Shadowknight12
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Posts posted by Shadowknight12
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Great! Now, since some of us are doing our sheets already (and it makes sense, we need to justify mechanical decisions with our backgrounds), might as well decide on a few mechanical things.
I propose the following:
Ability generation: Point buy (it's in Set 2, somewhere around the beginning). Short version: All abilities at 0, you have 10 points to increase them, cannot go higher than 3.
Proposed houserules: A free talent at level 1 for all characters. Extra focuses for free at level 1, based on class (2 for mage, 4 for warrior, 6 for rogue). The chance to reroll BOTH background rolls if the player is not satisfied with them, a maximum of 3 times (for a total of 4 rolls).
BW: Can we start rolling on the background tables? It's something we must include in our background description, after all.
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General
Name: Aranna'tar ("I am the years that come" in Elven).
Age: 23.
Gender: Male.
Background: Apostate.
Class: Mage.
Level: 1.
Experience Points: 0.
Background
Denerim
Aranna'tar's name was originally Garrick. He is the son of an elven serving maid at The Rising Storm, a tavern in the Denerim market that catered mostly to merchants. Her name is Eileen, and she never told her son who his father was. Eileen was always a determined woman, forcing a smile on her face no matter what happened. Garrick grew up admiring that stubbornness, that refusal to surrender to fate and the shems' abuse, that irrational will. He was never good at scraping a living as a labourer, knave or thief, he lacked the speed and grace of his fellow elves, and any strength or endurance to speak of. He did, however, make up for it with cleverness and guile.
When he was 12, Garrick's life took a sudden, fateful turn. The boy witnessed a death right outside the gates of the Alienage. Two shems duelled in the shadows, one clad in dark leather and the other wielding a strange humming blade. Their swords clashed, and the unnatural blade slew the other human, leaving its writhing figure huddled in a dark corner of the market. But that was not all. The terrified boy saw a strange mist around the corpse, shaped like a person, rising to its feet and then fading away. From that night on, strange dreams began to plague Garrick, voices and shapes that spoke to him about things he did not understand, that made strange requests that filled him with petrifying dread. And one day, he awoke to find himself shivering, his bedding covered in frost. He was old enough to understand that it was magic, and that he would be taken away by the shems if they found out. The only person he told was his mother, who also strived to keep his gifts a secret.
But one day, he saw a templar meandering through the Alienage, right by his house. Garrick was sure he had come from him. It never even occurred to him that he might be there to sequester another child or simply patrol the area. In a panic, he started sprinting towards the back alleys, leaving frosty footsteps behind. The templar caught up to him, of course and Garrick reach the height of terror. He lashed out at the human, tiny ice crystals flying in all directions. They stung, more than doing any real harm, but they seemed to infuriate the templar immensely. With a snake's swiftness, the burly shem grabbed the small elven child and squeezed his throat, the gauntlet cutting into the elf's skin. Garrick's memory is hazy at this point. All he remembers is Vherth's curiously unperturbed face, a bleeding brick in his hand. Then there was a strange calm, a disturbing detachment. Finding Hahren Valendrian. Disrobing the body. Dumping it in the river. Giving away the templar's possessions. Telling mother. It was all a blur in the young man's mind.
The Dalish Life
The very next day, they were on the road. To find the Dalish, Eileen had said. It took them almost a year, coming close to starvation a few times, before they came across a clan. They were taken in and accepted after some hesitation, and they had to earn their place amidst their kin. Eileen married a hunter and bore him a child, a girl they named Elora. Garrick embraced the Dalish culture with everything he had. He devoured lore, myths and legends, learnt to speak in Elven and named himself "Aranna'tar," to signify his thirst to bring lasting change into the world. For the first time in his life, the elven man finally felt he had found his purpose. Aranna'tar underwent magical training with the Keeper's First, Athras. He learned how to harness the power of the earth, to tame the icy cold and grow closer to the Fade. And as the years passed, his vision grew steadily worse, to the point where his eyes looked uniformly silvery and blank, like the eyes of a blind man. His knowledge of the Fade, however, was uncanny, and he had an affinity for matters related to the world of spirits and dreamers.
