beings you have ever seen comes walking down the dusty road. A torn and filthy space suit covers a mechanical body as it sluffs through the dust. That isn't nearly the strangest part though as a cracked glass dome covers the head like some sort of helmet that is filled to the brim with sloshing water. Several strips of adhesive are attached holding the cracks at the seams in crisscross patterns as a dangerous looking sharp-toothed piranha swims within the helmet.
He stops at the sign as the fish seemingly reads it before looking at it a second time. A gargled voice emits from a hidden speaker beneath the spacesuit. "Well, I have hit a new low. If this isn't demeaning..." The automaton's shoulders slump in defeat as his coin purse says he needs to catch some fish.
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The doors to the inn open and enters not one but two more constructs. In the front is a construct made of bronze-ish metal, standing on two legs, and one of its arms appears to be a massive pummeling tool with electricity actively built up and glowing within it. "I don't know what made you think this is a good idea. It's not like we haven't tried this before."
The construct in the back responds, "Yes, well, maybe it will be different this time." it responds with a flat voice. This second construct stands tall and is made of rather thin steel that doesn't seem to provide much protection. Its head is humanoid shaped and a ring of light glows blue in the center of it's head. It scans the inn and together the two constructs walk in and close the door behind them.
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The next person to join the others at the inn would probably have received much less attention as they could have passed for human, that is if it weren't for the dusky lilac skin tone and the subtle aura of brightness around her that matches the brilliant amber pools she has for eyes. Her face is gaunt and wrinkled, perhaps from advanced age or poor health. Slender fingers clench a stuffed poppet. It has long arms and legs as well 2 pairs of smaller, skinny arms close to it's torso. Its head has prominent insectoid features.
"The light, the wind, the sea. Everything seems to be alive here... well almost everything," She adds noting the presence of the constructs.
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Naple is nothing but a female human with her long wavy hair flaunting and flowing as she enters the inn. She flips her hair with the warhammer first before she even start looking around to have a seat. She is just in time to see some people gathering on a board that has a scroll on it. She walks into their direction, her body moving like a wave that could crash if you dare to go against it. Her voluptuous body cannot be unseen despite the breastplate she is wearing. Holding her steel shield in one hand and warhammer on the other hanging on her shoulder, one cannot deny that she is ready for some battle. She reads the contents of the scrolls with serious face and looks around again to see if they have interest to join. "I'm Naple. Are you joining this?" she asks flatly the construct with a construct. "How about you?" as she turns to the fetchling. "And..." she stops and begin to ponder the head of the automaton, in which she thinks is a cracked fishbowl, "you???"
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The construct duo silently scan the room as more occupants enter the tavern. They seem out of place, not just because of their metal construction but because they otherwise wait until Naple speaks before they do anything. The tall, blue-light-faced one responds, "Yes, we are looking to participate. This here is EP-1." It points to the bronze construct before continuing, "I am called Tocasia. Nice to meet you Naple, and you too Maurice Bonaparte"
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Remembering his manners he steps back. From the palm of his hand a small robotic mechanism falls to the ground. As it strikes the cubes unfolds and unfolds and unfolds some more as it forms into a small barricade, mobile by dozens of spider-like legs. "Sentinel." He points to the robot and then to himself. "X-23, I have been told I can seem a bit unnerving. I am getting used to this myself."
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As you gather around the bounty board, two individuals enter the tavern and head towards you.
A tall Mwangi woman with dark hair and a red headband lets out a booming laugh, "Think you can do better this time, Demed?"
"Better than you and your crew? Certainly!" retorts a slender Mwangi man, who pulls out a notebook as he walks to his seat.
The woman snorts derisively before joining him at a table. "If you can avoid falling into the water, that would already
be an improvement."
"I think you forget that my crew is the only one that managed two victories in a row, sis," the man boasts. "This year we’ll do even better, and you’ll eat your words before the day is over."
The siblings smile widely at each other, a fierce love for competition burning brightly in their eyes.
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Naple raises an eyebrow as the two Mwangi persons are arguing with one another. Seeing they smile to each other after the argument, she cringes, her face is wrinking. What's wrong with this people? she tells herself. She behaves and gives her best smile, flips her hair again and approaches thetwo individuals.
"I think I recognize you both. May I also add that the waters around Anthusis teem with all kinds of sea life, giving competitors ample opportunities to show off to the crowd? I wonder how is that helpful to a competition but yeah, that's how it is. Anyways, it is nice to meet you both. I am Naple." she tells them and offers a hand after she brings down her weapon on the floor, or ground, that falls with a thud.
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The twins notice your enthusiasm and grin broadly at you. The woman turns to you and introduces herself.
