Palhour I/T Thread [Dragons!] Previews p. 9!

[Llama Llands]

Hello, oh valued inhabitant of the B/C forum.
This here is an interest thread for Palhour. Though uh, we may be coming up with a snappier name for it, possibly. Anyway, Palhour will be an RP-encouraged shop with DRAGONS.
Because everybody loves dragons~ Well. Okay. No. But let me wallow in this spring of hope a little longer, kay?

This thread is primarily to kick Kyle’s butt into trying to get the sprawl of his thoughts into an intelligible and engaging form, and for Wolfie to get support in kicking his behind.Palhour will be a high-fantasy setting with numerous playable options. If this sounds even an eeeeeeeny weeeeeny bit like something you’d like to see, please read on.

If not you should totally read on anyway.

[Llama Llands]

Woop, you stayed!

Anyway so the first thing you’re probably interested in the pets! Or characters, however you’d like to describe them. There are two main types of characters in Palhour. The first are the dragons! These are multiple-stage, unique-art pets with a template beginning. Have an incredibly crappy silhouette doodle to illustrate the stages:

*! Stage Examples:




The egg stage is a template, and the only real things you are going to gather from these are the color and species of your dragon! These will be given out through a variety of prompt-based events, and for those of you who struggle to write for a given deadline (see; Kyle) there will be other ways of obtaining them such as personality contests or concept contests!
The toddler stage is semi-templated. What does this mean? It means Kyle has a base sketch of a toddler which he will adjust and sketch over for your dragon-let. All the poses will be nigh-identical, and this is to cut down time of production, because eggs are kind of uninteresting to play with, but little fire-breathing toddlers with scales are much more interesting.

The child stage is completely unique, as is the teen stage, and both can be reached with a moderate amount of effort. When you reach the teen stage you can opt to submit an extra RP/Journal entry/Something and get a quad stage for your dragon. These are fully fleshed artworks of the draconic state of your dragon, and are. Kick a**. If I do say so myself.

Next comes the inevitable cherry on the cake as it were; bonus stages! Bonus stages are only reached with BLOOD SWEAT AND TEARS lots of character building. They are also very specific to your particular dragon – for example, the shop dragon, Peregrine, might progress to a ‘guardian’ like bonus stage or a ‘blood mage’ bonus stage. Bonus stages are like a career progression for your dragon, and will often include things you gain in RP – such as trinkets or injuries.

The second type of characters are humans! These are single stage semi-unique template pets.
There are three body type templates (Plus size, average and skinny-mini) each with a male and female template and upon those templates are different types of clothing templates depending on ‘faction’. The factions and more info on them are briefly listed in the map post (after the story; see below), and more detailed information can be found in the guild. Dragons MUST have a human partner, but humans can be played totally on their own, and will be given out with far more frequency.

Have the WIP shots of the templates! Featured here are the plus size male and female, and the skinny-minis. c:

[Llama Llands]

I’m standing outside a cave that’s been my home for as long as I can remember, and my two parents have just died.

Once upon a time, there was a boy.
Once upon more time, there were many boys and even more girls, and a thriving society.
But now, there is only one boy.

At this stage in the story, he is unimportant – another nut-brown, fair-haired boy with bright eyes, who lives in the mountains hoping to one day imprint upon a dragon. He isn’t particularly smart or particularly dull; he neither excels or fails in anything. Perhaps he is a little better at medicine that most, but that is hardly an unusual trait among these people.
In truth, the only thing that separates him from the others is chance. When the dragonlets hatch, a clawing bundle of teeth and soft scales and raw magic, he has the flu – indeed, a rare strain of flu that feeds on magic which forces the teachers to bind his fledgeling powers. And like many an invalid, as soon as he starts feeling better he scrambles out of bed and starts to climb the mountain. And predictably, he has a relapse, becomes unconscious in a cave.
So the elements of chance are in play; his magic cannot be sensed, and he is so far from the beaten track he would be nigh unfindable even if somebody did know who he was.
And so when the dragons are slaughtered and the humans butchered, when all the magic of the world is bled out and corpses lie where scholars once sat; he is alive.
Where one was, there was presumably more. Perhaps if we had been less desperate we would have found others – perhaps someone more skilled or more settled instead of a boy wasted from illness and with a mind like broken glass.
But then perhaps if he had not been so malleable and so young he would not have been soft enough to mould and young enough to not doubt us. Lady luck plays a fickle hand and we chose to take it instead of waiting for a deal that might never come. Only time will tell if it was the correct choice.
Time.
It’s a funny concept; to most animals it is foreign, for those who measure in instants – the predator does not think of prey yesterday or tomorrow for he must eat today. The prey does not think of the escape yesterday or the escape tomorrow when dodging his claws for she wishes to survive this time.
For dragons we do not think of time because we live perhaps, too long. We are prone to sleeping; to slip away into a slumber which can last centuries.