Years went by and he made friends with a fellow mage named Dir'fen, who had been named out of his uncanny ability to calm wolves and get them to leave the clan and its hunters alone. The two mages complemented each other well, Aranna'tar's seriousness and intellect grounding the carefree Dir'fen, who at the same time taught his friend how to enjoy life to the fullest. In time, Aranna'tar was eventually told he had to marry, to produce heirs that would hopefully bear their magical talents and take after Athras once the current Keeper died. He was betrothed to Adanna, who favoured fiery and flashy spells. However, due to his utter inability to hunt game, no matter how hard he tried, he approached Ashalle, the Keeper, and requested a more suitable coming of age ritual to prove his worth. He requested an alternate way to do so, and was finally told of ancient elven ruins beneath the Gwaren Alienage. With little hesitation, the mage seized the chance to prove his worth.
Appearance
Height: 5'11''.
Weight: 145 lbs.
Distinguishing Features: His height, a faded scar across his throat (templar's gauntlet cutting deep) and elgarinan, "Spirit Eyes" (silvery cataracts over his eyes, they reduce vision and mark him as unnatural, touched by the Fade).
Aranna'tar stands tall for an elf, about the same height as a human. He is lanky, with a thin, long-limbed body. He used to have chestnut brown hair when he was younger, but it's slowly turning lighter as he deepens his connection with the Fade, currently it could be described as dirty blond. He used to have dusky skin when younger, but years of studying and training have made him somewhat paler. His factions are sharp and angular, he could be described as "bony."
Relies on cowls to hide his eyes; favours cloaks but detests robes, preferring to stick either to Dalish hunting clothes, or commoner garbs when he's among humans.
Personality
Aranna'tar tries to be responsible and serious, to prove the Dalish he can be trusted and relied upon. He takes his magic seriously, though he feels unsure about his relationship with the Fade. He feels a natural pull towards it, but a healthy dose of caution towards the things that dwell in the dream realm. He is intensely passionate about elven lore, thinking every little bit uncovered a priceless treasure. Has a tendency to be guarded at first, especially with strangers and cultures/matters he does not fully understand. To the people he considers friends/family/lovers, he's very open, and even jokes, teases and engages in other forms of "fun."
Combat Statistics
Health: 22/22.
Mana: 16/16.
Speed: 13.
Defense: 11.
Armor: 0 (3).
Armor Type: None (Magical).
Armor Penalty: 0.
Dagger. 3d6-1. (1d6+1)/2.
Club. 3d6+1. 1d6.
Fist. 3d6+1. 1d3.
Arcane Lance. 3d6+3. 1d6+3.
Abilities
Communication: 1.
Constitution: 0.
Cunning: 2 (Healing, Natural Lore).
Dexterity: 1.
Magic: 3 (Spirit).
Perception: 0.
Strength: 0.
Willpower: 4 (Self-Discipline).
Class Powers And Spells
Arcane Lance: Magic(Arcane Lance) roll. 1d6+3 damage. 16 yards.
Magic Training: Rock Armour, Winter's Blast and Spell Shield.
Mana Points: 10+3+1d6.
Starting Talent: Chirurgy.
Talents And Languages
Speaks and reads the Trade Tongue. Speaks Elven.
Starting: Chirurgy (Novice).
1st Level: Spirit Magic (Novice).
Equipment And Money
Coin: 0 GP, 5 SP, 0 CP.
Backpack. Traveler's Garb. Waterskin. Wand. Dagger. Club (1 sp). 10 Flasks (5 sp). Flint and steel (10 cp). Healer's Kit (25 sp). 2 ink flasks (40 cp). 20 candles (50 cp). Belt pouch (1 sp). Rope (2 sp). Newer Traveler's Garb (15 sp). Journal. Inkpen.
Concept, Goals And Ties
Concept: A wilful apostate determined to leave his mark on the world, by whatever means are necessary.
Goals: Reclaim lost elven lore for his clan. Give the elves lands to call their own. Overcome heartbreak. Increase knowledge and power.
Ties: Vherth has saved his life and Aranna'tar feels indebted to him. They were not close before their journey to the Dalish, but after their shared misadventures, the apostate definitely considers him a close friend.
