Deathtrap Dungeon, Take two. (OOC thread) (Mature) (Re-Open_

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Active players

To my knowledge, the players that are active in the old game were.

Active players
Player,   Character
Techmaster-Glitch,   Xephelon
Inumo,   Jio
Meany,   Barbarus Hagoo


There have been a few setting changes, so please re-submit the character Bios, to make sure they still work within the setting. I'll post links to the completed bio when they're up on the thread.

Setting introduction.
Some of the crystals were the size of a forearm, and of a purity that had been seen only twice before, to his memory. Odd; whomever had dug out the tunnels either didn't notice or didn't value the Crysx contained in the locale. Unbelievably lucky find this, and the Council was safe, the explorers had been silenced, and the only problems seemed to be logistical; in getting a colony going, in the middle of a semi-arid plain, oft traveled through but not really settled, especially without attracting notice.

The power games had been tiring. Even the most absurd claims were insisted upon with vicious force in the chambers, and the arguments went on so long that a joke that the phoenix would go out before they were done bickering garnered more than a few chuckles. That the council as a body hold jurisdiction over the site pleased nobody, but on the other hand, nobody's opposition to the idea was too strenuous, so in the final tally, that had been settled upon. The first shipment of settlers, artisans and laborers, and the all important miners, had been sent out, along with the first oversight body. He wasn't sure how under the Gods this group had been chosen, with all the wrangling, but, for better or for worse, they were there, and at least for the moment, in charge of things.


Premise

As you're all well aware, this is take 2 for the Deathtrap Dungeon RP. We're keeping the original concept of "Bunch of characters running a dungeon, and trying to build it up to a thriving community." You're the monsters in direct charge of running the day to day affairs of the dungeon. You do have bosses, in the form of the Creature Council, but they'll be at most sending vague directions and quotas for you to meet; unless things go seriously wrong, they'll likely just be a quiet voice in the background.

I'm trying to go for a much more "Down to earth" and "realistic" (If such terms can be said to apply) feel for this, the other game had a lot of light points, this one probably won't. Unlike the last game, this dungeon has a purpose, it's not just a generic structure underground somewhere.
Out in the boonies, there has been a discovery of a natural tunnel system, dug by unknown forces. This would be interesting, but generally of little note, if it hadn't been for rich Crysx pockets in some of the tunnels, and there is a good chance that there are more in the surrounding dirt and rock. Crysx is a naturally forming crystal, with some inherently magical properties. Just being in the presence of the stuff tends to produce minor boosts to magical energy collection, and the crystals, with larger and purer ones being better at it, are very useful as "batteries" containing magical energy. What's more, they possess extremely strong affinities for dimensional magic, and are often used in the creation of permanent teleportals. There are other veins of the stuff, but there's never nearly enough supply to meet demand, and this colony, once it gets going, will probably be a rich hub, initially with the mining business, and then later as things grow, hopefully a self sustaining (albeit monstrous) community.

Character Responsibilities.

First and foremost, you guys are there to run the dungeon. Your mandate is principally concerned with mining, so above all KEEP PRODUCTION UP. That's what the council wants, and if the crystal flow slackens, you'll probably all be demoted, possibly by a headlength. There are going to be problems, and you'll be expected to solve them. This doesn't mean they'll be completely arbitrary, but if you scream for help, it had better be a real emergency.

Secondly, most creature hierarchies are based on personal power, be it physical or magical, with political leadership flowing from that. There will be threats to the dungeon, and you'll be expected to do a significant portion in keeping them at bay. Even if there are no external problems, if you show too much weakness, there are lots of people who would want to take your place, if they think they're strong enough to seize and hold it. This place promises to be a lucrative business one day, and the wealth alone is enough to make most creatures salivate at the thought of dipping into it.

Thirdly, this , especially at the beginning, is a growing community. At the start, the place is basically an ant farm, scaled up, with some valuable mineral deposits on it. While you're leaders, you'll probably need to do some actual work too, as there simply isn't enough manpower to get everything that needs to get done done quickly enough.  

Not all of the jobs are set in stone, but at the start, the dungeon is in real basic state, with just a few settlers coming in. At the very least, you'll need someone to direct mining, someone to excavate new tunnels, someone to build and develop the existing tunnels, someone to recruit more people into the colony, and some sort of internal police force. Since you're creatures, and rampaging is part of your psyche, you'll probably also want to have an external force for raiding nearby settlements, if any. Whether or not you want to keep any externally forming army/militia separate from the internal police function is up to you guys.

Fourthly, you're the personal representatives of your race, appointed by the Creature Council itself. (for purposes of this game, the Creature council also includes things that aren't DMFA per se creatures). If you screw up, you make your whole race look bad. Think about that. Political compromises, at least for the moment, mean that there is only one member on the Dungeon Council per race. That might change, but it might not.

Setting.
This isn't quite DMFA, and this isn't quite DnD, but it's a weird hybrid of the two, combined with a dash of my own personal madness. (So keep on your heads up and your eyes open, assuming you have such organs) Technology level is distinctly late medieval, early renaissance. No electricity, no computers, no flying machines, and gunpowder is a weird rich boy's toy, cannons are a new, novel invention, but with a firing rate of roughly once, before it breaks, they're a long way away from being serious siege weapons.

Socially, things are fairly anarchic, at least where you creatures are concerned. There are other nations, and peoples out there, but the area surrounding your dungeon is not well explored, so you'll have to find out for yourself what is out there, waiting for you.


As for the dungeon itself, at the start, it is a very bare bones sort of dungeon. You have no real infrastructure, a honeycomb of tunnels. The population is you guys, your retinues, and a handful of miners, tunnelers, and other laborers, for an estimated rough population of about 120, most of whom are civilians; DMFA style half-demons, weaker griffons, or the more grunt work sort of creatures. Don't expect much help from them when trouble starts. You're living in tents, at the beginning (Why you have tents underground is more due to cultural inertia than any real reason). The one thing you do have a lot of are consumable supplies. You guys were sent about six months wroth of food (for your current population), an ample supply of mining, tunneling, and construction tools, 800 permanent magical light fixtures, a few magical air generators, and a small scale teleporter, connecting you to the homeland. The teleporter doesn't have a huge amount of capacity though, especially for live cargo. You'll want to develop resources on site as quickly as possible, especially a sustainable food source.

