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Post by Khiya on Jun 4, 2007 17:27:45 GMT -5
Is anyone interested in trying a sort of collaborative story like The Big One that's going on, but not as organized? I know (I think) that Greduin had mentioned something like this in the Genre Homeworld/Fantasy/An Idea for a story thread, but I want to explain what i'm thinking here. It's not exactly a role-playing story, because everyone writes from a 3rd person omnicient point of view. I'll start to tell a story, then anyone who wants to or has a fun idea just picks it up where the last person leaves off, and so on. When you add on to it, you are the ultimate authority for what is happening, so practically anything goes.
Cons: It will be frustrating when the fabulous plot twist you added ends up going nowhere. Styles change and make it difficult to understand the flow of the whole story It could keep going forever and ever
Pros: We all learn to take turns! (Isn't that nice!! ;D) We practice seeing what will happen given certain circumstances, and drawing conclusions about what happened backstage, given the results. Sponteniety! It could keep going forever and ever!
So tell me if you're interested, and I'll try to post a few more helpful guidelines. Cooperation, folks.
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Post by The Blue Collared Philosopher on Jun 4, 2007 18:29:22 GMT -5
I am interested!
I don't know if you like this idea, but what if everyone who writes creates a character and somehow weaved him/her into the story that you are starting? It might be messy and very disoriented, but I thought it would be cool, you know, have each person almost their own character with their own point of view and own characteristics.
And by all means, do what you want to do, but i love what-ifs.
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Post by Jeff Gerke on Jun 5, 2007 7:55:49 GMT -5
By all means, go for it!
Jeff
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Post by Khiya on Jun 5, 2007 11:06:53 GMT -5
Go ahead and write what you think works. This is for just that kind of experimenting. Okedoke, here goes In the midafternoon, a dragon flew up to the west of the town. The old woman who saw it watched it corkscrew straight up into the clouds, then slowly flap away to the south. Funny, she thought, not many dragons around these days. Hardly any, in fact. None, in fact. Then she finished the laundry at the stream and went home to bully her daughters-in-law into cooking supper. Later, licking grease off her fingers to the evening cacophony of the town, she thought, Mountains. They liked mountains. Plenty of mountains down south. So what was it doing up in the plain? Then she went to bed. About then, a hooded stranger (*three mysterious descending chords* sidled out of the brush on the westward outskirts of town and began to pick brambles off its cloak. (This is actually part of another story I’ve been writing for a while, but I want to see where it will go when different people tinker with it. You can write as little or as much as you feel like, depending on how long your inspiration lasts. The point is to see what’s happened in the text, see what may be happening behind the text, decide what will happen next – preferably it will follow the laws of nature, reality, and reason – and practice telling it in an interesting way. Let’s try to keep the characters in character, but if you think something should happen, then by all means let it happen. And please keep comments like these in parentheses at the end, for clearer reading. Enjoy.)
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Post by Christian Soldier on Jun 5, 2007 14:12:31 GMT -5
A scarlet dragon flew quietly through the evening sky. The sun's reflection caused each scale to shine like a ruby. The emerald eyes intent on the sky ahead of him. The sun's fading light played over the clouds creating a tapestry that would fade as night won her nightly battle.
His thin wings altered their angle suddenly and the dragon swooped beneath the clouds. Gra'el's sharp eyes sought familiar landmarks so he could determine his next heading. The rolling plains stretched beneath him uninterrupted except for a small village, and an even smaller human.
She was old, aged, and surprised to see a dragon so far from home. The show-dragon in Gra'el came to the fore and he swooped near the ground to rocket into the sky a hundred meters in front of her.
The barest hint of a smile played across his features as he leveled off, well above the clouds. He knew his heading now. There was still a long way to go, and he would still be flying when the dawn spread its colors across the clouds. Still, his appointment must be kept. He owed them that much, even after all these years.
