「Ⓕ o o l s ❣ Ⓖ o l d」「 O/A 」

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[velociraptor screech]

「 A C C E P T I N G ? 」
yes

「 P I T C H 」
comedic fantasy roleplay with a salty center

「 A U D I E N C E 」
designed for bored oldbies, friendly to earnest newbies

「 I N S P I R A T I O N 」
MMORPG logic, high fantasy, comedic incompetence, schemes

「 B E W A R E 」
contains experimental rules, mysteries, and more fantasy fiction tropes than you can shake a stick at

「 L O C A T I O N S 」
main __ ooc __ profiles

[velociraptor screech]

"A fool is a tool of the gods, they say,
a lesson writ large on the green.
To remind those who boast,
who joyfully toast,
that valor is more than it seems.

Come now, lads and lassies
of Marchen's sweet shores,
and listen to me as I sing.
For it's fools' gold that's most
when all hope seems dosed
of value in its hearty gleam."


"Ballad of the Fools' Guild, ladies and gentlemen!"

The last notes of her lute ringing discordant from the rafters, the bard on the stage beamed hopefully at the crowd below. An array of armor, of robes and rigging, proclaimed all the classes of Marchen present and accounted for: warriors and marksmen, clerics and summoners, mages and druids, tacticians and thieves. Every arm bore a badge, a guild insignia emblazoned upon it with pride; most bore the ribbons of alignment as well, with the white of the orderly Celestials, or the red of the chaotic Strifes.

The first tomato was thrown by an eagle-eyed archer, knocking the bard's jolly feathered cap clean off her head. Rotten fruit and vegetables joined in a pellmell of physics as she scurried urgently away, shielding her precious lute with her tatty cloak.

As the hapless musician scurried through the rain of produce, she grinned brilliantly to herself. "That went better than expected!"


❣


The streets of Straugburg bustle with life, commoners moving unnoticed in their daily tasks, Adventurers ambling with lordly importance. Here and there, in places of prominence, stately buildings bear bright-colored signs proclaiming them home to Marchen's most famous Adventurers' guilds. The Heavy Brigade, the Victorious Secret, the Knightly Quest, and a cornucopia of others, all thick with the aroma of power and skill. Proud Adventurers walk their halls with their heads held high, boasting of their victories.

But go down a certain unmarked sidestreet (past the all-night manacake vendor, across from the E-Z Gold Advance storefront, and kittycorner to the discount health potion merchant) and one finds the one guild in Marchen that no one ever speaks of, save with a smirk and a laugh. Their house is no proud behemoth, instead a simple rambling heap with gardens growing where the training grounds ought to be, laundry hanging from the windows. Its membership moves slowly and sleepily, if they move at all: only the infirmary bustles with energy.

Anyone in Marchen would know what it is in an instant. The sign hanging askew at the front is entirely unnecessary.

The Fools' Guild, it says. The home of Marchen's worst embarrassments.

[velociraptor screech]

Welcome to Marchen, the Land of Adventure. Fantastical home of more lairs, dungeons, and fairy-filled forests than you can shake a stick at, the picturesque land is the ideal setting for quests and conquests. And that's good -- because adventure is its primary growth industry. In Marchen, there might be four races, but there's only two kinds of people: non-combatants, and people whose opinions actually matter.

And of course, if you're going to be bursting at the seams with the free and the brave, then you need organizations for them to belong to, right? Marchen's got those, too. Adventurers' guilds are the true power of the land, and competition to join the most prestigious and exclusive is fierce. How thrilling it is, to strut down the streets with a shiny badge on your arm! How wonderful, to embark on mighty quests with your boon companions at your side!

But, alas! Even in Marchen, not every warrior is mighty. Some of them, well. They stink. Maybe they're lazy, maybe they're unlucky, maybe they're just plain stupid. A handful are so terrible that even the most desperate guild would never want such deadweight in its ranks.

Save one: the most embarrassing guild in the land. The Fools' Guild.

Mocked when they aren't simply forgotten, the Fools' Guild has gone down in the annuls of Marchese history as a hilarious failure. But something is brewing in this mighty land, something that will shake it to its very core. And the Fools' Guild -- unassuming, apologetic Fools' Guild -- will rise up in ways its members never dreamed.

Maybe sometimes, being a loser is the only way to win.


❣

What the heck is this?

Foolsgold is a roleplay set in a MMORPGesque world where adventure is everything, and sucking at your class is the worst thing. When a curse cripples every adventurer in the land save the worst of the worst -- those in the Fools' Guild -- Marchen's most embarrassing heroes must somehow save the day.

Or, well, try to, anyway. They're really pretty terrible.

How is it experimental?

Foolsgold is a reaction to the vast number of shiny Gaia roleplays that tread water before swiftly dying. On an OOC level, our mission is to encourage and enable roleplayers -- veteran and newcomer alike -- to actually get in this thread and WRITE. In that interest, here's what we do:


❣ We're deemphasizing the traditional 'level' categorizations, which teach bad writing habits in the name of quality control. Don't think about your writing in terms of length. Think about it in terms of response: how much are you giving other members to respond to, and how well are you doing it?

❣ All posts are written in third person cinematic, both to preserve character secrets and to help emphasize the art of showing, not just telling.

❣ Rather than being exclusively Word of God from the DM, worldbuilding is provided by the playerbase as a whole. From a barebones base, things like class information and Marchen lore is provided by the players, for the players. This roleplay isn't just Raptor's roleplay: it belongs to all members.

❣ We're offering a pretty but manageable post layout template to those who don't know how to code their own (or just want to hop right into playing!) This is a compromise between high-gloss roleplayers who crave pretty reading material, and function-first roleplayers who don't like having to spend time worrying about coding.

❣ Rather than being a pure chatterbox, the OOC emphasizes support: you're welcome, for example, to ask other people to beta read your posts, or ask for help in character development. As any experienced writer can tell you -- no matter how good we are, it's always good to get a second pair of eyes.

[velociraptor screech]

Please do not simply breeze past this! Foolsgold has some slightly different rules from the standard Barton Town roleplay, and you may run into trouble if you don't take the time to read them over.

❣ The basic rules of any Barton Town roleplay apply. Don't break the TOS: no explicit gore, no explicit sex. (Swearing's fine in moderation.) Velociraptor is a fairly gentle overlord, so don't hesitate to ask questions or raise concerns, because you won't be bitten -- but being DM means the right of final call. Treat others the way you want to be treated.

❣ So, about the literacy level. We're not following the traditional categorizations, on account of how they're ridiculous. A solid attempt at decent writing is expected, and you will be turned away if you turn in a painfully sloppy reserve or profile. However, we won't be measuring post quality by paragraph. When writing posts for FG, your primary objective is providing content for other participants to work off of.

To ensure this, rather than asking for a specific number of paragraphs, we're emphasizing hooks. A hook is here defined as a character action that other characters can respond to: something vocal (a greeting, a question, a statement, a speech, etc.), or something physical (hopping up and down on one foot, walking through a doorway, making an expression, using an attack, etc. etc.)

You'll be asked to provide a minimum of three in each post. This isn't as simple as tossing up three lines and calling it a day! Since the name of the game is providing interesting material for other people to read and respond to, you're going to want to put some thought into storytelling: make your hooks interesting and appealing for other people to respond to.