Character Generation
Remember, everyone here is a representative of their race, so if you want to play a hybrid, you're really only representing one, and probably not all that well. While I won't eliminate hybrids entirely, there better be a damn good reason for being one. Ideally, all the players will be roughly equal in power. In practice, he best players, the ones who come up with the cleverest solutions to the problems before them, are likely to be the most "powerful" regardless of what it says on a character sheet. Sharp wits will serve you well, but for now, here's what's needed in a biography.

Name:  The character's name.

Race: What creature you are

Description: What your character looks like, maybe with a brief, brief personality summary in with it.

Occupation: What your job is in the dungeon. Since we're just starting off, this'll be what you WANT to do, rather than
what is being done, at the moment.

History: The character's bio.

Powers: This should be a list of all skills, magical abilities, significant advantages, training in exotic fields, etc. What your character is Good At. While I'm not going to (right now) hold to any quantitative requirements, the more descriptive and precise your abilities are, the better off things will be, so we can resolve as many of  the "I can do this," "nuh-uh" arguments before they get started as we can.

Weaknesses: All the things that your character is bad at, please list both weaknesses endemic to your race, as well as weaknesses specific to your character.

Retinue: If appropriate. Your characters are here primarily to lead the colony, and as such, you can take along a few friends, sycophants, trusted allies, etc. They should have a short bio and skill/weakness set as well, but nothing as extensive as a player bio. Your Retinue will generally be loyal to you,  but THEY ARE NPCS AND UNDER DM CONTROL, just NPCs that are much more loyal, competent, and reliable than most of the other blunt tools you'll have to work with. They are NOT replacements for PC activity, and generally, the sorts of problems that come up will be things you guys will be needed to deal with. Retinue are there to help, not be thrown at every problem so you can sip martinis and slack off.
All characters are subject to DM approval, and while all the old players are getting grandfathered in,  (which means you get a character, not necessarily exactly the same one for the first RP) small revisions will doubtless be necessary.  Please send your bios to either this thread or my PM box, and if they're good (I promise, I'm not too harsh about this) they'll be approved and linked to in this post.


At the moment, the RP is closed to new entrants.

[Chairtastic]

Cower in fear, puny mortals!

Name:   Barbarus Hagoo.

Race:   Were feline.

Description:   An old tomcat.  Roughly five feet tall, and appearing to be well into old age.  Tawny fur, hanging in wrinkles around the face and hands, shoulder length salt-and-pepper hair, more salt than pepper, with a few locks bearing coloured beads, and attached feathers at their ends; though brown eyes still show a lively spark.  Dressed in garb apparently as old as he is: brown full breeches, swash boots, a white shirt, and black waistcoat, as well as a dark blue coat with black cuffs and bronze buttons.  A gray-blue sash tied around the waist, serving as a belt; and a smooth staff topped with a silver cap.
   Personality:   Barbarus is a dangerous man.  He is be cruel, bloodthirsty, and vengeful, but he can also be gentlemanly, eloquent, and merciful whenever it suits him to be so.  He can be quite vain, and stubborn, as per his Were and feline natures; as well as manipulative, sticking with his interpretations of laws and rules, rather than breaking them.  When making deals with him, pick your words and their possible implications carefully; because he will, and keep to those words.  He has a certain fearlessness about him, that borders suicidal insanity, which he attributes to having a more acute understanding of the world; it is in fact due to his 'condition'.

Occupation:   Spymaster/Shaman.

History:   
   Barbarus was one of a set of identical twin boys, the second born of the two.  He and his brother were sons of the Hagoo Were tribe's chief, and made a name for themselves as pranksters and general hooligans.  This persisted well into young adulthood, though by then Barbarus was the one who had become a terror.  When the Chief died, it still had yet to be decided whom would obtain the title, both Barbarus and his brother were capable, but then so were several others.  Barbarus withdrew himself from the running, and sabotaged the other candidates, either by manipulation, or psychological warfare.
   Seriously, it wasn't pretty.
   Despite this...questionable behaviour, Barbarus received no reprimand from the new Chief, or the tribal Elders.  His chosen vocation was to become one of the Tribe's shamans, ensuring the cultural heritage was passed on, and that the Tribe had its supply of specialized magic-users.  However, Sarabi, his brother's wife, was not of the Hagoo, and thus could not easily tell the two apart.  It did not help that they occasionally switched places as their private joke.  One thing led to another, and Barbarus left the Hagoo with all speed.
   He became a henchmen in a series of dungeons, eventually gaining the skill to become a professional Spy.  He made quite masterful use of his natural Were predisposition to being mistaken for a Being, earning himself a sizable fortune in a short period of time.  With this money, he finished his education, both mundane and magical.  Shortly after hitting sixty, Barbarus retired from espionage in the traditional way, faking his own death, and re-emerged as a professor of Were culture and advanced magicks at a moderately well known university. 

Powers:    Barbarus, like all Were, has the capacity for magic, particularly in his primal form.  His training has geared him more readily toward transmutation; the analysis of an object or amount of matter, deconstructing it, and reconstructing it in a new configuration.  However, he is also knowledgeable of magical lore, and ritual magicks-particularly those associated with purification, and warding off or exorcising non-corporeal entities.  Ritual magicks by their very nature take significant time and energy.  However his transmutation abilities are much more immediate.  Normally, transmutation requires an array set over a circle to function, however for simple-relatively speaking-works, Barbarus can use himself as the array, forming a circle with his hands.  More complex arrays are needed for specified, or multifaceted transmutation.  Using no circle, Barbarus can do dozens of small transmutations all day-converting water to steam, ice, or back to water for example; however with a circle to work with, he could feasibly affect matter on the scale of a city-block between four and five times a day.  Barbarus is also very skilled with knives, straight-edged swords, and staffs.  Barbarus has a skill for sleight of hand, and conniving, if a bit too relatively straightforward strategy.  His feline grace and balancing powers are as sharp as ever, as are his heightened Were senses; his pain tolerance is very high.    He is also a magnificent singer, actor, and authorized to consecrate marriages.

Weaknesses:   He is an old man.  His health is not the best, at any time, and his is considerably less likely to run down the side of falling building these days.  Barbarus, like all Weres cannot fully control his magical power, and this can sometimes meddle with precise transmutations.  Also, all of the same things which can kill a being can kill him.  Due to a bit of experimenting in his youth, Barbarus now has to share his head with a second, fragmented personality, which habitually fights with Barbarus himself for control of their shared body's major systems, while also eroding Barbarus' personality, replacing it with portions of the fragment.