It has been centuries since we stole that boy. For five hundred years we have kept him in this cave, allowing him out only for supplies that are desperate needs. We can keep him warm with our heartfire, slow his body down so he does not grow and scarcely eats, so his every need is provided for. But we cannot numb his pain when we change him – for that we need plants, herbs. We cannot keep him from throwing up again and again when we get to one stage of the process – for that we trade for a tincture with a stray icefolk who wanders through.
It’s coming to an end, though. My thoughts, which were once lightning-fast, swift as the dive of a hawk are meandering like a lizard who has spent too long away from the sun.

I am cold, and it is because of this I know I am dying.

My heartfire is going out; all of my being, indeed all of the dragon race is now in the hands of that boy.


Perhaps he is important now , Samhain.



Perhaps if I weren’t dying I could call him my son.

My sister has drawn her last breath, her purple eyes have drifted shut.

Her white scales are fading, petrifying, as her heartfire leaves in a single tear. Samhain; our boy, our fate-delivered son, he is clutching her like he can bring her back, but he still catches the tear and the tattoos across his skin ripple and he gasps.

I am fading too, but perhaps I can stay a little longer, force my black scales to keep shining, my red eyes to keep open. Fate delivered him to us, chance and luck with the hint of purpose behind it – but it is love that makes me hang on. He turns to me and his face is that of a child. He has lived over 500 winters but he is still a child and was it cruel to pin all of our hopes on him? Perhaps no crueller than it was to change him, to keep him from aging and from dying until he has distributed the dragon eggs that lie like flat ink upon his skin.

With a great effort I flex one forearm, gather him in a scaly embrace. He buries his head in the crook of my neck and I can feel his tears.

“I don’t want to do this alone.”

It was cruel. Perhaps not as cruel as those who tried to wipe magic from the land, but it was cruel nonetheless. But what can I say? I cannot stay with him. We poured all of ourselves into the spells. He is alone – the tattoos will birth life but only for those who can bond with dragons and he is bonded to us by emotion and spellwork if not by blood.

And would a hatchling truly be a companion? Young dragons are often reckless, inhuman. There are many excuses I could use for not trying.

But we have been cruel enough to the bright-eyed boy with a flair for fixing things. I have enough magic left in me for perhaps one more spell – something small. I planned to keep alive a little longer, clean his tears away. But what use would that be? We are ending; a few minutes and a
rasp of a sandpaper tongue will hardly fortify him against the years to come.

And perhaps a dragon will help him in other ways too.

A claw pricks his skin and he bleeds out, a trickle of bright red. He flinches but he does not move.

My boy, oh my boy. I hope that some day you can forgive us. Until then I hope this makes it worth it.

It’s drained the last of my strength and as all that’s left of my fire concentrates in one eye I have enough left to realise than beneath the plates of the egg there is human skin.


Perhaps it will be a better companion after all.



I am so very glad he won’t be lonely.

I’m standing outside a cave that’s been my home for as long as I can remember, and my two parents have just died.
I should probably be feeling miserable. A few moments ago I was sobbing.
But there’s a heavy animal warmth in my arms, and I swear I can feel a dragonchild under the skin, and all I can feel is hope.

Because right now it’s a promise and one heavy egg.

But soon...soon it will be promises and children and a hundred heavy eggs.

And the sky above Palhour will one again ring with the wingbeats of dragons.

[Llama Llands]

Map! Also a quick overview of Palhour - this is the basic information that you need to RP, and if you don't want to, you don't need to read anything else about Palhour! (though you do need to read the shop stuff; sorry.) There is a whole bunch of other information, though, all contained in the guild so if you want to know more about a specific thing, you can! For example, if you obtain a forest nomad and wish to know of their culture or ceremonies, or if you decide you want your settler to hail from the capital city.

The total area of Palhour is about 195,000 square miles or 505,000 sq km - around the size of Spain or slightly bigger than two states of Oregon - though obviously such terms mean nothing to the inhabitants. The majority of non-colonised Palhour is wilderness with small villages and communities nestled everywhere. The largest and/or most relevant settlements are marked on the map but these are no means the extent of them. In the same way, the two main rivers are marked, and the giant lake that gives Tejar it's name, but there are many, many other sources of water.