"I am Deka. This is my brother Demed. We participated in the last four tournaments are we are currently tied at 2 victories apiece. Last year, Demed took the early lead with one of his elaborate contraptions. But then it malfunctioned and he and his entire crew went flying into the sea! We love the Silverscales Tournament because you not only can win by catching the most fish, but you can impress the judges as well!"
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"Haha! That's so funny!" Naple tells them and laughs boisterously. "I remember what happened to me, many years ago. It was a dreadful day, I could say. We were being rescued from a horde of zombies, and we were the only few survivors back then. I was crying so much that time because my parents were killed from that incident. But I was also trying to survive at the moment. We were running and being chased, when one of them was getting close to me. Out of my frustration, I picked up a big boulder with my two arms wrapped around it and bonked it on the zombie's head. I quickly ran after that. I had no time to look back on what happened to that zombie. I felt there was a rush of something inside me too after that."
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X-23 can't possibly tell the man the truth of his existence. He wouldn't believe it anyhow. The small piranha blows bubbles in the orb as the metallic voice sounds once more. He motions to the spider-like mobile fortress that seems to be bobbing up and down. "I am a bit of an inventor. Creating this one myself." He motions Sentinel back down as the barricade folds into a small cube he shoves into his pouch.
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Tocasia let's EP-1 show some strength by placing its arm into the ground just enough to shake the ground a little without breaking anything.
Or so it hoped. In reality, nothing shook at all. Tocasia attempts to smooth things over "Ah, yes, well it will do better catching fish. I am Tocasia. I think I used to be an archaelogist but that was many lifetimes ago. Now we wander around to find things of interest. This fishing tournament sounded exciting."
Tocasia has been in solitude from humanity for so long that it is still speaking in a monotonous manner.
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"Oh! Might any of you be interested in this, then? As it was a fishing expedition I picked up a collapsible fishing rod, but couldn't help from fiddling. Nothing much, really. The telescoping action was a little rough, so I rebuilt a new shaft and replaced the guides." The small goblin is enthralled by her demonstration, gesturing and indicating the minute improvements. "Now that is smooth. Hear that? Barely a whisper on the extension."
Hep pauses, beaming.
"Now, Demed, you created an entire fishing vehicle? By the sound, of a novel design? I hadn't even thought to work in that scale. Perhaps if we work together, you and I? I would love the opportunity to work with a true inventor."
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Given the nature of the competition, Fisette takes a small stick and some twine from her pouch and starts to fashion a miniature fishing rod.
It was simple, but she figured the intent would be clear. She sews the rod in place to the hand of the latest poppet she was working on.
"I don't know how much fishing the d'ziriaks do, but consider it an artistic melding of cultures."
She holds the finished poppet up in Demed's direction.
"What do you think? Is there a young child whose day might be brightened by this little souvenir?"
The clear expression of confusion made Fisette frown a little, accentuating her wrinkles.
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After a short while, Deka and Demed move to join a crowd of people heading toward the Lower Harbor for the tournament. The innkeeper ushers you out as well, just as impatient to join the throng.
"Come on, friends!" Demed calls.
The journey from the inn to the Lower Harbor takes two hours due to the crowds converging along the rocky cliffside path leading down to the harbor. Once they arrive at the docks, you can make their way past the gathered crowds to join the other participants and locate a fishing spot. As stated in the announcement, there’s limited space in the event. By the time you arrive, the contest only has room for one more team, so you must participate in the event together.
The docks creak under the weight of the crowd. Mwangi and Chelaxian citizens stand shoulder to shoulder in the midday sun, waiting for the excitement to begin.
The contestants stand in line with their teammates, waiting for the signal to claim their fishing spots. Some aspiring anglers seem to have already chosen their spot, while others are carefully scanning the waters for a glimpse of the glimmering scales that give the tournament its name. Tall and imposing, Deka stands out from the crowd as she inspects her reinforced grappling hook. To her right, Demed hurriedly jots down notes before telling his crew to be ready to cast.
A silver-haired Zenj woman wearing a judge’s colorful sash raises her hands to silence the crowd. With a warm smile, she utters a single sentence that unleashes a flurry of activity.
"FIND YOUR STATION!!"
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Through the strength and agility of the Bonapartes, Fisette and X-23, the party finds a great fishing spot.
The tournament plays out over the course of four rounds, each representing about 15 minutes of activity. During every round, each one of you can attempt a single skill check to contribute to the team’s success.
You may use a skill you used in a previous round but you do so at a -2 penalty as the crowd and judges are looking for entertainment as well as display of skill.