Retinue:
Name: Belize.
Race:  Were mongoose.
Age:  31.
Occupation:  Physician.
Description:  Four feet tall, brown furred, blonde haired, and blue eyed.  Scrawny build.  Usually seen in breeches, white shirts, waistcoats and simple boots.
Personality:  The bleeding heart sort.  Not one to see people suffer if he can help it, and the spine to actually do something-due to Barbarus' influence.  Does not broach argument with his patients about their treatments.
Association with PC:  Barbarus is his foster-father, having footed the bill for most of his medical training, and given him a new identity after being banished by his original tribe.  Is also Barbarus' personal doctor.

[techmaster-glitch]

And on that note, anyone else got cleared character sheets to post? A few haven't even been sent in, I think, but the ones that have been cleared could go up...

[Lisky]

Name: Baseel (pronounced Bah Seel)  Wolkshammer, AKA Bas, The Basilisk
Race: Demon
Gender: Male
Species: Demon Canine, German Shepherd
Family and Associations: (Father) Leofric, (Mother) Katia, (Brothers) Chimare, Ragnar, Alaric, (Sisters) Claire, Chariece, Elyaina

Height: 6'4" without horns, 7'4" with
Weight: 230 Lbs
Physical Description: At 728 years Bas has been around for quite some time, and yet, none of his age comes through in his appearance.  Tall, and thin, yet well muscled, one would find him to be the poster child of the demon race, at least in appearance.  He Looks to be in his mid 20's by being standards.

Across his back, starting at the top of his head, and running all the way down his back is a near jet black fur across his front is a silver tinged with a hint of brown, running across his face, down his throat and down his body, and ending in pure silver extremities.  He has full black patches around his eyes, giving him an almost raccoon mask coloring. His muzzle is also mostly black, with brown around the corners of his mouth, and a silver ring right as his snout begins to broaden.  A black diamond shape sits at the center of his head and goes from between his eyebrows to the crown of his head.  Half the diamond is hidden by Bas's hair.

His cephalic hair is a reddish blond, and is worn in long cables, tied together with silver rings.  In combat, they seem to flail about as if snakes on a Medusa's head.  At the ends of the cables, various religious icons are tied.  If you ask Bas about them, he'll tell you quite bluntly that they're trinkets of the souls of those whom have wronged him to the point of deserving a fate worse than death.

Bas sports a rather impressive pair of horns that sprout just behind his eyes, they curve up and around, facing slightly forward at the tips.

His wings match his fur patterns quite nicely, dark at the top, moving to brown about the shoulders, then silver at center mass down. though the bottom wings are rimmed in black as well.  His wingspan is 18 feet at maximum, and given his musculature, he is capable of flight.

For clothing he usually wears a dark, forest green tunic, with a black undershirt with gold chords for trim and matching pants.

History: The Wolkshammer family is a bit of mystery, wrapped in a puzzle, encased  in an enigma. What is known is that they're very firm believers in keeping the demon lineage pure, and they also seem to breed some of the most clever and racial stereotype-defying members of the demon families.  Bas fits this mold quite nicely.  He doesn't actively engage in random violence, and doesn't believe wholesale slaughter is the end all be all of amusement of the more powerful.  That isn't to say he isn't brutal when he fights, nor does he avoid combat.  He merely doesn't pray on the innocent, instead his mere presence usually stirs up a couple of adventurers  stupid enough to try and 'slay a horrible creature'.

He's the 3rd son of Duke Leofric Wolkshammer, his 2 older brothers are Chimare and Ragnar, he gets along with the as most young siblings do, they bicker constantly, and yet still love each other.  As the 3rd in line for the dukedom, Bas never had to worry about trying to build family alliances,, and his father was much more relaxed about what the demon got himself into, and who he was interested in, though Leo did 'gently nudge' young Bas towards demonesses.


Personality wise, Bas is unpredictable, yet friendly.  Despite his intimidating appearance, he gives off a very likable aura, something rare for a demon.  He is friendly with many, but friends with few.  Those who Bas does truly befriend, he would be willing to do almost anything for.  Very loyal, and proud, Bas also feels that honesty and trustworthiness are key, as one's reputation is all one has when they live for millennia.  That's not to say he isn't impulsive, rash, and has a vicious streak... he merely holds these traits back as best he can.

Combat Abilities:  As with most demons he can harden his skin as if it were armor and grow fingers into long, dagger like claws.  He's used these skills most of his life, and they only add to his fighting prowess.  Preferably, Bas likes to fight with shadow magic, and will cast spells ranging from consuming or shrouding the light in an area, to forming exploding bolts of dark energy.  Other spells of note are shadowy chains, with which Bas will use similar to Cubi wings, and his ability to create a beast, a "Shadow Fiend" as he describes it.  Which is more like a 2nd, magic-less demon, than anything else... The fiend is feral, and, although accepts basic commands form Bas, it has very little power for thought in and of itself.

Death Bolt (bread and butter combat attack spell): a basic spell comprised of pure dark energy, it's explosive power is based on how much energy the caster puts into the spell.  The bolt is a thin, glossy-black, arrow-like projectile that is cast towards a target with great speed, rough estimates put the bolt's speed around 300 FPS (feet per second).  On impact with a solid surface (either an opponent, or a wall) the magic is explosively released, expanding in all directions with great physical force.  If given enough time, and focus Bas can have the bolt explode inside a victim, making the already dangerous spell even more deadly.

He can summon but 2 physical items, and they are normally stored at his family's castle.  A massive 4 foot diameter metal rimmed wooded shield (heavily enchanted to increase it's durability... not unbreakable, but close) with a metal boss, and a double edged battle axe which he has named Reaper.  Reaper is enchanted, much like the shield for enhanced durability, capped at both ends, the bottom grip of the shaft with metal spikes, and the massive axe-head at the top.  Long, hook like protrusions form the edges of the axe head allowing it to be used to grab as well as slash an opponent.

Trivia: Bas is known to enter and exit relationships at whimsy, currently single, he seems to be quite flirtatious, though usually not serious.

His horns are massive, yet he constantly seems to ignore the fact that they're there.  He's grown so used to being a demon that he tends to forget the general social stigma of his race.