❣ Foolsgold uses third person cinematic POV. This means you write your posts as if you're a non-telepathic camera watching someone else's actions. Inner thoughts and feelings should only be hinted at through observable phenomena -- expressions, vocal tones, body posture, etc. The only non-sensory data that may be provided is 'common knowledge' information: if it is reasonable for the other characters to know such-and-such a piece of background information, you may provide it.

This is done to facilitate secrets and intrigue, place a check on the temptation to powerplay your character as knowing things they shouldn't know, and turn players' attention on showing, not telling.

❣ What about activity? Please post in the OOC at least once a week. After your profile is accepted and posted, you have a maximum of one week to post an intro into the main thread. After that, your obligations are simply to respond within a week of being 'tagged' at the end of someone's post. You're encouraged to work out an explicit posting order, especially if your character is part of a larger group: that way no one gets skipped, and you'll always have a rough idea of how soon you'll need to finish your post.

If you fail to post within that one week time frame, Raptor has the right to step in and either make a short post moving the character off-stage in some simple way, freeing their posting partners to continue without them, or authorize the posting partners to 'off-camera' the AWOL character themselves. The player has two weeks to move their character back into the action before they become a permanent NPC -- and cannon fodder. You are allowed two 'off-screenings' with timely returns: the third off-screen removal is permanent, you're out of the roleplay, and your character is an NPC. Play with your toys.

One exception: if you need to hiatus, that's fine, as long as you tell Velo before you vanish. If it becomes a recurrent problem, we'll talk.

❣ This roleplay emphasizes communal creativity. You can think of this as a sort of roleplay potluck: Raptor is providing the venue and the tabletop, but the playerbase as a whole are tasked with bringing the meal. A key part of the reserve process is providing a detail about Marchen that has not yet been revealed: it can be the name of a location, details about a monster, a snippet of Marchese history, a piece of cultural information, or any number of other worldbuilding details of interest. The profile process lets players contribute a piece to determining the traits, powers and peculiarities of each individual class.

Communal discussion of ideas is enthusiastically encouraged, so feel free to bring a question to the table for debate! Raptor reserves the right to determine what ideas make the final cut, of course.

❣ About images. Anime-style images only, please, and please try to use original art, not commercial art nor fanart of trademarked characters -- Zerochan's tags system may be useful. This is to avoid the 'Oh there's Sailor Moon fighting side by side with Light... okaaaaaaay' reaction using fanart sparks. This is not 100% absolute, so if a trademarked character is the only thing that will work for what you have in mind... well, get in touch with Velociraptor, and we'll discuss it.

❣ A few final things. Two character maximum per participant. If a current player and a new player both apply for the same slot, the new player has priority. Please get your reserves in to Raptor BEFORE making plans with other players that hedge on you getting the slot! No .gifs in your character posts, good grief. You should have a posting layout, but it doesn't have to be complicated -- though please steer clear of super light text colors, they're hard to read. Additional rules may be added when and as needed.

[velociraptor screech]

Built atop the ruins of ancient empire, Marchen is itself quite an old country. It is also, and above all else, an Adventurer's country, where the picturesque and entertaining seem to trump the mundane and practical.


G O V E R N M E N T & C U L T U R E

As names like 'Marchen' and 'Straugburg' hint, Marchen is somewhat Germanic, culturally speaking, though it is above all else Fantastic. Their food is hearty and their beer is excellent, and many place names are mouthfuls, especially the commoner villages -- but no one cares about the commoner villages.

It is a monarchy with an aristocracy, though if truth be told a noble -- or even royal -- title carries less weight than a guild badge. The distinction is somewhat academic, anyway; almost all nobles are Adventurers as well, and even King Ottomar (a Paladin) and Queen Ulrike (a Frostmage) sport shiny guild affiliations. There are several princesses and a few princes; one princess has been missing for the past half-dozen years, but no one really worries about it, because everyone knows someone will invariably find her (she's probably just been kidnapped by a dragon) and marry her.


R A C E S

Marchen has four sentient races who participate in the Adventurer culture (and who cares about the ones that don't?) These are:


Human: Look. You know what these guys are. Humans are, well, human. The largest race by number, they make up the bulk of the non-combatant commoners as well (but no one cares about the commoners). For reasons no one can quite pinpoint, Humans are the jacks-of-all-trades in Marchen, rarely excelling at any one thing but generally having a broad set of skillsets.

Wildling: Wildlings are humanoids with some type of animal-like feature -- fluffy ears, a tail, antlers, hooves, etc. You name it, there's probably a Wildling clan that has it. Wildlings tend to have personality traits reflecting their clan 'patron' creature, and a limited grasp of social courtesies. Lovers of the outdoors, they excel at natural skillsets.

Seraph: Seraphs are humanoids with natural wings and long lifespans (300 years on average). The smallest race by numbers, they make up for it by occupying many elite roles in Marchen, thanks to their elegant sophistication, which is another way of saying Seraphs are snobby as hell. Using their centuries to refine their knowledge, they excel at scholastic skillsets.

Infernal: Infernals are humanoids with horns and short lifespans (usually living no more than 60 years). Second only to humans in numbers, they are usually city-dwellers, being generally highly social, although their natural itch for mischief and crudity interferes with seeking status. Infernals are fun, but they're assholes. Infernals also have a poor grasp of long-term consequence, which makes them ideal for shadowy skillsets.

You cannot be 'half' anything: while it's perfectly acceptable to have interracial relationships and marriages, they cannot have natural-born children. No one is quite sure why -- it's almost like there are only a handful of set character models for all Marchese, although that's obviously ridiculous. There are magical alternatives for baby-cravers, but these produce children who are clearly in one category or the other.


Y O U T H

In Marchen, the most important day of your life is your thirteenth birthday, the day when you decide whether to become a commoner (boo) or an Adventurer (yay). What those who choose to be commoners do thereafter is of little concern -- they mostly just do boring things like grow the food and build the cities, although every once in a while they're helpful and get kidnapped by monsters.

Those who choose the Adventurer route go into training schools for their class for the next three years, learning the ropes and leveling up. At sixteen they choose their specialty, and are turned loose upon the world, to join guilds and fight monsters, as is right and proper.


A L I G N M E N T S

PvPers, rejoice! Those Marchese who enjoy random honor duels have, over the centuries, developed a system for making them take place. What once were two different political parties -- the orderly Celestials and the chaotic Strifes -- gradually evolved into two different 'teams' for dueling, because the Marchen point of view is that politics are boring but fighting is awesome. Nowadays, alignments are entirely voluntary, although it must be admitted that those who dream of acclaim are more or less pressured into declaring one.

One indicates one's alignment via a ribbon tied to one's sleeve, right under one's guild badge: white for Celestial, red for Chaotic. Although switching one's alignment is rather frowned upon, it's quite easy to go 'Neutral' for convenience's sake, as when entering a territory full of the enemy while occupied with a quest: you just remove the ribbon.

Though many guilds will only accept members from one alignment or the other, the Fools' Guild accepts both, because when you're scraping up the dredges you can't afford to be choosy. Also, just about the only people your average Fool could hope to defeat in a duel are other Fools, so there's a certain practicality to being around the people you're going to be fighting the most.