Examples:
Deception to distract other competitors
Performance to impress the crowd
Crafting to build elaborate traps
Survival/Fishing Lore for using bait/lures
Stealth to grab fish w/o disturbing water
Other skills possible as long as you can explain what you're doing
You may use offensive weapons, if you wish, with the following conditions:
Piercing Weapons - no penalty
Slashing / Bludgeoning Melee - -2 penalty
S/B Ranged - automatic miss
Fire / Acid - Resistance
Be Creative
Please roll all 4 rounds of checks.
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Fisette tries to create a simple fishing snare and lure device.
Then using the glowing skin on her finger as a lure attempts to snag a curious fish from behind
Trying something fancy she focuses on her dagger. Of seemingly its own accord, it flies out of its sheath and plunges into the water after a fish.
She then causes the dagger and dead fish to rise out of the water. It begins to fly about up and down, side to side, before diving into Fisette's bucket of fish. The spectacle seems to have drawn some attention.
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In the first round, Tocasia addresses the crowd and tries to build up the excitement for its act.
Next, EP-1 quickly reaches into the water and tries to swipe a fish
Next round, Tocasia attempts to make a fish look bigger than it actually is with clever use of angles
And for the finale, EP-1 goes against its better judgement and slams its electrostatic pummeler into the water to see if it is effective
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In the first round, Hep spends her time crafting traditional goblin fishing traps, useful for how quickly they can be put together. .
Wading carefully into the water, she positions her traps while being careful not to disturb the currents. .
Then, in the third round, Hep calms herself and watches the movement of the waters. Speed can only help her so much, so she tracks the course of the fish carefully before making her move. .
On impulse, she catches sight of a shadow and immediately plunges her bare hand into the water, but grasps nothing.
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X-23 draws a small crossbow from his side and points it into a school of fish and pulls the trigger. TWANG!
He then begins to craft a net-like barrier to try and gather the fish back towards their location.
Trying a more subtle approach the large autoaton wades out into the water, breathig a sigh of shame he tries to blend in with the other fish as he sticks his head underneath the water.
All in all he grows frustrated as he tries to spear a few more of the fish.
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Seeing that her weapon is no use in this competition, Naple stows it including her shield. She begins by making baits for the fish and attaches them to her make-shift fishing line and throws it to the sea and wait.
Shen then impresses the crowd with her strength by helping the other's catch basket filled with fish to be brought to their respective teams.
After doing that, she returns to the shallow part of the see to catch some fish as she hides behind some rocks, waiting for them to swim in front of her where she is hiding and catch them by surprise.
She then moves to another shallow part of the sea, applying what she knows about fish habitat and the types of fish that can be found in abundance in a certain part of the sea.
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Tocasia galvanizes the crowd and gets them going. Fisette and Hep begin crafting fish traps while Naple fashions lures to attract fish. Hep and Naple both manage to land a fish but Fisette's trap doesn't quite work. X-23 and Maurice both forego trying to lure fish to them and use the direct approach. Both manage to catch fish.
Suddenly, Demed shouts, "Deka, your lines!"
Four lines snap in quick succession, causing those nearby to yell in surprise and frustration. While the crew hurries to pull the remaining line, Deka points at a dark shadow in the water.
"Not him again! He almost ruined my chances last year!"
The shadow belongs to Linesnapper, a young tiger shark attracted by the large number of fish in the area.
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EP-1 stares at the shadow and begins calculating the shark's trajectory and the precise moment to strike. "Stand down" Tocasia instructs it. EP-1 appendages not ideal for task
Tocasia then turns so its blue eye faces the group and inquires, "Naple or Maurice, are you capable of acquiring the tiger shark?"
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Naple jumps into the water and onto Linesnapper. A battle royale soon ensues with the water churning and frothing. Finally the surface of the water calms and Naple emerges, soaking wet, but dragging a now limp Linesnapper by the tail. The crowd erupts in a cheer.
"Biggest catch!" proclaims one of the judges.
Deka curses her luck, inspecting the damage. "Almost all of our lines snapped, and we're out of spares," she growls. With an angry sigh, she grabs her grappling hook and nods to the robust Chelaxian man holding the team's only remaining line.
"Never give up, right?" asks the man with a grin.
"Never give up," agrees Deka, hoisting her grappling hook.
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Drenched from the sea, Naple still manages to flip her long and wavy hair soaked with seawater, acting like she is not hearing the loud cheering of the crowd. Upon reaching the area where the twins had their lines snapped, she shows off again by helping them with their lines to be fixed and be used again.
But she is not sure where to start actually as she is not familiar that much with the fishing lines the twins are using.