His Axe and shield were a gift given to him on his 16th birthday, and he has killed more sentients with the shield than the axe... though both pale in comparison to his body count from magic.

His title, "The Basilisk" comes from his use of flesh to stone... although it isn't common knowledge, Bas's particular brand of the spell hides the magic residue from soul-stealing and devouring.


Baseel himself will be bringing a small group of individuals to assist him.  He's primarily a military specialist, with very little ability with actual mining.  He will be bringing along a pair of demonesses, and a small cluster of beings to help facilitate growth in the dungeon (beings include a cook, 2 servants, an accountant and a couple of guards who are "adventurers")

Aleyna Kresedia:
Age: 704
Description: 5'10" with a 15' wingspan

Slender build, with a very well maintained image, Aleyna appears more like a high-class socialite than a demon-warrior.  Her bright orange, cream, red and black color scheme makes her easy to spot, and her usual choice of clothing tends towards form-fitting and utilitarian.

personality wise, she's impulsive, strong-willed, and flirty.  she has a vicious streak 5 miles wide, and she doesn't appreciate being touched without permission.  While not in a true relationship with Baseel, the 2 of the them are long-time friends, with benefits.  She tends to be a a tease in every sense of the word, however... and combined with her vicious streak, and a love of fire, it tends to end badly for someone who doesn't have expressed permission to touch her (which is very difficult to earn).

Ability wise, she's a pyromancer, summoning, manipulating and casting fire with ease.  Her powers over flame are both broad and potent, thought she is fairly restricted when it comes to other magic.  Save for a few healing and shield spells, her powers revolve more around burning things than other  focuses.   Her simple fireball spell, for example, has a wide array of variations, ranging from super-heated to burn through armor, explode on contact, enveloping a wide area in the enchanted flames, or a more persistent fire, that clings after impact, acting more like napalm than a magical fire-ball.  She can fly, and when combine with her abilities of fire, makes her a brutal opponent.


Nadia Keninagrin
Age: 412
Description: 5'4"  14' wingspan  Gray-Wolf Demoness,  Copper-tone over-coat with a blue-gray undercoat,  built like a martial artist, thin, wiry and tends to wear fairly minimal utilitarian clothing (sleeveless top + shorts)  She keeps appearance well maintained, though a bit rough.

Playful, wicked, devious, she's a rather sadistic individual who tends to toy with those she's interested in, use them for what she needs, then throw them away.  She often times comes across as a nice person, but mostly that's just a show.  She came along because she saw this as a chance to earn a name for herself amongst the council-aligned demons.  As a former classmate unable to get permission from the council itself, she went to Baseel for a favor.  


She's a earth-magic specialist.  Manipulating walls of earth, summoning binding roots, casting air-borne poisons and any number of summoning spells are all within her grasp.  Nadia is a competent individual, but has no where near the powers of Baseel nor Aleyna.  

[techmaster-glitch]

Name: Xephelon
Race/Species: Mythos, Green Imbuer

Description:  As an Imbuer Mythos, Xephelon is basically a landbound octopus or squid. He is neon-green in color, and looks little more than a fleshy mass two feet in size, with small tentacles. He has two small eyes and a mouth on a little "head", but otherwise, his body is quite malleable due to not having any bones, and able to squeeze into small spaces. However, his actual body is rarely seen (see below).

Occupation:  Maintenance and construction of magical items, constructs, devices, and utilities around the dungeon. Development of magitech infrastructure support and logistics. Analysis and processing of incoming magic items. General magical "engineering".

History:  Xephelon's kind is a fairly rare type of Mythos (as far as Mythos go), and thanks to the sheer alien appearance of his exoshell, he's rarely met with open arms by any community that's never seen one of his kind before. On the other hand, he has actually worked with a few open-minded adventurers before, but he's been looking for a more permanent residence to settle down in and fulfill his desire to advance magical engineering. He has come across a call for individuals of skill and power to work on developing a new mining facilyt in the area he's traveling through. It advertises as a safe place for Creatures, but Xephelon is very intersted in the crystal mine the facility is built on; crystals are very useful to Xephelon. He appraches the "dungeon" to investigate...

Personality:  Xephelon is actually a nice person. While he does look out for himself, he does understand the value of friends and allies, and looks down on those who do actions that would directly harm or upset others, and when he has worked with adventurers, it was for taking down a particularly destructive Creature or other villain. While Xephelon doesn't actually have any real skill with diplomacy or negotiation, he will try to talk himself out of a situation and avoid fighting whenever possible, though he will commit his constructs and abilities if his allies are threatened.

