- Posting Speed
- 1-3 posts per week
- One post per week
- Online Availability
- 16:00-20:00 US Central
- Writing Levels
- Adept
- Advanced
- Prestige
- Preferred Character Gender
- No Preferences
- Genres
- Cyberpunk, Sci-fi, Fantasy, and other low-tech/fantasy.
Alfa Slab One
Eczar
Ramabhadra
Eczar
Ramabhadra
Background Music
THE HOLLOWS
Spring
had not come early to the Hollows. Winter and its bitter cold had clung to the land long into the month of Aniel. When Aniel gave way to Selat, finally the thaw had come and with it a manner of curious and adventurous folk. Not that this was a new development for the inhabitants of the Hollows - every spring, as soon as the thaw came and the Crags were safe to traverse, so too came those with a proclivity for adventuring and treasure seeking.With the adventurers, the sellswords, the merchants, and the brigands also came the bodies from the Crags, trailing from the west along the Fangtooth River. Another grim reminder that though winter had come and passed, the Crags were never welcoming nor warm. A whole manner of corpses had floated down this spring. Men, dwarf, orc - the Crags had taken them all. Just as varied as the folk that came through the Hollows seeking gold and treasure were the ways the Crags sent them back. Some had died of frostbite, their fingers black and hard as iron. Others were rent to pieces by spear and blade. The townsfolk referred to it in jest as the "Hero's Return", disposing of the bodies in an unmarked grave that served as a solemn reminder of the danger every would-be adventurer faced when venturing deep within the Crags.Not that such a reminder stopped new corpses when next the thaw came.
Life in the Hollows itself went on, however, without disturbance. People came and people went, and though a great deal of strangers had come to win their glory atop the Crags, none thought too much of it. It was just another spring thaw for the townsfolk of the Hollows, and another Hero's Return for the many unfortunate souls that had perished...
Nathyen Rowe squinted at the mile marker in the misty morning from atop his pale grey destrier, the mount looking as beleaguered and travel-worn as its rider as it trotted in place to decelerate to a stop. Nathyen could just barely make out "the Hollows" scrawled into the wooden sign post, along with "25 miles" right beside it. The man sighed, patting his horse, leaning forward in his saddle with a creak of leather to pet the horse's cheek.
"Almost there, boy," he muttered softly. "Give me one more day, alright?"
As if to respond to its rider's reassurances, the horse flicked its tail and whinnied. Nathyen urged the horse into a trot once more, leaving the sign post to recede into the mist along the trail behind him. It would be another few hours still before the sun peeked its head over the edge of the mountains and burned the mist away.
Hours passed in silence as Nathyen rode along the trail into the Hollows, accompanied only by the soft trot trot trot of iron-shod horseshoes in damp earth and the trilling of birds in the woods alongside him. Nathyen wondered, how long had it been since he had heard a bird's call? They were rare in the mainland, and their chirps and squacks and caws put him at ease even if his empty stomach did not. It had haunted him along the road to the Hollows, gnawing at his patience and sapping his strength. Birds were pleasant, but hot stew would be better, Nathyen mused to himself.
Soon, he told himself. Soon, he would be in a warm bed with a full stomach and a belly full of mead.
Soon had not been a close approximation. By the time Nathyen had entered the main road to the Hollows, the sun had already set once more, leaving him only the lights of the stars to wander by. Night always left Nathyen feeling uneasy. They liked to prowl at night, that much was known. He had spotted some stalking him along the road into the Crags, wondering why they had never attacked. Perhaps one lone man dressed in plain mail and leather, carrying naught but a sword, shield, and pack was worth too much effort for so little payoff. Perhaps they had been waiting for him to lead them to a village or hideout. Yet when he went down to bed at the mouth of the Crags where the Fangtooth broke off into a myriad of streams and ponds, they had stopped.
No matter. He was here, and he was hungry. In short order, Nathyen left his horse with the town stable boy and followed the boy's instructions to the town inn. The Cat and Rooster it was called, a charming inn that towered over the other structures in the village and to which all roads within the village led. Nathyen trod inside and sat by the hearth after procuring an ale and a bowl of stew from a tavern girl, relishing in the crackling fire that began to eat away at a chill that Nathyen had not even felt build up within him along the road. The weight of stew in his stomach felt better than anything he had felt in months, and the taste of ale - piss-thin though it was - was sweeter than anything he had ever tasted.
All around Nathyen sat similar characters, a host of grizzled and travel-weary men and women, trading stories and tales. Some sang in low voices, others preferred to tend to their drinks in silence...
GM NOTES:
@Jamaicanbobslayer @Steel @Elle Joyner @Ellion @Pupperr
WELCOME TO THE CURSED LANDS
There are a few things to note about the mechanics of this RP.