[velociraptor screech]

To belong to the Fools' Guild is almost the most humiliating identifier one could imagine. I mean, at least you're still an Adventurer, not some lowly commoner. But -- still. No one wants to be a fool, generally, or a Fool, specifically.

Certain especially pathetic students of the Adventurer schools sigh, shrug, and go directly to the Fools' Guild upon graduation, but most eventual Fools spend a few determined years trying to delay the inevitable. Certainly, no realist will view the Fools' Guild as a possible jumping point into better esteem; while a few Fools have managed to overcome their challenges and claw their way into other guilds, overcoming the stigma is an enormous challenge. The Fools' Guild does not advertise, nor actively recruit: they know perfectly well that no one actually wants to join them. All they have to do is sit and wait. The realm's true losers will come their way sooner or later.


S E R V I C E S

The Fools' Guild, like all guilds, provides its members with a place to live and (try to) train, companions to call upon for (dubious) aid, and financial help for life's basic necessities, like armor and health potions and mana cakes. (Also food.) The guildhouse is a ramshackle old building in dire need of repairs, but not entirely devoid of creature comforts, at least if your standards are none too high.

Most Marchese guilds have rigid hierarchies and strict rules. The Fools' Guild is an exception. Operating closer to a commune (of losers), it has no official leadership, so decisions are made democratically. The Fools' rules are very simple and largely designed not for fighting group efficiency but for comfortable living -- you're quite welcome to never, ever go on a raid, but you'd dang well better perform the weekly chore assigned to you.


V I R T U E S

For all its obvious embarrassments, there is one thing the Fools' Guild does better than its erstwhile prestigious rivals. If you're a Fool, you're family. No one is jockeying for position in the Fools' Guild, or cynically trying to suck resources in hopes of jumping up into a better organization down the line. No one is considering backstabbing the guild leaders and stealing their positions. The Fools look out for each other, and the Fools have fun. They might fail half the pathetic novice raids they embark on, but membership in the Fools' Guild is a quick route to learning to laugh it off and try again.

Their camaraderie is deep, and strong. And of considerably more value than the Fools themselves realize.

[velociraptor screech]

The Adventurer caste in Marchen has had centuries to subdivide and specialize, the better to bring maximum buttwhooping on the kingdom's monsters. For reasons long since forgotten, the three notable characteristics of race, class and specialty are together known as a 'build'.

Once one begins down a certain path, it is nearly impossible to change builds -- otherwise known as 'rerolling' -- as no school will take a reroller for a student in their would-be new class. Intense social stigma likewise accompanies such a terrible decision. if you decided to be a Priest back when you were thirteen, you had damn well better stay one, even if you hate it and you suck at it.

One's class is officially declared on one's thirteenth birthday, because when better to make a life-changing and permanent decision than amidst the rages of puberty? If the legends are to believed, in primitive eons there were only four classes one could belong to: Fighting Man, Thief, Magic User and Cleric. Fortunately, we live in more enlightened times. Nowadays, there are eight.

Each class moreover has two specialties associated with it, officially declared on one's sixteenth birthday, when one is presumably even more certain what one wants than at thirteen. These are quite a recent innovation, no older a tradition than a century or so, yet now so ingrained that to identify yourself as merely a Cleric, and not mention you're of the Paladin specialty, is simply absurd.


W A R R I O R S

Melee combat experts, Warriors make their way through life with a little bit of magic and a whole lot of brute force. Some of them are more educated than their muscles indicate, but no one cares, because everyone knows Warriors are drooling idiots. They are a popular class choice for those who enjoy long metal objects and shouting. They subdivide into the specialties of Knight and Barbarian.


C L A S S - D E T A I L S

Warriors get an automatic power-up from swords, spears, and other melee weapons, as well as shields and armor, but are particularly weak to magic and any attack not involving brute force. Due to their freakish endurance, brought about by an excess of adrenaline and the endorphins the glorified thugs get from the thrill of blood and gore, they're good to have around for long, drawn-out battles. Being stupid and only interested in fighting, it's just about all they're good for. Everyone knows it, but none are foolish enough to say it to their faces. (Provided by: Follower of Orion)


C L A S S - A B I L I T I E S

Demolition Boost. This ability allows Warriors to increase the damage that they can deal with each hit, either from their weapons or from their fists. Being an ordinary buff, it only lasts for a little while, ranging from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on the strength and stamina of the Warrior, and cannot affect anyone but them (Warriors aren't exactly known for being team players, except when they're trying to play the hero and get all the glory for themselves). Once the buff wears off, they can still fight, but are unable to use it again until they've recovered some energy. (Provided by: Follower of Orion)


K N I G H T - D E T A I L S

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K N I G H T - A B I L I T I E S

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B A R B A R I A N - D E T A I L S

Of a naturally massive, hulking build, Barbarians are more resistant to damage than any other specialty, staying relatively unfazed and unimpaired by blows that would cripple and put out of commission most members of the other classes. Their size and tough skin make up for their lack of armor, and they judge Knights to be weaklings, hiding in their aluminum shells and not fighting like real men (or women, or wildlings, or seraphs, or infernals). When fighting a losing battle, they're usually the last ones left standing while their teammates flee for their lives, as the word 'retreat' doesn't exist in a Barbarian's vocabulary. (Provided by: Follower of Orion)


B A R B A R I A N - A B I L I T I E S

Berserk Battler. Barbarians use this ability to blast through any obstacle, whether it be man, tree or wall, that might stand in their way. They are by no means impervious to damage, but are unaware of it as they crash through like deadly boulders, not stopping for anything until the buff has run out. It's purely a solo move, used when what is required is a show of brute strength and nothing else. It can't last more than a few minutes, and usually leaves its user too weak to do anything once it's run out- especially defend him or herself. Most of the time, Barbarians either faint, or eventually die from the injuries they sustained while they were too manic to notice them happening and too wild to even care. This ability is extremely powerful, but it can only be used when the Barbarian in question has gotten him or herself riled up to the point of absurdity, usually through building up rage from a battle. (Provided by: Follower of Orion)




M A R K S M E N

Long-range combat experts, Archers are like their Warrior kin in their preference to rely on physical force over magic. However, the higher value they place on intact skin drives them to put a healthy distance between themselves and their targets. Cowards. They are a popular class choice for those who enjoy high places and shooting things with other things until they die. They subdivide into the specialties of Archer and Bombardier.