Kathe is his half-sister, but he's only seen her a couple of times before. Because she's family, he feels duty-bound to care for her, but he can't quite forget the fact that she's a templar and he's an apostate, and this fact makes him very guarded in her presence, something he fears will always drive a wedge between them.
[Reserved for Nas's character]
Player Notes
Background benefits: +1 to Willpower, elf race, mage class, Natural Lore focus, speaks and reads Trade Tongue.
Background rolls: First: Speak Elven and Cunning (Cultural Lore). Second: +1 Cunning and Willpower (Self-Discipline). Third: Speak Elven and Willpower (Self-Discipline).
Money roll: Money (50+3d6=55).
Health roll: Health roll (20+1d6=22).
Mana roll: Mana roll (13+1d6=16).
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Anesor: Potential timeline (taking your character's age as a reference): "0 = Kathe is born. 2 = She's given off to Papa Dryden. 5 = Aranna'tar is born. 13 = Kathe returns to Denerim to find mother. 13-15 = Kathe is sent off to the Chantry for Templar training. 17 = Aranna'tar and his mother leave Denerim to find the Dalish. 18 = They find the Dalish, mother remarries. 24 = Aranna'tar et al. leave for Gwaren. Game begins."
Thoughts? We still need to figure out how to take Kathe from the Chantry to the group. Maybe she was sent off on a mission gone wrong (the frame stuff we mentioned earlier), knew her mother had left to find the Dalish and the only place she thought would be safe was that?
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Anesor: Well, addict and I came up with a backstory about two city elves (three, if Nas hops in) who were forced to flee the Denerim Alienage with their mothers and seek refuge with the Dalish after an altercation. My character's mother was a serving maid in a merchant-frequented tavern, so it makes sense for her to meet a passing Dryden. It's possible that she gave the child to the Dryden man when she saw him again, and he sent her off to the Chantry, or that she herself placed the babe under the Chantry's care, knowing that a human would not grow up well in the Alienage. Regardless, her current whereabouts are known. She married a Dalish hunter, bore him a child and is now travelling with his clan.
Nastrandir: We came up two places for you to insert your character, if you want. We figured you could have been another city elf from Denerim who fled with us, or a Dalish elf who became our friend during our years with the clan.
So far, addict's character (Vherth) and mine (Aranna'tar) have left the Dalish clan with the short term goal of acquiring passage into the elven ruins beneath the Gwaren Alienage, and a long term goal to give the elves their own lands (perhaps retake the Dales?).
Bronx: I'd suggest you set up a thread exclusively for backgrounds, so that we have them apart from the sheets.
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Or the half-sibling. "What? I went off for 5 years of school and you became a mage, WTF?" though a circle mage would be an easier sell for a templar, and she might have been assigned to protect a circle mage after the debacle, whatever it was that got her semi exiled from the circle... or being an apostate might be an ongoing nag, like someone trying to get you to stop smoking here.
Hah, I don't know what Nas is playing, but I'm not coming from the Circle. I'm afraid that we'll have to nag each other, then!
Voice chat might be better for an occasional session when all/most of us would be online. It can run on older machines at the same time as an MMO, so someone or I could probably host a teamspeak server. No rush for that as that we can workon after we get started. (i don't have the time atm, not if I wanna finish in time)A combination of survivor guilt and fear will be held responsible. though a frame might work too. Since she's low level, I doubt she'd have led the squad. and surviving when the 5th level captain didn't might be suspicious.
Yeah, that's probably best reserved for special occasions.
Yup! That's more or less what I was saying, though I suggest going with the frame (the Dryden name would make it specially attractive for a frame, considering the family's infamy), so that your character has a solid goal that BW can use to interweave with the plot.
Now, why did the elves take you in? Pity? Or was it familial relationship? (Father was a Dryden, mother was an elf? Doesn't seem like your character would be in particularly good standing with the rest of the family, being practically a bastard) Or perhaps she is a prisoner? [cliché]Perhaps whatever killed the templars also killed people the elves cared about, so the four decided to join forces to bring down their common enemy.[/cliché]
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Anesor: Hah, looks like I'll be running an apostate! Good, I can get started on him already and work out the kinks. The Drydens are a very interesting family, good choice.