First, all GM posts either do one of two things - 1) they will either present a new circumstance or advance the timeline in a meaningful way or 2) they will respond to a character's actions should they warrant, require, or want a response.
Below each in-character, prose-formatted post will be a number of interactive features in the scene as well as the outcome of your character interacting with that feature. The details of that interaction and the specific outcome, however, will be up to you as the player and writer of your character. Interactive elements marked in red are actions that are not guaranteed to be successful and will be settled with a GM post outlining the outcome. Otherwise, the degree of success or failure is determined by you.
Lastly, just because an action is not outlined in the interactive elements below does not mean you cannot take it! Be creative and take initiative if you so choose!
INTERACTIVE ELEMENTS
Speaking with Nathyen:
Nathyen is seated by the hearth in the Cat and Rooster after the sun has set, willing to speak to any that approach him and speak amicably as well. He is curious in learning why others have come and will explain, if asked why he has come to the Hollows, that he seeks a weapon known as Scarnesbane, a legendary weapon forged in the Age of Heroes. Scarnesbane is described as a hammer of inexplicable power, having been used to slay the Mother of Drakes by the Dwarven hero Ormund.
Nathyen is seated by the hearth in the Cat and Rooster after the sun has set, willing to speak to any that approach him and speak amicably as well. He is curious in learning why others have come and will explain, if asked why he has come to the Hollows, that he seeks a weapon known as Scarnesbane, a legendary weapon forged in the Age of Heroes. Scarnesbane is described as a hammer of inexplicable power, having been used to slay the Mother of Drakes by the Dwarven hero Ormund.
Consulting the Bartender:
The bartender, Sigurnd, is a large, affable man with a thick gut and a bushy blonde beard. His head is shaved, arms docked with a number of scars. He will gladly speak with anyone that comes to the bar, and throw in a boast about his time as an adventurer himself. If asked about what to seek in the Crags, he will mention that of late raiders and brigands have come down from the Crags in the night to steal grains and other goods. Their leader, the orc Maud, has been said to wield a sword of unbelievable craftsmanship. They were last seen in the former dwarven watch tower overlooking the Fangtooth about fifteen miles north of the village.
The bartender, Sigurnd, is a large, affable man with a thick gut and a bushy blonde beard. His head is shaved, arms docked with a number of scars. He will gladly speak with anyone that comes to the bar, and throw in a boast about his time as an adventurer himself. If asked about what to seek in the Crags, he will mention that of late raiders and brigands have come down from the Crags in the night to steal grains and other goods. Their leader, the orc Maud, has been said to wield a sword of unbelievable craftsmanship. They were last seen in the former dwarven watch tower overlooking the Fangtooth about fifteen miles north of the village.
Wandering the Fangtooth:
If you wander the Hollows long enough, you will learn that the townsfolk keep referring to those making the "Hero's Return" and how a number of bodies have been spotted floating down the river. Investigating this for yourself will lead you to discover the body of a human woman, possessing a number of slash wounds that have been burned closed. Trademark injuries inflicted by demons. Asking around town, either in the shops or the Cat and Rooster, will reveal that townsfolk have reported sightings of demons and worse creatures further up river to the west.
Additionally or alternatively, you may loot a number of gold coins, arrows, daggers, and so on from corpses that have washed up and have yet to be laid to rest.
If you wander the Hollows long enough, you will learn that the townsfolk keep referring to those making the "Hero's Return" and how a number of bodies have been spotted floating down the river. Investigating this for yourself will lead you to discover the body of a human woman, possessing a number of slash wounds that have been burned closed. Trademark injuries inflicted by demons. Asking around town, either in the shops or the Cat and Rooster, will reveal that townsfolk have reported sightings of demons and worse creatures further up river to the west.
Additionally or alternatively, you may loot a number of gold coins, arrows, daggers, and so on from corpses that have washed up and have yet to be laid to rest.
Exploring the Hollows:
The town of the Hollows has a blacksmith, brewery, and a number of other shops. You may replenish your supplies, purchase any reasonable gear such as rope, candles, torches, and so on. The blacksmith specializes in tools for carpenters and farmers, but has a handful of arrows and a pair of crudely forged swords for sale as well. The stable is selling horses for a high price, though all the beasts look malnourished and weak even for a horse raised in the Cursed Lands.
The town of the Hollows has a blacksmith, brewery, and a number of other shops. You may replenish your supplies, purchase any reasonable gear such as rope, candles, torches, and so on. The blacksmith specializes in tools for carpenters and farmers, but has a handful of arrows and a pair of crudely forged swords for sale as well. The stable is selling horses for a high price, though all the beasts look malnourished and weak even for a horse raised in the Cursed Lands.
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