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Post by Khiya on Jun 5, 2007 19:41:40 GMT -5
The stranger, in his bramble-free cloak, ambled down the darkening street as inconspicuously as possible. He didn't want to draw extra attention to himself just now, although in other times he might welcome it. Gra'el was safely away toward the meeting place, and all he had to do now was cross the hundred-odd miles to the eastern seabord.
Briefly he considered stopping in at a lodge, but then remembered the last time he had done that. He still had the rips on his hem and the charred sleeve to jog his memory. He did need provisions for a journey like that, but he could lay low and buy them the next morning. At least here there were enough people to frighten away anything that may be following him. And at least Gra'el would be safe now. He slipped open the stable door to the whickers of grumpy, dozy horses and levered himself up to the loft. Everything would be easier in the morning.
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Post by The Blue Collared Philosopher on Jun 6, 2007 6:30:00 GMT -5
An old man sat against a tree eating his lunch, an apple. His staff lay next to him in the green grass. The great plains stretched out for miles in front of him, and the road that he was on seemed to go forever in both directions.
Dwelx gazed into the sky and stroked his growing beard, why Gra'el had chosen this time to come out, and why, the hooded man had sent the message to meet there was beyond him. But then again, Gra'el was an unreadable character and he didn't know much about the hooded man.
He stood up and tossed the remains of his apple to the side, grabbed his staff, made his way down the road. Dwelx's black cloak trailed behind him and his sword swayed at his side.
This would be quite the meeting after all these years of waiting, but he wanted to see how it would turn out.
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Post by Christian Soldier on Jun 6, 2007 13:28:35 GMT -5
The mountains rose before Gra'el in all their majestic splendor. Below him the clouds had cleared up and the gentle plains had given way to hill country. Trees dotted the landscape and the occasional shepherd or traveler could be seen as tiney specks. One of them wore a billowing black cape.
After another hour, even the hills gave way to thick tree cover at the base of the mountain. A path wound its way up the mountain till it terminated in a large cave. Objective in sight, Gra'el levelled off and began his final descent. His wings fanned out as far as they could and he angled himself down slightly. At the last second he flared his wings and landed gently upright, his form already shifting.
When he walked into cave, he was a tall human with dark hair and eyes. His expression dark as he entered the dark depths of the cave. This had better be good, he thought.
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Post by The Blue Collared Philosopher on Jun 6, 2007 20:16:40 GMT -5
Gwelx watched as Gra'el circled in the air before making his decent. As the dragon landed Gwelx made his way up the mountain. The olderly man looked around to see several shepards, but they would not bother him.
He made his way up the mountain to the cave where he would find his old friends, or so he hoped.
Glancing around Gwelx reached the ledge of the cliff that lead to the cave. He turned around, the vast hills behind he stretched out like an ocean and an endless sky that met the horizon. The sun was about to set and the clouds were a beautiful combination of pink, red, and yellow.
Gwelx leaned on his staff and wondered if the world could really be that bad, but he already knew the answer, an answer he didn't like.
He heard foot steps behind him and Gwelx turned around to see Gra'el, but not in his dragon form, but as a man. Gwelx smiled, now to business.
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Post by Christian Soldier on Jun 8, 2007 13:46:56 GMT -5
He was older than Gra'el remembered. Lines roamed his face and he had to walk with a stick for support at times, but the eyes were the same. Those same steel gray eyes that had first so riveted him. The shock of white hair framing his head made their effect more pronounced than before.
Gre'al felt his face light up with a smile, "Gwelx, old friend!" The clasped arms in the soldier's hand shake, "How long has it been!"
Gwelx's face creased into a smile, "Too long, Gra'el, too long. Is Forn here also?"
Releasing Gwelx's arm, Gra'el lead them toward the interior of the cave. "So far, we're it, but we aways were the fastest travelers." The cave's main chamber was a massive, cavernous expanse with a single round table near the middle. The table itself was 4 meters across with a hole in the middle for a small fire.Five stone chairs ringed it, each with its own stone setting. Overall, the place was grim, which suited it's task.
The two old warriors took their old seats and surveyed the two seats that would never truly be filled. Gwelx's voice pierced the darkness, "Crax and Brealth should have been here for this."