Well, if nobody else is playing a mage, I can volunteer to be friends with your templar, but that will take a lot of cooperative work to hash out. After all, human templar and elven apostate? What could they have in common?
Also, puzzles need not necessarily be visual. They can be logic enigmas, riddles or a matter of figuring out a way to get past an obstacle.
Voice chat would be new for me, but I'd be willing to give it a try. It'd help me practise my spoken English, at any rate!
If you want to go with the survivor idea, there's always the "nobody will believe it wasn't my fault" angle. Maybe your character was framed or the sequence of events was such that nobody, not even the kindest person, will believe that she wasn't responsible for the deaths of her squad. Maybe there's a way to prove her innocence (if she was framed) and so she cannot return to the tower unless she finds incontrovertible proof of her innocence. And in the meantime, elves.
Thoughts?
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You mean the one that has me laid up in the bed for 24 hours because I can't move? Gawd, now I feel really sorry for my brother if that's how painful it is! And I always told him he didn't know what pain was ...
If it was THAT bad, no, that's more like getting kneed in the balls (all those funny scenes in comedy movies? Yeah, might look funny, but IRL, it hurts like a bitch). If you have a pain that's more endurable than that (you can move/walk, but it's very uncomfortable and always at the forefront of your mind), then yeah, that's more or less what blue balls feel like.
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Well, I've proposed this to BW, but I'm throwing it out there. I volunteer to be the half-sibling of the odd human (or one of them, if there's two). Since elves and human couplings produce humans, it's perfectly possible to have an elf and a human who shared the same parent. That helps cement the position of the human in the group as "accepted," since he's related to one of the elves by blood.
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LOL, no problem.
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Depends on how badly the man needs the release. If he's been teased for a few seconds/minutes, then left hard and wanting, no. It's more or less just annoyance and lack of satisfaction. If the man has been mercilessly teased and kept aroused for hours or some other inglorious length of time, then yes, it will hurt. It's that "dull ache" in his balls that you see mentioned everywhere, or "blue balls," (caused by accumulation of blood in that area). And it doesn't really go away on its own, that I've heard. Most of the time, the guy's only release is... well, release.
EDIT: I've been told that, for women, it's easier to imagine it a pain similar to that you get in the first or second day of your period.
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Why JayDee, you harlot!
*does his part to increase rudeness*
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Anesor: Good point!
Elves it is, though we can include humans as exceptions. Good! I think that makes everybody happy.
Now, location. The Dales have been mentioned. Interesting, certainly a place to consider for later in the game, even if it's not our starting location (meaning, I want to check it out, too!). Technically, we could find a group of elves (with the odd human) almost anywhere, so now would be a good time to figure out character concepts and see where they'd fit the best. I've got two character concepts ready, which are Apostate Elven Mage (probably Dalish, aiming for either Arcane Warrior or Spirit Healer, depending on party configuration) and Elven Warrior (City Elf, aiming for Templar). If Anesor wants to go for Templar (human or not), I'll be happy to go with the mage.
Any ideas, the rest of you? Do you want to explore the Dalish outlook? Or hail from the harrowed background of city elves? Odd human, what the hell are you doing with a group of elves? Questions, questions!
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Sorry I drank too much, what I wrote needed to be deleted because, it would raise tempers and get my stories deleted. I value my stories over my selfish angst. Scold me if you must, silly Cal
I hardly think you'll be censored for speaking your mind, Cal! I've more faith in the admins than that. At best, you might get some snark, I believe.
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Oh? What has prompted this bit of concrit? I'm all curious now.
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Alienage comes after Landsmeet, so if you haven't completed the four main quests, you still have a long, long way to go. And if you haven't explored Denerim first, even more.
I still think you should peruse the Wiki to get a better idea of the elven mindset and culture, though a lot of that is based on what you find in the Codex.