C L A S S - D E T A I L S

Marksmen have the highest percentage of effective hits or kills, on account of their innate ability know where to aim to do the most damage in one hit. This makes them a considerable asset for any team fighting multiple opponents, or opponents with very few, hard-to-reach weak spots, such as dragons or knights. (Provided by: Follower of Orion)


C L A S S - A B I L I T I E S

Infinite Arrows. In spite of its misleading name, this ability is not restricted to arrows, nor is it, strictly speaking, infinite. However, when the time came to name it, they decided that 'Infinite Arrows' sounded better than 'Not Completely Infinite Projectile Regeneration'. Applying to any marksman's default projectile, then, it allows them to replenish their supplies when they run out. They cannot use it before they run out, and it has a charge period of a full minute before use. Every marksman can use it a limited amount of times, ranging with his or her age, experience, power, and strength. Novices can usually only use it once or twice in a battle, whereas veterans can use it in sieges lasting up to several days before running dry. (Provided by: Follower of Orion)


A R C H E R - D E T A I L S

Archers have a striking ability in regard to their eyesight. They're able see even the smallest details over great distances and so unleash their attacks with uncanny accuracy. (Provided by: Follower of Orion)


A R C H E R - A B I L I T I E S

True Mark. This ability allows their aim to stay true in spite of adverse conditions like wind or obstacles. They can apply it to anything they touch, though, of course, the more aerodynamic the projectile, the better it works. It can only function with one object and one target at a time- the stronger the Archer, the further the object can go without veering off course. They can use this ability indefinitely, with virtually no cooldown period, but it requires a considerable amount of focus. If they're distracted or drowsy, their attacks will almost never hit their intended marks. They mostly use it for their own shooting, but can occasionally apply it to objects shot by their teammates as well. (Provided by: Follower of Orion)


B O M B A R D I E R - D E T A I L S

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C L E R I C S

Mystical support experts, Clerics call upon the powers of Marchen's menagerie of gods and godlings to heal, buff, and debuff allies and enemies. Clerics are simultaneously hugely important to their guilds and constantly mocked as mere healbots. They would like you to know they have feelings too. They are a popular class choice for carebears and those who dislike dying so much they'll put up with limited offensive ability just to avoid it. They subdivide into the specialties of Priest and Paladin.


C L A S S - D E T A I L S

Clerics swear allegiance to a member of Marchen's menagerie of gods. When in an area sacred to their chosen deity, a Cleric's strength and intellect are buffed, with the degree increasing based on just how holy the area is. (Provided by: velociraptor screech)


C L A S S - A B I L I T I E S

Divine Resurrection. A spell that gets considerable use within the Fools' Guild, this power allows a Cleric to call upon their deity to help them resurrect a recently slain ally (within an hour of death, for a weak Cleric; the most potent of their class have been known to succeed a month out) and heal them of their wounds. Divine Resurrection must be used one ally at a time, with a cooldown of at least one minute, and must be used in close contact with the target. A resurrection can go afoul if performed hastily or distractedly, resulting in the target coming back as undead. This is not, fortunately, without solution... as one simply kills the target a second time and tries again. Within the Fools' Guild, accidental zombification is a humdrum fact of life. (Provided by: velociraptor screech)


P R I E S T - D E T A I L S

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P R I E S T - A B I L I T I E S

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P A L A D I N - D E T A I L S

Paladins have weapon bonuses for swords and spears. On the other hand, they perform below par when trying to wield bows and muskets. (Provided by: velociraptor screech)


P A L A D I N - A B I L I T I E S

Purging Gleam. A Paladin summons forth a blazing white light from their palms, directly it either bare-handed or with their weapon towards an area, striking all opponents within ten feet of impact. Along with causing a few seconds of blindness, the spell causes unholy flesh to singe and burn, with the effect more profound the more unholy the monster is. Purging Gleam must be used extremely carefully if Summoners are present, as their minions are impacted by it and can be unsummoned as a result; more generally, as an area of effect spell, if one's teammates are in the area and anything less than virtuous, they will suffer its effects to some degree. (Provided by: velociraptor screech)




S U M M O N E R S

Summon-wielding experts, Summoners use magical creatures as weapons against their enemies. They are burdened with unresolved control issues. They just want someone to love them, and they'll force innocent creatures into tiny little summoning stones if that's what it takes to get that. They are a popular class choice for those who like pets and whose parents did not love them enough. They subdivide into the specialties of Spiritspeaker and Demoncaller.


C L A S S - D E T A I L S

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C L A S S - A B I L I T I E S

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S P I R I T S P E A K E R - D E T A I L S

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S P I R I T S P E A K E R - A B I L I T I E S

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D E M O N C A L L E R - D E T A I L S

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D E M O N C A L L E R - A B I L I T I E S

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M A G E S

Arcane power experts, Mages call upon Marchen's thick miasma of magic as a weapon against their enemies. They are a pack of flashy bastards. Did you ever hear the joke about the modest Mage? No, you didn't, because no such thing exists. They are a popular class choice for showboats who are too good for a nice honest piece of steel. They subdivide into the specialties of Frostmage and Flamemage.


C L A S S - D E T A I L S

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C L A S S - A B I L I T I E S

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F R O S T M A G E - D E T A I L S

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F R O S T M A G E - A B I L I T I E S

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F L A M E M A G E - D E T A I L S

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D R U I D S

Nature magic experts, Druids call upon the natural world around them in a fight. Druids are filthy hippies. If you can catch one when they aren't smoking suspicious-smelling 'medicinal herbs', and you can tolerate the stench, you're in for a long diatribe about how all the consumerism of Marchen's adventurer culture is getting them down, man. They are a popular class choice for nature lovers who don't understand how baths work. They subdivide into the specialties of Beastspeaker and Leafcaller.


C L A S S - D E T A I L S

Druids are buffed in areas with little to no technological interference. In their best space, they are surrounded by nature left entirely as is. This allows for much clearer communication with whichever element they choose and buffs abilities. In their worst, they are in highly technologically advanced areas, where the interference of smoke, sound and light pollution puts a haze over class abilities. (Provided by: Nolori)


C L A S S - A B I L I T I E S

Second Wind. While in natural areas, this ability can be activated in order to provide a stamina and mana boost once one of them has been depleted. The casting druid receives regeneration of both stamina and mana, and allies within a small radius receive fully regenerated stamina. However, once casted, the regenerated stamina (and mana, for the druid) is depleted twice as quickly. This ability can only be used once a day. (Provided by: Nolori)


B E A S T S P E A K E R - D E T A I L S

Beastspeakers tend to favor one type of animal in the support position. Although beastspeakers can technically speak to any creature, working through the mess of thoughts and emotions to form them into coherence is a process that is slightly different for every creature. Due to this, it becomes easier for beastspeakers to learn the specifics of one type of creature's thought-patterns, while other creatures' thought-patterns are "decoded" with a far more general process. The more specific the creature, the easier the pattern is to learn and use in the long run. The better a druid is with thought-patterns, the more specific the information can be. (Provided by: Nolori)


B E A S T S P E A K E R - A B I L I T I E S

Rallying Call. Beastspeakers have the ability to call forth all animals of a specific type for either battle or support. The creatures can only be given one command, and will not respond to any further orders. When the order is completed, the creatures will leave the command of the druid. The area of effect is thirty feet, and so the type of creature called should be given careful consideration beforehand. If a type of creature is called when there is only one in the given area, the effect is wasted. This can only be cast once a day. (Provided by: Nolori)


L E A F C A L L E R - D E T A I L S

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L E A F C A L L E R - A B I L I T I E S

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T A C T I C I A N S

Tactical support experts, Tacticians use a balanced mixture of magic and force to assist their parties. Tacticians think they're so smart. You know what? They're not smart. If they were smart they would have picked a real class, not some stupid support role. They are a popular class choice for those who are either mind-numbingly practical or ridiculous cloudcuckoolanders, with no in-between. They subdivide into the specialties of Engineer and Bard.