Powers:
 Xephelon belongs to a rather remarkable type of Mythos. While physically small and weak, they are gifted with prodigious magical power. However, this magic cannot be cast in spells like normal magic-users; all Mythos of the Imbuer type use magic by "imbuing" it into any nonliving object they touch. Xephelon's species, Greens, can enchant objects to hold nearly any magical quality or power temporarily (permanently if time measured in hours or days is spent on the object). They can't cast a fireball spell, but they can enchant an object to shoot fireballs. They can't cast a spell to make someone stronger, but they can enchant an object the person is wearing that will then make them stronger. Due to this, Green Imbuer Mythos are masters of creating magic items of nearly any kind, even edging into "magitech". As they like to create their own objects to receive their magic, Green Imbuer Mythos also often pick up skill at crafting and shaping mundane materials, using magic-enhanced tools in construction.
  One thing particular to Green Imbuer Mythos (and often their defining trait) is that due to their abilities and the fact their physical bodies are very weak and vulnerable, nearly all of them create a personal magical "exo-shell" to enhance their interactions with the world around them. These exoshells are very unique, taking on almost any shape and size, and are often specialized to their creator's preferences. Some make great juggernaut exoshells that are engines of combat, other make exoshells geared to mining or construction, or any other purpose besides. Few people ever actually see a Green Imbuer Mythos' real body--only the exoshell they reside in.
  Xephelon is highly intelligent, possessing a keen analytical mind. His social skills are fairly adequate, and is good at calmy talking and reasoning things out. When outside of his exoshell, however, see "weaknesses" for his physical attributes.
  Xephelon's capabilities extend to imbuing any object with a variety of magical properties and effects simply by touching them. The more complex the property, the more time it takes to imbue the object. These effects are temporary, and vanish some time after the imbuing (usually more than ten minutes, sometimes up to an hour). However, if he spends hours or days on an object, he can permanently bestow magical properties on the object, making it a magic item. Highly advanced projects, such as the creation of magical constructs, can often take days or weeks, including the time it takes to craft the body.
--Xephelon's Exoshell:
  Xephelon's personal shell (which, like most Green Imbuer Mythos, he spends almost all his time in) consists of a main torso/body set on a quadrupedal base. There are four arms attached to the main body, and each arm has a variety of retractable/deployable tools. The exoshell stands roughly five feet tall, and is built from what looks like interlocking plates of metal, and angular glowing lines of magic wrap around most of the shell (the color is usually green). Three lights that represent eyes are set into the center of the torso. In the back, there is a small hole only a few inches wide that is usually covered by a metal plate. When Xephelon exits the shell, the plate moves out of the way, and the hole leads to the cavity inside the main body where Xephelon would reside.
  With the tools built into the arms of the exoshell, it is an excellent vessel for crafting and manufacturing objects. Most of the tools themselves have individual enchantments on them to enhance their capabilities. Two of the arms have small crystals in them that can easily accept and channel temporary enchantments on the fly. These are generally used when constructing an unusual object and a special effect is needed, but in combat, Xephelon may sometimes put some kind of offensive magic into them.
  Xephelon's exoshell, being made mostly of enchanted metal, is decently tough, and is also lightly warded against small damage and ambient effects. However, it's not built very thick, and a big hit from anything is liable to cause significant problems. The central torso, where Xephelon is housed, is the the toughest part of the exoshell (and while the lights in the center do indeed function as "eyes", they aren't a weak point, only being magic enchantments). The exoshell is also hermetically sealed (air and watertight); when Xephelon is inside the cavity and magically linked to the exoshell, it puts his real body in a form of partial life-supported stasis, preventing the need for basic respiratory functions. However, maintaining the exoshell over long periods of time is eventualy draining, and Xephelon still must exist regularly to feed. Obviously, the exoshell is stronger than Xephelon's real body, and allows him to lift things he couldn't normally, but it won't be winning any arm-wrestling contests with an ogre any time soon.
  In addition, Xephelon's normal skills are as follows;
-Exceptional Craftsman: Highly adept at working with materials and shaping them into desired forms, including weapons and armor.
-Master Artificer: Second to none at creating magic items and objects.
-Magic Analyst: Can examine, analyze, and "reverse-engineer" magic effects already in place.
-Logistics: A knack for good resource allocation.

Weaknesses:  Xephelon is very poor in direct combat, even when within his exoshell. It isn't designed for a fight, hardly has any real weapons, and isn't very tough, so Xephelon will generally opt to let allies with items enhanced by his magic or his own constructs do his fighting for him. Outside of his exoshell, Xephelon is completely exposed, being small, weak, and vulnerable. His body is a boneless mass of flesh and light muscle, severely hampering his strength and mobility. If he doesn't have something enchanted to help him, he moves by shuffling and squiggling, and there are few things he can actually lift (sufficiently-sized books can give him problems). In fact, no Mythos of the Imbuer type has significant unaided mobility. His body also cannot really take any punishment of any kind, except for may a weak blunt blow, or squeezing/squishing. While Xephelon is somewhat dexterous, and able to wriggle out of tight spots, he is otherwise at the mercy of anything that catches him outside of his exoshell.

Retinue: None. The Imbuer Mythos (both Blue and Green) are a rare sight, and don't usually have the motivation or numbers to congregate in large groups. They are generally friendly to each other and will usually cooperate if they meet, but as it stands, Xephelon has not seen another of his specific kind of Mythos for several years, nor has he yet attempted to seek any out. While he does usually befriend any other Mythos he sees, he does not have any following him into the dungeon, nor does he have any other underlings. Once in the dungeon, however, he will have to gather and organize anyone capable of general object enchantment.
--The Blue Imbure Mythos:  The other type of Imbuer Mythos are the Blue Imbuer Mythos. They are slightly inverted to the Greens; where Greens can enchant properties into objects, but must spend a long time to make an animated object or construct, Blues animate and bestow semi-life any object they touch. However, to give additional properties beyond simply bringing things to "life" takes a significant investment of time, likie a Green for creating constructs.

Misc/Trivia:
-A good idea of how Xephelon works: this image

[Inumo]

Name: Jio

Race: Moloi – See Racial Description

Description: When he's stone, he looks like a feline made out of granite. A red strip of cloth is wrapped over his eyes, which cannot be removed without him wanting it removed. He is of medium height, and weighs 165 pounds, whether stone or flesh. When he is physically active, most people hear him as professional, with a cheerful greeting for whoever he passes by. He is very discovery-oriented, and is willing to use whatever he needs to further his own research.

Occupation: Architect

History: Due to his earning of a red blindfold, he was offered his choice of colleges to attend in the Valley of Stone, with a full scholarship. Unsure of what field he wished to enter, he decided to enroll at the Royal Institute of Magic and Technology at Najika. After a few semesters, he had picked out two studies he wanted to know more about: Architecture and Arcana. Eventually, he chose to major in Architecture due to the higher demand outside of the Valley, though he minored in Arcana as a way to still feed his interest in the study.

Always interested in what was outside of the Valley, when news spread that there was a council looking for people to begin a settlement on the frontiers, he quickly jumped at the opportunity. With his education finished after 25 years, he was free to do as he wished, so long as he reported to the reigning monarch, King Koreh III.

Powers: Natural Magical Affinity, Supernatural Speed, 50% Magical Absorption, Stone-shape, "Presence-Sight," Architectural Structure and Design, Theory of Arcana, Rikean Fluency, Moloi Fluency

Weaknesses: Stone-shape (race-wide) (see Racial Description), Slow Details (race-wide) (see Racial Description), Insensitive Curiosity, Doesn't Know Common

Retinue: None

Racial Description: The Moloi developed a magical trait which causes them to turn to stone whenever a part of them is being viewed by a living source. This stone-shape isn't the same as their true-shape. However, this doesn't stop their mental activity, only their physical.