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In code format for easy copying:
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[i][b][u]General[/u][/b][/i] [b]Name:[/b] [b]Age:[/b] [b]Gender:[/b] [b]Background:[/b] [b]Class:[/b] [b]Level:[/b] [b]Experience Points:[/b] [i][b][u]Appearance[/u][/b][/i] [b]Height:[/b] [b]Weight:[/b] [b]Distinguishing Features:[/b] [spoiler]Example.[/spoiler] [i][b][u]Personality[/u][/b][/i] [spoiler]Example.[/spoiler] [i][b][u]Combat Statistics[/u][/b][/i] [b]Health:[/b] X/Y. [b]Mana:[/b] X/Y. [b]Speed:[/b] [b]Defense:[/b] [b]Armor:[/b] [b]Armor Type:[/b] [b]Armor Penalty:[/b] [i]Weapon 1[/i]. [b]Attack Roll[/b]. Damage. [i]Weapon 2[/i]. [b]Attack Roll[/b]. Damage. [i]Weapon 3[/i]. [b]Attack Roll[/b]. Damage. [i][b][u]Abilities[/u][/b][/i] [b]Communication:[/b] X (Focuses). [b]Constitution:[/b] X (Focuses). [b]Cunning:[/b] X (Focuses). [b]Dexterity:[/b] X (Focuses). [b]Magic:[/b] X (Focuses). [b]Perception:[/b] X (Focuses). [b]Strength:[/b] X (Focuses). [b]Willpower:[/b] X (Focuses). [i][b][u]Class Powers And Spells[/u][/b][/i] Example. [i][b][u]Talents And Languages[/u][/b][/i] Example. [i][b][u]Equipment And Money[/u][/b][/i] [b]Coin:[/b] X GP, Y SP, Z CP. Example. [i][b][u]Concept, Goals And Ties[/u][/b][/i] [b]Concept:[/b] [b]Goals:[/b] [b]Ties:[/b] [i][b][u]Player Notes[/u][/b][/i] Example.
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I recommend, for ease of use, that you turn off the Rich Text Editor before you copy the code, and turn it back on only after you've posted the sheet. To do so, go to "My Settings" and untick the option that says "Enable visual (RTE) editor?" Make sure you reload the page after you've saved this setting, or else you'll be stuck with the Rich Text Editor nonetheless.
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Votes thus far:
Elves: 1.
Humans: 1.
Dwarves: -1.
HMMMM. OH GEE WE HAVE A TIE.
I think we could have a mixed party of city/Dalish elves and even the odd human, but we'd have to get really creative to explain why these people hang out together on a regular basis. Well, we'll get a better idea when we move on to "location" after we've decided on a race (though as I've said, I'm sure we'll manage an exception if we come up with a good reasoning behind it).
Anesor: The nature/demeanour bit can be included in your character's concept. I'll be getting a blank character sheet written up, and you'll have a place there to put the character's basic concept. I like your idea about suggesting NPCs for BW to use for intrigue games, that has a lot of fun potential. Interesting point about exploration, I hadn't thought of that.
Nas: In complete agreement there, practically verbatim.
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I vote for elves!
What I want out of the game: While I like action, I prefer if it is reserved for when it actually has plot importance. I'm not a fan of random encounters or having my character fight his way through an army to take a piss. I like intrigue, having to unravel cunning plots, solving puzzles and engaging in meaningful RPing. I'd like the game to feel like a story, with an interesting plot that you can't help but be engrossed in. Oh, and I really like it when the plot revolves around the characters instead of the other way around (when what happens is a consequence of the characters' actions and not, you know, "you must do X because there's nobody better around"). That's it!
As for my character concept, if we're going with elves, I have something that works whether we're going with city elves or Dalish. I had an idea for a story for a while now, and there's a character archetype there that I'd be interested in exploring. I think it's rather shocking how nobody has explored the concept of elven templars, so if it meshes with what we decide later on, I'll be aiming for one of those. Especially since I think you guys will be picking mostly rogues and mages, and will need a meat shield to take the hits.
I'm definitely open to having my character be anyone else's... whatever (relative, friend, enemy, etc.). I'm sure Ties will crystallise better further on, when we get an agreement on race and location, and everyone's given some thought to their character concept, but I'm just stating it right from the start in case I forget later.
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My favourite:
"She was as unhappy as when someone puts your cake out in the rain, and all the sweet green icing flows down and then you lose the recipe, and on top of that you can't sing worth a damn."