C L A S S - D E T A I L S

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C L A S S - A B I L I T I E S

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E N G I N E E R - D E T A I L S

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E N G I N E E R - A B I L I T I E S

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B A R D - D E T A I L S

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B A R D - A B I L I T I E S

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T H I E V E S

Stealth experts, Thieves use shadowy tactics to undermine their opponents and steal their things. Thieves are lying, cheating scum, and no one likes them because they take all their stuff, which is generally a friendship-killer. If any party member is going to betray the group it's always the Thief, and no wonder, because they are literally criminals. They are a popular class choice with those who enjoy shadows and the terminally edgy. They subdivide into the specialties of Burglar and Bandit.


C L A S S - D E T A I L S

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C L A S S - A B I L I T I E S

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B U R G L A R - D E T A I L S

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B U R G L A R - A B I L I T I E S

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B A N D I T - D E T A I L S

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B A N D I T - A B I L I T I E S

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[velociraptor screech]

Foolsgold is a roleplay set in a rich and complex world brimming with detail. But it is also a roleplay with a strong emphasis on communal worldbuilding, rather than dictating from on high. This section is thus devoted to the worldbuilding lore dreamt up by the Foolsgold participants!

Offering up worldbuilding tidbits is a required part of the reserve and profile process, but you are more than welcome to dream up additional information, even after full acceptance. Ping Raptor with a quote or a PM to let her know about your great idea, of course!

All worldbuilding information posted in this section is vetted by Raptor, so it can be considered 100% canon. This section is, by definition, constantly under construction.

Some general guidelines:

❣ Raptor reserves the right to tweak your ideas for better consistency and flow!
❣ You have quite a bit of freedom in terms of what kinds of worldbuilding info you provide. Some possible topics include: monsters, locations, historical events, rare items, common items, holidays, religious beliefs, customs -- and many more.
❣ Marchen place names are all English or German -- or at least Englishlike or Germanesque. Puns are the lowest form of humor, and thus cheerful permitted. Most Marchese personal names are likewise English or German, although a minority of Marchese do have foreign ancestry and foreign names. Please don't abuse that leeway -- if we start to stray too far from the Germanic feel, stricter guidelines will be put into place.
❣ Drawing on fairy tale, high fantasy, and MMORPG tropes is enthusiastically encouraged. Bear in mind that the characters do not LIVE in a fairy tale or a MMORPG (at least, as far as they are aware) -- their world simply naturally functions along very fantastical lines.
❣ Please remember that Foolsgold is a lighthearted roleplay, although it will have its serious moments. Marchen's history is generally pretty chipper, if chaotic: bad things happen, but they tend to end well, unless it's more fun if they don't.



R A C E S


Average Racial Lifespans:
Infernals: 60 years
Wildlings: 70 years
Humans: 80 years
Seraphs: 300 years

Notes on Wildlings:
Wildling traits vary enormously between individuals: some are all but giant versions of their patron species, while some look Human in all visible respects. Even within the same family, animal traits appear in different ways.

Wildlings with flying patron animals cannot themselves fly, though their arms are sometimes winglike enough to allow them to glide.

Notes on Seraphs:
Seraphs are six-limbed: two arms, two legs, two wings. Their wings never disappear fully, though they are able to ruck them very small and close to the body. Although Seraphs rarely go into 'fighter' classes, preferring magic-focused combat, their wings can be quite dangerous in melee. Think of the infamous example of a swan's wing vs. a man's arm, then multiply that effect by the type of wingspan a human-sized animal is going to have. OUCH.



L O C A T I O N S


The Great Forest:
The Great Forest, which is Raphael's native home, is the birthplace of the main Wildling clans. A hundred years ago, four clans came to wage war on each other, and for the year that the conflict lasted, the forest was in strife. Eventually, they realized that no one clan could have dominion over the others, and decided to share everything without fighting over it. The forest belonged to everyone, after all. In commemoration of this event, a great oak was planted in a sacred clearing, signifying prosperity in friendship. To this day, humans and wildlings alike bring offerings to the oak in hopes that it will let their friendships grow strong and sturdy. They call the tree the Amicable Oak, and everyone in Marchen knows of it. (Provided by: Follower of Orion)

The High Range:
The mountain people of the High Range were a cluster of nomadic tribes who kept to themselves and well-away from contact with anyone in the rest of Marchen, until quite recently. A horrible storm and a bout of starvation forced them down from their peaks in order to survive one winter, and they traded furs and ornaments for scraps of food and firewood from villages in the foothills. Once the winter was over, most returned to the mountains and kept to themselves once again, but Rholf's ancestors were part of the few who stayed to make a life for themselves, becoming farmers, smiths, and mercenaries. All their descendants retain the bulky build of their forbears- the women included, and have become quite sought after by anyone who needs brute strength on their side. The Wolfhelms are the most well-known family of barbarian mercenaries in the land, and its members are invariably bodyguards or swords-for-hire. The mountain men (and women) are known by the ordinary Marchese as Boulders. (Provided by: Follower of Orion)

The Redwood Forest:
Violet grew up in the southern Redwood Forest, sole home of its enormous namesakes, which are much prized for both mundane and magical purposes. Unfortunately, it's not just the trees that are oversized in the forest -- so are the giant feral squirrels.

Due to the animals growing with the trees, most of the "towns" have to be underground to allow their inhabitants to survive as long as possible. You can imagine what living underground with oversized creatures threatening one above can do to those people who manage to get out. (Provided by: HyJyncks)

The Deathly Desert:
Far, far east of the Great Forest and Marchen is a desert so vast and dangerous few Adventurers dare to roam the sands. It holds some of the biggest baddies of worm and camel species and most don't even attempt to take up the quests assigned to there. Ironically enough, there are people who call these sands their home, nomads who welcome all Adventurers and are the only available shops in the area. Still, the place is not all bad. It's home to some the most exotic forms of cacti, man-eating jackalopes, and giant lizards. Plus, there was possibly once some great ancient cities there - if rumours are to believed. Who knows? You may be that lucky individual to find buried treasure, sure hundreds of people die searching for it yearly, but you'll have no problem. (Provided by: katty_angel)

The Demon World:
The demon world is not necessarily a location or place where things exist, nor is it real. The Demon realm is actually the more nightmarish imagination manifestation world of every creature that could be and wasn't. Each time a child has a horrid dream, or someone says 'Hey man, what if this existed...' it is created when the minds are focused on the abomination. The ability to call forth these creatures and beings and entities was first discovered by Stephan Busch Emmie. His wild eyes, while blind to this world, were said to see into the world of the dark imagination of others. Through incantations that were essentially the amalgamation of words from many languages to attempt to coax the being from falsity and into reality. The touch of magic aptitude is required, as well as the ability to pick up and learn and memorize the languages needed to pull the abominations into use in the real world. Mistakes with the verbiage can cause a different entity to appear or could change the reason for the creature to appear completely. (Provided by: FuzzyBokken)

The Tree of 'Life'
Once upon a time, there was a power witch named Merissa. She was famous across the land for her power magic and inventing new potions. However, there was a deadly trait that a person with her kind of power had. Klutziness! One day as the witch was carrying a box full of different kinds of potions trough a small yet wealthy village, she fell and the bottles all shattered on the ground! As they mixed together on the stone pave way, it created a giant tree with leaves of gold and a trunk that had a glow to it.

It was beautiful and all the people of the village stopped and awed in its beauty. The dying felt that they were becoming young again, and the sick stopped coughing and seemed to be getting better. However, the tree gave life to something else. The dead.