Moloi are born blind, and stay as such until they are fifteen. At thirteen, they undergo a rite of passage, where they must pass through an obstacle course and, at the obstacle they fall at, they earn a blindfold of a specific color. Green is the lowest on the ranking, lying beneath the first obstacle, a series of platforms. If a Moloi passes that, they can either choose to take a teal bandana, or continue onto the next obstacle, a set of balance beams and trapezes over a pit with the blue bandana. After that, there is the purple bandana, and the option to continue on to the final obstacle. The last obstacle's pit is filled with illusionary spikes, though no Moloi coming of age knows that they are an illusion. To cross the pit, a Moloi must jump from pillars only wide enough to place a foot on, followed by a leap of faith onto a platform with the white bandana. Should they fall, they land on the ground and are given a red bandana. The bandanas are used to cover the adolescent's eyes so that they don't accidentally freeze anyone when their eyes open. The bandanas are enchanted so that they cannot be removed unwillingly.

A Moloi's blind lifestyle has also granted them the ability to "see" by sensing the presence of an object or creature. A moloi can't tell the actual shape or appearance of an object or creature unless they (the object or creature) wait around for a few seconds. Beyond that, the Moloi are very much magical creatures in nature. In addition to their inborn magical abilities, they also absorb half of all magical energy that is directed them and use it as a supplement to food. They do require some nutrition, however.

Due to their sensitive nature, the Moloi have been fearful of leaving the safety of their Valley of Stone. This has prevented them from ever dealing with any other creatures or cultures, so they speak their own language and have developed a lifestyle vastly different from those outside the Valley.

****************

Please realize that this means that, when first meeting the other creatures, he won't understand them and you guys won't understand him.

[techmaster-glitch]

Please realize that this means that, when first meeting the other creatures, he won't understand them and you guys won't understand him.

We won't even realize he's a creature at all at first "Hey, where'd that statue come from? Eh, nevermind it." *minute later* "What the--wasn't that staue on the other side of the room?"

Looking forward to this, though Gonna be verrrry interesting...

[Tipod]

I'm here.

Name: Mnogo
Race: Mudman

Description: A being made of pitch and wet earth, Mnogo's form is naturally amorphous and will change at a whim. For the most part, he assumes a vaguely humanoid figure, very similar to a mannequin, albeit with a pillar of slime where the lower-half would be. Averages at about six feet, five inches in height, though is prone to change depending on whatever company he's with.

Personality wise, he is very cunning and calculating, as is required in his position as a mudman chieftain. That is not to say he won't be affable in the company of other, similarly powerful creatures, and will assume a more pleasant demeanor when the occasion calls for it. He comes across as sincere, but because he lacks a face, it's difficult to tell just how much he loathes someone on the inside. Tends to stay with his own kind, but does not entirely segregate himself from others (after all, you can't climb a social ladder if you never approach the bottom rungs). Holds a rather dim outlook on non-elementals, or "meatcreatures," both being and Creature alike. Though, if one proves themselves wise, strong, or resolved enough, or is just as sly as he is, then they will have earned some degree of respect. Is not quick to anger, but is relatively easy to annoy.

He takes considerable pleasure in the killing of those that are considered nuisances or weaklings, particularly in a drawn-out fashion (which should help motivate him should the Dungeon attract large numbers of amateur adventurers).

Occupation: Seeking a position in security and labor management.

History: Born and raised in a humid swampland, Mnogo was a talented craftsman in his tribe. His trade? Trapmaking. He would spend hours gleefully constructing geological pitfalls all around his tribe's territory to capture and kill any organic life unfortunate enough to fall into them. It wasn't long before his ruthlessness drove him to devour the tribe's only overseer, and after some time pushing around the toilers and brutes, he would later ambush and kill the tribe chieftain, elevating himself to the lofty position.

Though the perks were phenomenal, leading a tribe in such an out-of-the-way area lacked challenge; his aggressive booby-trapping of the area and raids against meatcreature tribes left in the region meant there were no more opponents remaining to crush and kill. Unable to find comfort in such a complacent life, Mnogo left his tribe to seek satisfaction elsewhere. Hopefully, he would find more well-endowed foes to square off against, or at least a more fulfilling position.

Powers: -Physical toughness: Unaffected by blunt force trauma or piercing weapons.
-Mobility: Can burrow and slide through loose earth, and is unhindered by terrain that would slow more organic creatures. Very talented at stalking.
-Terraforming: Can alter certain terrain to fit his own needs.
-Geomancy: Mnogo is relatively adept at using arcane methods to change the earth as needed, mostly to aid in landscaping and form deathtraps.
-Offensive capabilities: Can harden his body into a drier, more golem-like form for crushing heroes and monsters alike.
-Asexual: Can reproduce quickly and on his own, provided he has time and materials.
-Warchief: Better-than-average strength combined with years of experience make him a capable fighter.

Weaknesses: -Temperature sensitive: Mnogo operates very poorly in extremely hot or cold areas, and can be neutralized for some time if frozen or baked.
-Physically unappealing: Well, just look at him.
-One-trick magic pony: Geomancy is all Mnogo specializes in, and is incapable of learning much else.
-Partially soluble: His physical makeup keeps him from becoming entirely dissolved when immersed in water, but long exposure will leave him weak and limp for some time.

Trivia: -One of Mnogo's greatest childhood desires was to go back to the prehistoric era and kill dinosaurs.
-Favorite food is lizard meat, mostly crocodile.
-Favorite color is royal purple.
-Single (unsurprisingly).

Retinue:

-Drones: 10 mudmen of limited mental faculties, they can only accomplish the basest of tasks. On the positive side, they don't require sleep or nourishment, and never complain or doubt.

-Matron Kalua: A pitch-like creature only slightly less cunning and spiteful than Mnogo himself, Kalua serves as a venomous right-hand mudman. Or, venomous right-hand mudwoman, as the case may be. Mudpersons tend to view gender as a more personal, mental aspect rather than a physical one, and usually manifest as lighter, more agile physiques in females and taller, heftier ones in males.

Being a subordinate of Mnogo, Kalua lacks the same powerful geomancy as he does, but possesses more or less the same talents and attributes. Her skills are often relegated to minor tasks such as watching over drones and managing other small projects, or fighting on the frontlines should any adventurers or creatures encroach on their turf. Enjoys gardening and ornamental horticulture in her spare time.