Gra'el stared at those cold, empty chairs for a moment before replying, "Alas! It was not meant to be, old friend and comrade. The dead cannot rise again till the last day, not as themselves at any rate. Come! We are not here to mourn the dead, but to prepare for battle once more!"
A cold silence followed. Gwelx knew the question but feared to answer it, yet why else would he have been called? "He's free, isn't he?"
With their backs to the entrance, they had not seen the third member of their party arrive, but they heard his deep voice well enough, "More than free, he's already begun his campaign. Gentlemen, we are behind the game!"
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Post by The Blue Collared Philosopher on Jun 8, 2007 14:58:51 GMT -5
Gwelx watched as he sat silently, Gra'el stood up, "When was he freed?"
Forn entered the grim and lonely cave; his face was long and sorrowful but by far the youngest. Jet black hair fell to his shoulders and armor draped his whole body. Forn's deep voice rang through the cave again, "I do not know, but long enough to have gathered an army and attack several villages and…turned several to his side. Plus no news of his attacks have reached many villages, he is still hiding."
No one moved; they were all silent. The grim cave seemed to be shrinking in around them as the tides of darkness appeared and all seemed to become clear.
“Well, Forn, what do you plan to do?” asked Gwelx, “I know you summoned us here for a reason. You did always have the best ideas.”
Forn went to his chair in the dark chamber and gazed into his companion’s eyes, “He has been here.”
Gwelx hesitated, then looked at Gra’el who was shocked. “You mean, Him?” asked Gwelx.
Forn nodded, “Yes, which is why I gathered you. Not only has the enemy returned, but so has He.”
Gwelx leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath, “But you mean, that he was here, right in this place?”
Forn nodded but said nothing.
“What did he tell you?” asked Gra’el shaking the fog of amazement from his mind.
“He told me to gather the Council of Oracles. And so I have.”
“And that is it?”
Gwelx stared into the distance, “That was all he told you wasn’t it? But he still wants us to do something.”
Forn let his eyes follow Gwelx’s empty star, “How did you know?”
Gwelx gave a dreary smiled, “We are called the Council of Oracles for a reason.” His gray eyes closed, “I had a vision.”
That caught his companions’ attention if nothing else could have. “I had a vision of-fire. But only the kind of fire that could come from a monster like our enemy. And through the fire I could see…red, crimson eyes. People were screaming all under the fire, I could hear whips and see faces in misery all the while the eyes danced with vile delight.” He paused, opening his moist eyes, “then I woke up.” He gazed at his companions, “But I fell asleep again, and saw our master, he was crying and trying to tell me something; all I could make out was, ‘life…death…other…choose… show…light… I am here…save them.’ Then I woke up again.”
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Post by The Blue Collared Philosopher on Jun 9, 2007 10:48:02 GMT -5
My friends, I believe we are at the beginning of the end," said Forn.
"Are we? I don't know, but we are close, the signs are beginning to appear," said Gwelx.
"Even if they are, how do you know that this isn't just like the other wars we have had?" asked Gra'el, he smiled, "After all, last time you said the same thing, and you were wrong."
Gwelx nodded, "Yes, I was, and forgive me, but thankfully we didn't get our precious weapons out then."
“Do you believe we will need them now?” asked Gra’el.
Gwelx stroked his beard, “I don’t know, but times are getting desperate. And if he has returned, we must give him the sword.”
“But how do you propose we do it?” said Forn standing up, “You know what will happen if we are wrong!”
Gwelx sighed, “I know, we will be put to death.”
Gra’el took a deep breath, “But if we could find our master or him, as you are calling him, then we could ask him what to do.”
“Gra’el, you don’t understand, we can’t find him!” said Forn, he started pacing; “you know we are in a predicament. We need Elyhan to return to us so we can defeat Gorgalro. Without him, we are useless.”
“Not necessarily,” said Gwelx, “You must remember that we have our own weapons as well, we have our special weapons of war that can help us defend the people until Elyhan returns. We have our powers.”