The villager's awe soon became panic as zombies shuffled through the village, immune to all the standard anti-zombie procedures. Some people got away, some joined the ranks of the undead. Merissa tried to stop the tree with magic, but alas, it seemed that that the 'tree of life' could not be taken down. So the village was abandoned, and now only the undead stay, remaining near the tree. If they wander too far away from it, they rest once again.

The leaves of the tree are said to get one a pretty penny for anyone who dares enter the village of the undead. (Provided by: Renata DS)



O P P O N E N T S


Barnabaes:
Very deep within the Great Forest lie the ruins of Engel, ancient ground that belonged to the ancestors of the land, within it is a great treasure: gold, jewels, the works. Only those daring enough enter these ruins, where will-o-wisps, booby-traps, and hidden monsters galore. Be careful, only very few has escaped such horrid grounds, unable to uncover the hidden treasures within. Those who have managed to escape with their lives re-live the torment in their minds as the dark secrets of the land consume them.

There is a group of people who still support that of the ancient ways called Barnabaes. They so strongly believe in the ways of the ancients, that they still do sacrificial rituals, force the beliefs down the people's throats, and believe that the world will go to ruin if people with "magical abilities" continue to live in this world. As one could probably tell, the Barnabaes are all humans, very nasty humans who follow strict lifestyles while expecting others to do the same. Although they are a small group of people, they can do a lot of damage when they desire to. Take heed. (Provided by: Xairah_Evans)

Giganticus, raticus:
In Marchen, there is a severe problem with the species formally known as Giganticus, raticus. No one knows exactly where they came from, or how they got there, but they've infested the entrance of every minor dungeon, underground tunnel, and sewer. It's common for new members of adventurers' guilds to go on "Rat Duty" in order to exterminate the disease-carrying population. Ever since the rise of the guilds, the population of Giganticus, raticus has risen exponentially, so there's always something for new members to go clean out. Always. (Provided by: Nolori)



H O L I D A Y S


Marchen Madness:
When delicate flowers push through harsh, cold snow, everyone knows what time it is. No, it's not the beginning of a new season. Well, it is... but that's not important. It's Marchen Madness!

Marchen Madness is a bloodthirsty event the whole family can enjoy. The streets are lined with colorful balloons, lights and cheerful pennants on strings. Merchants are cart-to-cart along the sides of the largest street leading to Brute Arena, selling sweet pastries, savory meats, refreshing drinks, potions of all kinds, and little Marchen Madness trinkets that will collect dust once they get back home. Though, the main spectacle of the day is held in the over-sized arena down the road.

In Brute Arena, citizens and visitors of Marchen face off in one-on-one battles, a rare chance at honor duels unrelated to alignment. The audience is mostly comprised of commoners, while Adventurers typically hold the spotlight. Adventurers participate for a variety of reasons. Leaders of guilds spectate the event in hopes of finding a new recruit. Guildless Adventurers participate so that, maybe, they'll get noticed by said leaders. Some, who are already in guilds, use this event to bring honor to their guilds or just show off. And of course, there are some Adventurers who are just absolutely crazy. The event is pretty bloody, but actually killing your opponent is against the rules; just rough 'em up until they can't stand anymore. The winner of each duel moves through the ranks, and the loser becomes the target for an assortment of flying vegetables thrown by mocking citizens. The duels continue until one Adventurer is left standing. The grand winner is awarded with a shiny trophy, prestige, and some awesome bragging rights.

At the end of the day, when the sun is setting over the horizon, spectators and participants alike join together in a dance to celebrate the champion. This usually doesn't seem like much fun to sore losers, but maybe they'll get a pity dance from that one adoring fan. Though, it's probably their mom. (Provided by: irispire)



P E R S O N A G E S


Daniel Hasslehoof:
A bovine Wildling, Daniel Hasslehoof is the most famous and beloved Bard in all of Marchen. Not the best, by any means -- just the most beloved. Hailing from a coastal city where he once worked for a spell rescuing unwary Adventurers from drowning in a sea cave dungeon, his arrival in Straugburg was so perfectly timed as to place him in the spotlight when the Marchese were most eager for new entertainment. In the twenty years since, he has never lost his inexplicable celebrity status.

At the end of the day, there is one thing that is undeniably clear: Marchen loves Daniel Hasslehoof. (Provided by: velociraptor screech)

Stephanie Kunze
An ancient Seraph of legend said to be one of the first Seraphs that came in existence. Legend told that she was the smartest being ever to be born since the beginning of time. It is said that most of the worlds current technologies have been made based on designs and texts created by her which had been deciphered. There are various texts that have been found which had been written by her which haven't been deciphered yet because of lack of current knowledge on ancient writing but it is said from another text that had been deciphered should they all be deciphered it would lead to two fates for Marchen being either advancement in the world or destruction in the world. It is said that she still lives to this day and is in hiding somewhere in the place of origin of the Seraphs. (Provided by: ultimatemk)

[velociraptor screech]

The following is the current cast in Foolsgold! All thirty-two possible slots are now open: four for each class, two for each specialty.

░░░░ W A R R I O R S





YOU HAVE NOT YET UNLOCKED THIS CHARACTER!
race:
specialty: Knight
personal trope:
status: OPEN
x
x
x





YOU HAVE NOT YET UNLOCKED THIS CHARACTER!
race:
specialty: Knight
personal trope:
status: OPEN
x
x
x





R H O L F _ M E I N R A D _ W O L F H E L M
race: Human
specialty: Barbarian
personal trope: The Harmless Hulk
status: PLAYED by Follower of Orion
x
x
x





YOU HAVE NOT YET UNLOCKED THIS CHARACTER!
race:
specialty: Barbarian
personal trope:
status: OPEN
x
x
x




░░░░ M A R K S M E N





R A P H A E L _ T Y S L E A F
race: Wildling (dormouse)
specialty: Archer
personal trope: The Dreamer
status: PLAYED by Follower of Orion
x
x
x





YOU HAVE NOT YET UNLOCKED THIS CHARACTER!
race:
specialty: Archer
personal trope:
status: OPEN
x
x
x





YOU HAVE NOT YET UNLOCKED THIS CHARACTER!
race:
specialty: Bombardier
personal trope:
status: OPEN
x
x
x





YOU HAVE NOT YET UNLOCKED THIS CHARACTER!
race:
specialty: Bombardier
personal trope:
status: OPEN
x
x
x




░░░░ C L E R I C S





C R I N N E _ M U E N S T
race: Infernal
specialty: Priest
personal trope: The Special Snowflake
status: RESERVED by irispire
x
x
x





YOU HAVE NOT YET UNLOCKED THIS CHARACTER!
race:
specialty: Priest
personal trope:
status: OPEN
x
x
x





L I E S E L O T T E _ F R U E H O F F
race: Seraph
specialty: Paladin
personal trope: The Sweet Simpleton
status: PLAYED by velociraptor screech
x
x
x





YOU HAVE NOT YET UNLOCKED THIS CHARACTER!
race:
specialty: Paladin
personal trope:
status: OPEN
x
x
x




░░░░ S U M M O N E R S





S E R I N A
race: Human
specialty: Spiritspeaker
personal trope: Space Cadet
status: RESERVED by Renata DS
x
x
x