[VAE]

Name:  Glup.
Player: danman
Race: Chuul

Description:
An updated and better picture will be in order
A giant, very subdued (mostly by algae) yellow-green lobster-like with dozen mid-length tentacles around its mouth, has 5 legs.
He speaks Deep speech, and has learned some common on his travels, although it sounds somewhat like gargling
An intelligent creature, he has transformed the problem of the race to a boon - his main source of income has been selling well-cleaned brains to Ilithids, mad scientists ,and other interested customers.
EDIT: Actual parameters as calculated from DnD - He is 15 feet long, and has a 10 feet reach

Chuuls , whether sand or water dwelling seem mostly solitary beings, who pretty much seek others of their species only when interested in mating.
Gulp exhibits this tendency to a somewhat lesser extent, due to being instilled with a sense of hierarchy between the ilithids.
Overall he might be described as lawful evil of sorts - he is not sadistic or so, just ruthless...
He believes order makes things simpler and better, and of course cares that the order will include as many chuuls as possible...
Due to a monotonous voice and lack of facial expression, his reactions can be somewhat difficult to understand for those not being Cubi.
Due to the spectacular failure he remembers, he is devoutly atheistic, considering any gods either nonexistent or not worthy of worship. He knows little of magic as well, only meeting some at hands of his enemies, and later among  Zinvth citizens.

Glup carries most possession in two waterproof bags tied around his body (like the packs on a donkey somewhat)



Responsibilities:
Shopkeeper.

History:
Glup hatched, along with several dozen of his kind , in a murky pool in some nondescript cave.
He had little knowledge of their  parents as they left soon, so as not to attract attention to the lair, not that parents are very important in the culture of beings whose parental instinct goes the first way (let's have a load of them so some survive)
After a few months of hunting pool-fish, fighting among themselves , and generally having a good time as chuul life goes, he and most siblings were fished out by a bunch of ilithids and transferred to their settlement as garbage disposal and guardian animals. Although rather less free, Glup had a steady supply of corpses, was taught deep speech, and as he exhibited intelligence even for his kind, some basic psionics as well, and was left in charge of a small group of his brothers, each being in charge of less intelligent creatures (The ilithids realized, that to subdue an intelligent species, it is best to make it a part of the hierarchy).
When they were attacked by a group of heroes, Gulp witnessed a spectacular (one could say critical biggrin) failure of the illithid cleric to cast an offensive spell and his subsequent slicing up.
He and his underlings played a significant role in defeating the party, but the few illithids left had no use for such a large creature population, and so they gave them freedom as  a win-win reward.
Left to wander freely, a striking realisation came to him when killing and eating a caveman , and instinctively leaving the brain behind,something he has not seen for years.
There are creatures that use these!
Using his abilities, he soon began selling prime-quality brains to any customers willing to deal with him - luckily, most beings needing brains are intelligent enough not to care about appearance.
However, tired by the unceasing attacks by local druids ("One should be glatheful fogl sush eashy pgley, exshep' theigl blains ale cglap") he decided to migrate to Furrea, where, apparently they are not such a problem.
Somewhere along, he had the bright idea that there are more unconsumable adventurer parts that one can sell... one thing led to another and besides brains, he now sells all sorts of stuff.


Powers:

Ageless - Like other nephropidae, because of the ensyme telomerase, chuuls lack aging - if not killed, can continue indefinitely
Crustacean (power and drawback) - Sharp bladed weapons are notoriously poor against this being
Poison - the tentacles can deliver a sting of paralytic poison to an opponent , or prey
Psionics:
Chuul innate: Glup is able to "lure" prey, which in the chuul variant consists of torturing the opponent's mind but doing it less fervently when he goes in the desired direction, and he emits an unpleasant psychic hum which weakens enemies' mental defenses, and annoys the hell out of allied psychics, and those who can hear thoughts
Psychokinesis - similar to telekinetic ability, but he must be in contact with the thing it is being applied to -  allows him to perform difficult feats with his tentacles, or increase his apparent strength by applying both his body and his mind to the task at hand  although doing it for a long time is somewhat tiring.
Contact Thought Reading - These two come hand in hand - when touching a creature/being , glup can hear its thoughts like a cubi would at distance.

Darkvision -  The makeup of the eye, focused on reflective elements allows it to see in a way similar to a cat.
Large spiked pincers - any more needs to be said?
Fast swimmer - Similarly to a lobster, he can move wiggling his torso and tail in water, reaching remarkable swim speed in the backward direction.
T-34 - His armoured body is usually covered by wet algae which lessen impact of fire spells
(the name refers to the fact that soviet tank drivers used to attach shovels, wire meshes and random junk to their tanks to protect them against german Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck hand-fired missiles)
Strong Lobsters and such possess striated muscle, similar in efficiency to fish mammals and so. Pincers possess leverage. Does any more need to be said?
Healthy Due to the mentioned regenerative properties ,armor and whatnot, its damage resistance is higher than one would expect for the size.
Reach As mentioned before , glup has a reach of 10ft with his tentacles around his front.

Flaws:
Crustacean -  (both power and drawback) Blunt weapons are quite dangerous, as even if not breaking the armour, concussion can occur easily.. Also, freezing attacks make this doubly so.
Ew, Brains! -  Brain tissue is poisonous to Chuuls, as well as disgusting.
Non-humanoid - Although able to use most things and tools, armor and things like magical rings etc are generally useless as he has nowhere to put them on.
[/b]Turn hard[/b] Although agile otherwise, multiple feet and a long body makes it harder to turn than for a bipedal
Aberration Generally hated by nature-worshippers, spells that call upon Mother Nature are more powerful against him
Poor vision The disadvantage of the chuul/crustacean type eyes is that they do not allow much resolution - without magical means, glup's distance vision isn't very sharp, and for reading, he needs BIG LETTERS
Exoskeleton If the exoskeleton is broken, Glup needs to mend himself with superglue, or get healed, otherwise his haemolymph will seep out (sustained damage by bleeding, depends on size of injury)
(Note: Superglue is an actual method to mend giant spiders if they injure by falling!)

Retinue: Non-essential, so only if you allow.
Amit
Race: Neogi.
Age: 5
Sometime recent, a particular Neogi made the almost fatal mistake of attempting to earn some prestige among his peers competitors by getting himself a Chuul slave. Due to the naturally hard carapace, agile tentacles and psionic ability, this was exactly the ridiculous failure you'd think it would be.
However, since Neogi are rather small, which makes a poor meal, and since the scan of surface thoughts revealed that their world view is close enough,  and most importantly having good eyesight, Glup instead took the Neogi into his possession with his full consent - for one he had little choice , besides after this failure he wouldn't be exactly taken seriously by his fellow businesscreatures.
This partnership has so far proven quite fruitful, with the neogi doing Glup's paperwork, which lead to a massive saving of paper, and contributing fruitful new business ideas.