“And what good would they do against all the legions of Gorgalro? We need help, besides, there must be two more of us in order to retrieve our weapons,” said Forn without looking at them.
Standing up Gra’el said, “We need to decide what to do quickly. Our enemy won’t wait for ever to wipe us out.” Gwelx leaned back in his chair, he looked around the cave, a door towards the back stood strong and defiant to their wishes. That is where their weapons of power were and where they could find hope. Hope in the sword, but only one could wield it and Elyhan was not here. But also five Oracles were needed to open the door since five locked it, but they only had three.
“We need to find more Oracles,” said Gwelx thinking aloud.
“How would we do that? Aren’t we the last? Aren’t we the only survivors of the great wars?” asked Forn.
“What if more were born or did you forget how old we really are?” asked Gwelx.
Gra’el laughed, “Old, you are the old one! You were around long before us!”
“I may be old, but even age has not slowed my thinking, we need an army, and more Oracles.”
They were all silent, Forn and Gra’el knew the old man was right. But no one knew how to get those two simple needs.
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Post by Christian Soldier on Jun 9, 2007 12:16:27 GMT -5
*Drip...drip...drip* was the only sound in the cave as the three sat in thought. The gray stone walls pulsed with the light of the torch. Forn paced in and out of the torch-light, while Gra'el and Gwelx sat in determined silence.
"Well, what we need is..." the sound reverberated off the walls and Gra'el shut his mouth. He tried again: "What we need is information: Troop movements, village alliances, that sort of thing. "
This caught Forn mid-stride. A smile spread across his face, "True, but we would have to do so quietly. Very quietly. If Gorgalro were to learn even a hint of our activities, he would crash down on us like an avalanche."
Gwelx's ancient voice filled the cavern, "He's right, though. If nothing else we should begin the search for the other two oracles and determine who our allies are, if any."
Forn resumed his seat and looked the other two Oracles in the eyes before speaking, "Alright, then this is what we must do: Gra'el, cover the north. Talk to Sporax's, son..."
Gwelx supplied, "Ransom"
"Ransom and see if they're still on our side, then make your way back here collecting as much information as you can. Gwelx, you go east and talk with Durth, he should still be around. I know you two have had dealings before," Gwelx grumbled, he remembered those dealings well, "and I'll go south. The nomads should be able to provide one Oracle if not both. They still follow the old ways. I'll also be able to learn of Gorgalro's movements since they're in that direction as well. "What about the West?" Gra'el asked.
"*Sigh* That way we have no old allies. We will have to find new ones. Let us be wary and stealthy. We must not be seen, heard, or sensed, " both Gra'el and Gwelx knew he was warming up to one of his famous lectures, "the enemy must not be aware of our continued presence. If we are very lucky, we will be able to strike with surprise."
Gra'el stood from the table and bowed deeply before saying, "Then this is goodbye. The only time I can move stealthily is at night, namely now, while the moon is new."
Forn and Gwelx stood and returned his bow. Gwelx reached out a gloved hand and clasped Gra'el's forearm. "Take care, old friend!"
"And you"
Gra'el released Gwelx's forearm and seized Forn's, "You have the most difficult job of all. Be safe!" The two warriors locked eyes briefly before letting go. All three of them went to exit the cavern.
The night time sky was blocked from view by sporadic cloud cover that could only be seen by the absence of stars. Gra'el stood on the ledge for a moment and lookout over the vast woods below.
Gra'el turned to address his comrades once more: "One last thing: we need to pray." The other two nodded assent and bowed their heads.
Forn prayed, "Master, we need you more than ever now. We need your guidance and your strength. Direct us as you have directed us in the past. Lead us to allies, new and old alike, and confound our enemies. Amen."
All three looked up. It was Gwelx who spoke, "This is His will. I can feel it."
A mischievous grin appeared on Gra'el's face before he said, "Then let us begin!" He sumersaulted backward off the cliff. Moments later a scarlet dragon flew off into the night sky.