C A L L I S T O _ I O _ E T O I L E S
race: Seraph
specialty: Spiritspeaker
personal trope: The Clueless Artist
status: RESERVED by Lady Laserina
x
x
x





F R A U K E _ O S T R E I N
race: Human
specialty: Demoncaller
personal trope: Forgetful Jones
status: RESERVED by FuzzyBokken
x
x
x





YOU HAVE NOT YET UNLOCKED THIS CHARACTER!
race:
specialty: Demoncaller
personal trope:
status: OPEN
x
x
x




░░░░ M A G E S





K L A I R A _ G R Ü N
race: Seraph
specialty: Frostmage
personal trope: The Bad Luck Charm
status: RESERVED by Xairah_Evans
x
x
x





YOU HAVE NOT YET UNLOCKED THIS CHARACTER!
race:
specialty: Frostmage
personal trope:
status: OPEN
x
x
x





YOU HAVE NOT YET UNLOCKED THIS CHARACTER!
race:
specialty: Flamemage
personal trope:
status: OPEN
x
x
x





YOU HAVE NOT YET UNLOCKED THIS CHARACTER!
race:
specialty: Flamemage
personal trope:
status: OPEN
x
x
x




░░░░ D R U I D S





S I E G W A R D _ V O G E L
race: Wildling (sparrow)
specialty: Beastspeaker
personal trope: The Lovable Coward
status: PLAYED by Nolori
x
x
x





YOU HAVE NOT YET UNLOCKED THIS CHARACTER!
race:
specialty: Beastspeaker
personal trope:
status: OPEN
x
x
x





A I D A H _ S R O U R
race: Human
specialty: Leafcaller
personal trope: Friend to Bugs
status: RESERVED by katty_angel
x
x
x





YOU HAVE NOT YET UNLOCKED THIS CHARACTER!
race:
specialty: Leafcaller
personal trope:
status: OPEN
x
x
x




░░░░ T A C T I C I A N S





R U S S E L L _ F L I T
race: Wildling (Ferret)
specialty: Engineer
personal trope: The Skinny Cook
status: RESERVED by Gidme
x
x
x





YOU HAVE NOT YET UNLOCKED THIS CHARACTER!
race:
specialty: Engineer
personal trope:
status: OPEN
x
x
x





H I L D A _ D U N S T
race: Human
specialty: Bard
personal trope: The Mean Drunk
status: RESERVED by velociraptor screech
x
x
x





F E L I C I T A S _ S A E N G E R
race: Human
specialty: Bard
personal trope: The Giftedly Bad
status: RESERVED by Cerisorium
x
x
x




░░░░ T H I E V E S





V I O L E T _ A N A R I O N
race: Human
specialty: Burglar
personal trope: The Shy and Silent Girl
status: RESERVED by HyJyncks
x
x
x





YOU HAVE NOT YET UNLOCKED THIS CHARACTER!
race:
specialty: Burglar
personal trope:
status: OPEN
x
x
x





N I C H O L A S _ D O L O S E R A
race: Human
specialty: Bandit
personal trope: The Stoic
status: RESERVED by ultimatemk
x
x
x





YOU HAVE NOT YET UNLOCKED THIS CHARACTER!
race:
specialty: Bandit
personal trope:
status: OPEN
x
x
x

[velociraptor screech]

Have you made it through ALL THAT TEXT with an urge to join still intact? If so, you're a brave soul... and you're ready to place a reserve!

What are some general guidelines?
❣ Native Marchese have English or German names. A modest number of foreigners will be permitted, but Raptor reserves the right to turn the spigot off on those at any time.
❣ Please remember that Foolsgold is a generally lighthearted roleplay. Characters don't need to be over-the-top hilarious, but a character who is a tragic angstmuffin with no comic potential will be duly turned down.
❣ Your character must be LEGITIMATELY CRAP AT THEIR CLASS. Maybe they're lazy or unlucky or stupid or ill-matched to their class: all sorts of incompetents end up in the Fools' Guild. They might even have never genuinely wanted to be an Adventurer at all, but were pressured into it because of the embarrassment associated with being a commoner. They can, of course, suck with occasional moments of awesome -- that's fine. But they cannot be a decent fighter who has simply chosen to join the Fools' Guild out of compassion, rebelliousness, or some other but-I'm-still-awesome loophole. There are no exceptions to this rule. Hundreds of roleplays let you play as badasses of renown: this one is about the least probable heroes imaginable.

How do I reserve a slot?
It's a little more than simply putting in a request, nothing so complex as a mess of coding. You will send the following in a PM to velociraptor screech:

❣ A 100 x 100 pixel picture of your character (remember: anime-style only, strong preference for original art and not art of trademarked characters -- you MUST get permission first before bending this rule)
❣ Character name
❣ Character race
❣ Character class and specialty
❣ Character's personal trope: what general personality 'role' does this character fill? Are they the Ice Queen? The Team Dad? The Mad Scientist? TV Tropes may be your friend.
❣ One detail about Marchen that has not yet been revealed! See the Worldbuilding section for further guidelines.

Velo's turnaround is generally within 24 hours. Don't freak out if it moves from your outbox to sent folders without an immediate response. If you're being rejected, you will be informed, not simply ignored.

What are some suggested tropes?
There's plenty of room for plenty of ideas in this roleplay, but here are a handful of personal tropes that Velo would be amused to see!


The Conspiracy Theorist, Captain Obvious, The Would-Be Badass, The Loudmouth, The Fun Drunk, The Flirt, The Pampered Brat, The Fallen Prodigy, The Guild Clown, The Comically Serious One


And the profile?
Once your reserve has been accepted, it's time to move on to your profile! It's a good idea to read through the accepted profiles, as this will give you an idea of what to aim for.

Once your reserve is accepted, you have one week to finish your profile. Put it in a test thread in the Test Forum. If you will be delayed for whatever reason, it is YOUR responsibility to contact me and ask for an extension. If you don't ask, you will not get one, and will need to wait one week before re-reserving the slot. After being accepted, you will take your code and plop it in the main profile thread, easy-peasy.

Velo's turnaround with profiles is generally within 48 hours. Don't be surprised if you're asked to tweak things. It doesn't mean you're not awesome!

What's the profile look like?

╔═══════════════╗
ⒻⓄⓄⓁ'Ⓢ ⒼⓊⒾⓁⒹ
╚═══════════════╝
R O S T E R _ N O T E S
on
<< CHARACTER'S FULL NAME >>

<< RACE >>:: << CLASS >>::<< SPECIALTY >>



「 O V E R V I E W 」

❣ AGE is . . . << Character age here. 16 and up, unless you've got a darn good reason for it and have already received Velo's permission. >>

❣ DEFINING TROPE is . . . << Character's defining trope. >>

❣ COMMON KNOWLEDGE includes . . .