Description: Amit is a young neogi with thick brown fur, almost reaching dark red in colour. He generally wears a dark green jacket, and a purple scarf tied through an electrum brooch with a large green gemstone embedded.
He shows promising skill at magic but knows little so far as he  is rather young  (neogi reach maturity at about a year of age), as well as the general business thought.
Out of the duo, he is  the streetwise and  more sophisticated one, though tends to be careless when shaping ideas.
For long treks, he tends to nestle between the bags on Glup's back, protecting them from thieves- due to the size disparity, he isn't a load.
When fighting he prefers to use a special weapons - pointy sort of metallic sheath which slides onto his pincers, and functions a lot like a daggers would.

[techmaster-glitch]

Alright, we're close! Just Liatai and Kafziel and we can get this ball a-rollin'!

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Liatai has asked to be put on deferment. If she wants to, she can join the RP later.


Kafzeil I have yet to hear from. If I don't get an indication that he even still wants to play in a week, we're moving forward without him.

[techmaster-glitch]

Yeah, it's sad Liatai opted out for now, although I personally know a few of the big projects that are keeping her busy

And I'll catch Kafziel on the chat next time I see him, find out what's up.

[techmaster-glitch]

Whee, finally getting started again! I'll have a post up soonish (I hope)

Also, the player/character list at the top might want to be updated...


EDIT: actually, I've got an intro ready, but it's probably best if I hold it off until eveyone else has had a chance to post.

[techmaster-glitch]

Question, Corg: one time when you were in the chatroom, you were apparently saying that most of the setup is already underground, but I didn't catch the specifics. So, exactly what is -aboveground-? Some tents, a shaft/stairwell down, a digging crew? That's what I'm imagining at the moment...

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Sorry for the late reply, been hectic like crazy over here. (And I know, I know, I should be in the cat more often)

What's above ground is not very well known to you guys. The area was described secondhand, then scryed, and then the portal was created to it. No agents of the creature council have been directly above ground on site, at least in connection to the project.

General knowledge, however, lets you know that the area is in the middle of a semi-arid steppe, which is sparsely populated by semi-nomadic beings. There is a small stream some eleven or so miles east of the surface exit, but no other noticeable landmarks within about a 50 mile radius.

All of your people, however, are underground, most in the main chamber.

[techmaster-glitch]

er....no, that is not at all what I meant. My guy is not part of the council squad, remember? He's -approaching- the mine after looking for it. I need to know what he sees as he gets near so I can describe it properly.

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Oh, right. Stupid canned answers thrown out without thinking.


It's early spring, and coldish. Above the freezing point of water, but not much. It's windy, bitingly so, and mostly featureless, with tall scrub grass as far as the normal eye can see in any direction. If the wind is blowing from the east, you can smell water. Chances are, you didn't run into anyone on the way in, at least not within say, 50 miles or so.


The entrance itself is hard to spot, having no particular feature advertising its presence. It's really just a hole in the ground, circular, uncannily regular, and about nine feet in diameter. Someone has recently put up a wooden door that opens down the middle, like one of those old western saloon doors, except made out of yew wood and filling the entrance-way. It should be locked, but isn't at the moment.

The corridor it leads to is exactly the same size as the door, as if a circular wave of disintegration tunneled through the rock. It slopes down, steeply, and there are no turns within sight of the doors if opened but not stepped through.


I figure once you're inside, you'll run into someone reasonably quickly.

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Ugh. Sorry for the double post, and all the delays. School bit. HARD, and once I stopped checking regularly, it was hard to remember to do so. Kudos to Basilisk, for reminding me of my responsibilities.


In the future, if this happens again (and it probably will) one of you yell at me via pm, or in here.

[Inumo]

So... Am I actually being watched, or is it just like a presence appearing for less than a millisecond? It'd have to be here and gone pretty fast for him to not register it, considering his cognition speed, and if it was there and seeing him, then Jio'd freeze...

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Jio is not immediately being watched, at least nothing that would freeze him.

[techmaster-glitch]

Huh, unusual that, in your posts, you refer to everyone as "you" instead of the third-person, Corgatha...It kinda feels like it breaks the narrative, though. But, it's just a minor thing, so if that's just your style, it's cool.

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

To be honest, I hadn't even consciously realized I was doing it. It's how I describe things when I DM pen and paper, guess it carried over. Hmm.

[techmaster-glitch]

Yeah. Forum RPs are usually written like stories, while p&p is an improv play. But if that's what works for you, then there's no real problem...although, I wonder how you'd handle it when everyone is in the same place...

[Inumo]

Personally, I don't mind it, since it makes it a bit more personal. Definitely less story-like, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Yeah. Forum RPs are usually written like stories, while p&p is an improv play. But if that's what works for you, then there's no real problem...although, I wonder how you'd handle it when everyone is in the same place...

I figure I'll kill you off one by one in that event 

[VAE]

I like the way it's done - reminds me of old adventure games.

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Just updating notice guys, been having trouble getting and maintaining and internet connection. I should have a post up in the next day or two (if nothing else, I can hit a starbucks or something)

[techmaster-glitch]

So, we waiting on anyone at the moment?

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Me. I've been....... out of sorts, the past few days, can't really focus. I'll try to put something together tomorrow though, if I can get myself together.

[Inumo]

Er, presence-sight's not a directionally limited thing. Just because Jio's head is facing the other way doesn't mean he can't see what's behind him. Granted, it takes some more focus to do so, but it's not like he's got much else to look at right now. Also, he can't feel through a stone-shape. With a fantasy definition, it's just because that's how it works, though with sciencey stuffs it's that the nerve endings get petrified as well, and can't send off signals because of it. Finally, so you know how to hide things from a Moloi, either keep it moving too fast to get a solid image (which takes ~3 seconds to form) and/or put it behind something more than ~1 foot thick to have it blur the presence too much. Oh, and if you were wondering, the Moloi don't naturally have witchsight, though they do naturally absorb magic by 50%.