At the moment there is no reason for the inhabitants of Palhour to explore further into the surrounding sea: Any boats that go out never return, and past Meltwater there are only a few iceclad islands. This trend is prevalent in all directions, with sand past the desert and poison past the swamp. The other direction leads into the fog. The only ships that ever go into the fog are Pyre ships, and even they do not always return. The fog is spoken of with fireside tales of dragons and ghosts; an uncanny presence that nobody wishes to investigate.

Travel over land is mainly done on horseback or in wagons and caravans, the technology level is pre-industrial but due to the previous reliance on magic, there are many strange artifacts that are unusable and mainly discarded. The age of prevalent magic, whilst long past, has left distinct marks upon Palhour. There is a well-used system of stone roads, which are well-maintained by physical labour but are uncannily straight and need little maitenance compared to new roads lain down by the Pyre.

Travel on water is also popular - boats are a heavy presence in Palhour - rivers criss-cross the land, and the sea is a quick way of coastal travel. Caulk is the main sailing town, the hub of most trading activity and well-stained with the salty odor of the sea. The main river flowing from Angel's Point flows out to the sea here, and any kind of goods can be found if you look hard enough. Caulk is also an interesting point in the fact it is a bi-faceted city linked by a large bridge.

Previous magic use, as well as providing strong roads and strange artifacts, also means medicine and hygiene is very advanced for the technology level - whilst they don't understand WHY an uncleaned cut will fester, and most medicines are herbal in origin, the chances of dying through infection is relatively low in most cases. Waste is firmly kept away from the rivers, usually buried, and in the capital city there is rudimentary plumbing for the higher classes.

The capital city itself is beginning to bud industrialism - metal working is more advanced, and there are beginning to be steam experiments, though mainly they are debunked as ravings of madmen, and curiously, most inventors going that way seem to vanish inexplicably.

The Pyre are akin to a (military) religious order; the closest we would have to them are the knights of the templar. They are mainly in residence in the capital city; Tejar, but their tenants are widespread and they have a presence in each region. In general the population's view on the Pyre tends to vary; in the capital city they are almost revered, whilst in some of the more far-flung settlements they are simply a neccessary menace.

The only community the Pyre do not have control over are the nomad tribes. They resemble travelling folk, and are treated with a strange mixture of fear and respect by the settled folk, though attitudes vary from place to place. In general however, they stay far away from the capital city. They are, however, usually very skilled in medicine, and many a mother fearing for a child, or a miner caught in an accident and in danger of losing his limb, will go to the nomads for advice.

[Llama Llands]

Factions!

The humans in Palhour can be defined by different factions; these also correspond to the templated clothing options available. As well as the obvious divide (Nomads/Settlers) there are five different options within.

There will also be opportunities to gain alternate art (ie. different outfits) for your human through RP benefits.

Settlers
This is everybody who isn't part of the nomad tribes; even if your character is a lonely hermit who never sees another human being they still count as a settler.

Protip: Your RP options will be very limited if you choose to play a lonely hermit who never sees another human being.

Sailors
Common: No Colour Palette
With such a reliance upon water travel in Palhour, it's not surprising that Sailing is a popular career. Sailors are the only faction that doesn't have a defined colour pallette - they travel too much to be restricted by availability of cloth, and this trade also allows them to come across fabric of every type and colour. Despite this, in general sailors gear is function over form, so there is likely to be little decoration around. Sailors in the same ship or crew often wear matching colours.

Working Class
Common: No Noble Colours (White; Gold; Purple; Red)
The aforementioned 'Most of Palhour'. These are every kind of person imaginable! From street performer to blacksmith, farmer to city guard, the working class are the backbone of Palhour society. As this group encompasses such a varied spectrum of professions, the colour choices are open with the exception of white, gold, purple and red.

Scavengers
Uncommon: Dark/Muted Colours
Most of Palhour manages to keep a roof over their heads (or a caravan or a tent or whatever; you get the picture), but there's always the dregs of society. Scavengers are the underbelly of Palhour society - some have fallen there by bad luck, and others by criminal persuasion. As such - by choice or simply neccessity, their clothes are dark and muted, though there is no hue specifity to their palette.

Upper Class
Rare: White, Gold, Purple, Red - tend to be prevalent, though any colour is available.
Palhour runs on a semi-feudal system, which means that ontop of most of palhour is the creme a la creme, the elite. These are the Upper class, who through birth, entrepeneurship or otherwise (there's always rumors of shady dealings somewhere...) have a firm grasp on their own patch of land and their own source of wealth. Most of the upper class seem to be very buddy-buddy with the Pyre - those who aren't often find mysterious accidents happening.