Gwelx shook his head, "Ham"
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Post by The Blue Collared Philosopher on Jun 9, 2007 21:15:49 GMT -5
Gwelx watched Forn head back down the mountain towards the south, while he made his heading east. He looked into the sky to find the Elorn Star formation, it was hard to see from all the clouds, but he finally made it out. It appeared to be a lion, and it’s tail pointed north.
So, Gwelx went east going in the direction in which the lions back was pointing. He made his way down the mountain. Using his staff for support Gwelx walked briskly down the mountain.
Gwelx stopped, he turned around, he heard something. He listened, its nothing, just your imagination, you have had a long day.
He continued to walk, but was wary off all that was around him. He stopped again, this time he had definitely heard something. Gwelx drew his sword, and waited for a second, he heard it, it was coming up behind him. He could sense it’s evil, it was not a friend what ever it was. He wield around suddenly and threw the sword into the night. A scream pierced the cool night air and Gwelx stood still, his gray eyes penetrated the dark night.
A man lay on the ground several feet from him. Gwelx’s sword was lying next to him, covered in blood.
Gwelx went closer, the man seemed dead, his neck and chest sliced open. Gwelx softly hit the man’s leg with his staff, nothing happened.
Gwelx bent down and looked at the man’s face, he had never seen him before.
He looked closer, something was on his forehead. It was a mark…of a dragon’s eye.
The old man stood back up and grabbed his sword, I wonder what the man wanted, perhaps I shouldn’t have killed him so quickly.
Gwelx gazed at the man, then looked back into the mountains and remembered his mission. He hoped the others were fine as well.
After wiping off his sword he continued on his journey. He had a long way to go, and little time to get there, and all the while his thought ran in circles, Who was that man? Could he have been an enemy assassin or spy? Perhaps I will find out or perhaps I won’t.
(I don't know why, the the words above that spell "enel disagreeassin" in Gwelx's thoughts are supposed to be "enemy assassin." For some reason it won't spell it correctly. Well! It won't spell it correctly at all no matter how many times i write it! So i guess you just won't know what i was trying to say because it won't spell it correctly!)
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Post by Christian Soldier on Jun 10, 2007 13:36:06 GMT -5
Gra'els wings hurt. The pain spreading from the fine muscles around the joints to the powerful muscles in his back. He could barely hold his head and tail up . Why, oh why, didn't I stay the night in the cave, he thought, I could be sleeping till tomorrow night, but noooo.
His wings tilted slightly. Within moments he was below the cloud cover and could see the ground. Figures, nothing but plains. Can't stop now. With an effort, he regained altitude. How long has it been since I've done this anyway? Fifty year? A hundred? I've lied among Humans too long. What the...
Far to his right, Gra'el saw something else flying through the air. Must be big if I can see it this far. Moments passed and it got bigger. Finally, detail became apparent.
Had he not been so tired, Gra'el would have thought the thing funny: A hydra. A massive globular body with long wings and four heads. It's gray skin made it nearly invisible against the sky. It had been raw luck that Gra'el had seen it.
Fatigue forgotten, Gra'el changed course to stay out of its way. A peek over his shoulder showed its intentions: it was following him. It's gaining!
Gra'el tilted his wings for speed, ignoring the searing pain. Another glance: Still gaining. Time to pull out the of bag of tricks.
Gra'el varied his flying a little. He meandered to the left and right. The massive head and tail drooped slightly. Now the hydra was gaining sky fast. When t was almost on him, Gra'el veered right and flared his wings.
*whoosh*
The hydra sped past. For a moment, all it's heads looked round in confusion before locating Gra'el. Gra'el took a deep breath and waited. With a five headed roar, the hydra charged.
Gra'el waited till it was committed before blowing his breath out in a massive fireball. The panic stricken hydra tried to veer, but was engulfed before it could react. Gra'el let the smoldering corpse sail under him. With a sigh, Gra'el once again tilted his wings for forward motion.
Hmm...four heads. Who would send such a young creature against me? Now to find a place to rest...
Old joints creaking, Gra'el flew north toward Iralea and its king: Ransom
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