Because that's happened to me before.
Special mention goes to:
"It hurt the way your tongue hurts after you accidentally staple it to the wall."
HOW?! HOW DO YOU ACCIDENTALLY STAPLE YOUR TONGUE TO THE WALL???!
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I usually just scrap it and start over, reworking the entire concept into another story. I may salvage some parts I liked to keep into consideration for the new "version" of the tale, but that's about it.
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We have a lot on male-on-male flirting here: http://www2.adult-fanfiction.org/forum/index.php/topic/17245-men-flirting-with-men/
I'm not a native speaker, but my two cents are thus:
Charmer: Someone who is either innately charming (possibly without realising it) or who knows what to say and do to charm people effectively. Not necessarily inclined to use this ability for sex, more likely to be applied to his business (actor, reporter, any position where a sale takes place). Usually charmers are confident people who seem to know what they're doing (innate leaders) and/or extremely good at making people feel comfortable, seeming trustworthy and putting them at ease.
Playboy: May not necessarily be charming (might get by on looks or wealth alone), but (assuming you are using the modern definition) is out to get as much tail as he can. The old definition merely denotes a wealthy, usually good-looking, man who doesn't have a regular job, therefore all the time in the world to "play." This used to mean sports, gambling, races, travelling and a cavalcade of leisure activities, but nowadays the "play" bit usually means sex.
If you want to explore the interactions between a charmer and a playboy, it'd be interesting to see them compete, at first, in a sense. If they are the emblems of two opposing causes (like tearing down a historical building to build a mall vs. those who want to preserve the old ruin), then a competition to see who sways more people to their side would let you highlight the differences between their "styles." The charmer would be all about personal interaction. They would sit with the other person, one-on-one, and explain their proposal. By the time they're done, very few would be unconvinced. The playboy would just waltz around and just ask people to sign a paper or support their cause, convinced that their looks and reputation will see them through, just as they have done every single time.
And as an extra advice: It's okay not to jump straight into the flirting/sexual arena. It's okay, in a story, to set the mood beforehand, to show us how the individuals go about their lives before they even meet at all. A foil is a piece of black cloth on which jewels and gems are placed on in order to bring up their colour and shine. If the flirting and sexual interactions are the gems, the moments where the characters are alone or with other people are the foil. They may not be as important to the story as you think, but they help you make the interactions between the main character more intense and interesting, by virtue of simple contrast.
Food for thought.
Apollo: Ha. Ha. Ha. Old predictable me, eh?
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If we count mental age, I'm old. Very old. I'm the one that is put in charge of chaperoning older friends. I'm the one that grumbles about the weather, the one that yells at people to turn their crap down, the one that looks at new technology apprehensively (and finds its dizzying and constant updating slightly staggering), the one that offers unwanted advice, glares all the time and uses ANY (and I mean ANY) excuse to say "back in my day."
You know how for every old person with a young spirit there's an ancient curmudgeon hidden within a young person? Yeah, the latter is me.
I disagree with the old adage. L. Frank Baum knew nothing of the reality of witches and munchkins, and wrote a classic. Agatha Christie was likely, in reality, involved in few mysteries. I have read many a good sex scenes written by virgins. Perhaps not "porn" sex scenes, but certainly not fade to black or "he put his thingy into my you-know-what". Sorry. I just found that bit of your post grating, but to each their own! It also depends on what type of stories you read, I imagine.
And as an aside, I happen to agree with this quite wholeheartedly.
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Now, I'm seeing little animated meat cleavers running around impregnating each other. Yikes!
You mean that's not what little animated meat cleavers do???
And you wonder why you were pink?
I do, sometimes, wonder a little.
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I always thought that was one of the better fetishes, nim'ohtar... right up there with condiments.
Isn't that pretty vanilla?
(*badum-psh*)
Brainstorming the Initial Plot
in The Age of the Dragon
Posted
We should be all good, I believe, but now is a good time to tell them about Invisible Castle: http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/
Registration is free and allows one to include notes to explain what the roll is for. I'm adding my background rolls (and health, mana, etc, when the time comes) in "player notes" for easy verification.