Nomads
Nomads are split into five tribes, each with their own cultures, customs and ceremonies! Nomads are almost like tiny sovereign nations with Palhour except for the fact they don't call anywhere home. Whilst the map marks 'territories' this is somewhat of a misnomer, as at any point you are just as likely to find a sand nomad in Meltwater as you are in the desert. The home territories are generally inhospitable, and are where the nomads originally fled to to escape the pyre. However the nomads are beginning to mingle within settlers much more freely nowadays, and are no longer such a rare sight.

Forestfolk
Common: Earthy colours - lots of browns and greens, some reds and purples.
Forestfolk are perhaps the most common Nomad tribe seen. As most of inhabited palhour is very green they are at home almost anywhere. They have a great knowledge of most of the flora and fauna of palhour, and are usually hunters or herbalists. Forestfolk tend to lean towards more natural colours over unnatural shades.

Sandfolk
Common: Pale, washed out colours. Prevalence of warmer colours - reds, oranges.
Sandfolk are also a common sight among most of Palhour. The desert is inhospitable and those dwelling in it need plenty of trade to survive. They are usually merchants and traders with a specific flair towards spices and herbs or fabrics, though there's also a number of craftsmen and inventors who unearth things from the desert sands.

Swampers
Uncommon: Dark colours with bright accents of any shade.
Swampers are an uncommon sight because the swamps are pretty far away from the rest of Palhour. When they do venture out they tend to garner stares due to their interesting appearance. Swamping is a dangerous profession, and many swampers are scarred by the poisonous lands they live in. Due to this even the most uneducated swamper will know a lot about poisons, and often about medicine.

Icefolk
Uncommon: Very pale, washed out colours. Prevalence of blue.
Icefolk are uncommon not just because they are isolated - unlike many of the nomad tribes they are very secular and tend not to interact much. Those who do venture out often make a living as guards or mercenaries - their solemn demeanor and survival-necessitous skill with weapons means they excel in such careers.

Mountainfolk
Rare: Bright, generally warm colours.
Mountainfolk are perhaps the rarest of the nomad tribes to venture into mainland Palhour. They live upon Angel's Point and the surrounding mountains, and tend to be very spiritual. This attitude doesn't endear them to the Pyre-controlled territories, and so they tend to be recieved with little warmth.

[Llama Llands]

So, you've read everything and you're all excited to get a character of your own, riiight?

We'll be running plenty of suprises and random on-the spot games, but there's also going to be raffles and flatsales and RP events! And of course customs.

RP Events will always be free. You put the effort into writing, so we're not going to charge you gold on top of that. They will generally be for 'rarer' characters or dragons - and of course the occasional custom!

Raffles are pretty much a standard for the B/C forum. You pay for tickets and then at the end of the raffle I generate winners using the random number system. Ticket trades will always go to the mule, and will generally be 100g.

Flatsales are personality/history prompt, and cost 10k for humans and 25k for dragons. There will be a set amount of time to write up a short personality overview for the character you are applying for.

A note on dragon sales: Dragons will be sold individually so that you may bond them to a pre-existing character. If you don't have a human character, you choose a gender and I will make you a random common class human for you.


Customs! Everybody loves customs~ Human customs will be relatively common and with the option to customize everything. Dragon customs will be rarer, and will usually only allow you to choose species, gender, and perhaps a few other details. Complete dragon customs will be available for auctions and RP events only.

[Llama Llands]

It's time.
We have avoided it long enough.
The dreaded, the evil.... RULES.

Actually nah they're not that bad.
And to be honest they're mostly common sense. I think.
But my common sense is kind of weird, so what do I know!

They are however, pretty darn necessary - so uh yeah. Don't rulebreak because I'd hate to kick you out. Really, really hate to.

☄ Resist the urge to be a drama llama. I know that in the B/C Forum, this is often like putting a big, delicious mouthwatering cake in front of you and asking you NOT to eat it...but please. Resist. If you have a problem with someone that's personal, take it to PMs. If you have a shop-related problem, PM Wolfie or Kyle. c:

☄Be nice. This doesn't mean being stupidly sugary sweet or anything like that - but if someone's having a bad day, try to make allowances for them. Gently correct people instead of mocking them. If you're the one having the bad day, then try to remember we aren't the ones at fault (if we are, see the above.). If you're the one being gently corrected, take it with grace.

☄Don't cheat. This pretty much covers art theft, writing theft, concept theft, using mules blahblahblahblahblah! You get the drill - play fair! There's probably stuff I haven't listed but c'mon you get the idea.

☄Feel free to ASK! This is not so much a rule definitely absolutely a rule. The world of Palhour is huge and complicated and I've likely contradicted myself somewhere, or missed out something really important or..you know. Derped!

[Llama Llands]

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