◆ << A detail their guildmates will know about them. Bear in mind the Fools' Guild is quite tight-knit, so even the chronically aloof will have inevitably revealed certain details about themselves. Suggestions include background information, hobbies, interests, popular gossip, etc. >>
◆ << Second detail. >>
◆ << Third detail. >>
◆ << Fourth detail (optional). >>
◆ << Fifth detail (optional). >>


❣ FOOLISHNESS of . . . << Why is this character in the Fools' Guild in the first place? Please remember, you don't end up in the Fools' Guild if you don't genuinely suck at your class for one reason or another. Fools can be competent at other things in their lives, and are not requicolor1 to be gibbering idiots (though gibbering idiots are cheerfully welcomed), but when it comes to their actual job... they stink. >>

❣ ALIGNMENT of . . . << Orderly Celestial, Chaotic Strife, or Neutral. Alignment is entirely optional, and is a sort of bonus challenge system, where wearing the white Celestial ribbon or the red Chaotic ribbon indicates a willingness to be challenged to honor duels at any time. Though many guilds recruit only members of one alignment or the other, the Fools' Guild isn't exactly choosy. >>


「 C L A S S _ I N F O 」

❣ A CLASS DETAIL is . . . << What is a notable detail about this class and how it functions? Draw on fantasy and MMORPG tropes to think about what sorts of strengths and weaknesses you'd like to see. Suggestions include resistances or vulnerabilities to certain attack types, armor or weaponry bonuses and restrictions, rare drops for this class, etc. >>

❣ A CLASS ABILITY is . . . << Give a power that this class uses. Both magic-focused and weapons-focused classes have powers; mages/druids/etc. use their powers as direct offense/defense/support moves, while warriors/marksmen/etc. bring indirect boosts to their own marital prowess or debuffs of their opponents' abilities. This doesn't need to be an essay, but you are expected to include details like: is it AoE or does it need a specific target? Is it powerful, requiring a cooldown between uses, or weak and easily used many times in succession? If you are not the first person applying for your class, make sure you've doublechecked that you aren't overlapping previously established abilities! Remember that you have access to ALL established abilities for your class. >>


「 S P E C I A L T Y _ I N F O 」

❣ A SPECIALTY DETAIL is . . . << What is a notable detail about this specialty and how it functions? Draw on fantasy and MMORPG tropes to think about what sorts of strengths and weaknesses you'd like to see. Suggestions include resistances or vulnerabilities to certain attack types, armor or weaponry bonuses and restrictions, rare drops for this specialty, etc. >>

❣ A SPECIALTY ABILITY is . . . << Give a power that this specialty uses. Both magic-focused and weapons-focused specialties have powers; paladins/frostmages/etc. use their powers as direct offense/defense/support moves, while barbarians/bombardiers/etc. bring indirect boosts to their own marital prowess or debuffs of their opponents' abilities. This doesn't need to be an essay, but you are expected to include details like: is it AoE or does it need a specific target? Is it powerful, requiring a cooldown between uses, or weak and easily used many times in succession? If you are not the first person applying for your specialty, make sure you've doublechecked that you aren't overlapping previously established abilities! Remember that you have access to ALL established abilities for your specialty. >>


「 M I S C E L L A N E O U S 」

❣ WEAPON PREFERENCE is . . . << Swords, bows, etc. are all fair game, along with primitive gunpowder weapons like muskets and bombs (especially for Bombardiers). >>

❣ PET is . . . << Optional. Pets are small animals Adventurers carry around as companions. They may or may not have small buffs associated with them, and can serve minor combat roles. >>

❣ MOUNT is . . . << Optional. Mounts are large animals Adventurers use to move more quickly around the terrain. They may or may not have buffs associated with them, generally more significant than those of pets, and can serve minor combat roles. >>


What's the code for that?

<< >> s indicate where you're to plug in your info! (Please don't leave the << >>s in the final product, by the by xD) There are three text colors for you to adjust to your own preferences. Color1 is used purely for decoration and may be light, but color2 and color3 MUST be at least modestly dark, for ease of reading.

[imgright]<< Character image goes here. No more than 350 pixels wide, please! >> [/imgright][size=20][align=center][color=color1]╔═══════════════╗[/color]
[color=color2]ⒻⓄⓄⓁ'Ⓢ ⒼⓊⒾⓁⒹ[/color]
[color=color1]╚═══════════════╝[/color]
[color=color3]R O S T E R [color=white]_[/color] N O T E S
[size=15][i]on[/i][/size][/color]
[size=20][color=color2][b]<< CHARACTER'S FULL NAME >>[/b]

[size=17]<< RACE >>[color=color1]::[/color] << CLASS >>[color=color1]::[/color]<< SPECIALTY >>[/size][/color][/size][/align]

[color=color2][color=color3][align=center][size=16][color=color1]「[/color] O V E R V I E W [color=color1]」[/color][/size][/align][/color]
[size=11][color=color1]❣[/color] [color=color3]AGE [i]is[/i] . . .[/color] << Character age here. 16 and up, unless you've got a darn good reason for it and have already received Velo's permission. >>

[color=color1]❣[/color] [color=color3]DEFINING TROPE [i]is[/i] . . .[/color] << Character's defining trope. >>

[color=color1]❣[/color] [color=color3]COMMON KNOWLEDGE [i]includes[/i] . . . [/color]
[list][list][list][color=color1]◆[/color] << A detail their guildmates will know about them. Bear in mind the Fools' Guild is quite tight-knit, so even the chronically aloof will have inevitably revealed certain details about themselves. Suggestions include background information, hobbies, interests, popular gossip, etc. >>
[color=color1]◆[/color] << Second detail. >>
[color=color1]◆[/color] << Third detail. >>
[color=color1]◆[/color] << Fourth detail (optional). >>
[color=color1]◆[/color] << Fifth detail (optional). >>
[/list][/list][/list]
[color=color1]❣[/color] [color=color3]FOOLISHNESS [i]of[/i] . . .[/color] << Why is this character in the Fools' Guild in the first place? Please remember, you don't end up in the Fools' Guild if you don't genuinely suck at your class for one reason or another. Fools can be competent at other things in their lives, and are not requicolor1 to be gibbering idiots (though gibbering idiots are cheerfully welcomed), but when it comes to their actual job... they stink. >>

[color=color1]❣[/color] [color=color3]ALIGNMENT [i]of[/i] . . .[/color] << Orderly Celestial, Chaotic Strife, or Neutral. Alignment is entirely optional, and is a sort of bonus challenge system, where wearing the white Celestial ribbon or the red Chaotic ribbon indicates a willingness to be challenged to honor duels at any time. Though many guilds recruit only members of one alignment or the other, the Fools' Guild isn't exactly choosy. >>

[color=color3][align=center][size=16][color=color1]「[/color] C L A S S [color=white]_[/color] I N F O [color=color1]」[/color][/size][/align][/color]
[color=color1]❣[/color] [color=color3]A CLASS DETAIL [i]is[/i] . . .[/color] << What is a notable detail about this class and how it functions? Draw on fantasy and MMORPG tropes to think about what sorts of strengths and weaknesses you'd like to see. Suggestions include resistances or vulnerabilities to certain attack types, armor or weaponry bonuses and restrictions, rare drops for this class, etc. >>

[color=color1]❣[/color] [color=color3]A CLASS ABILITY [i]is[/i] . . .[/color] << Give a power that this class uses. Both magic-focused and weapons-focused classes have powers; mages/druids/etc. use their powers as direct offense/defense/support moves, while warriors/marksmen/etc. bring indirect boosts to their own marital prowess or debuffs of their opponents' abilities. This doesn't need to be an essay, but you are expected to include details like: is it AoE or does it need a specific target? Is it powerful, requiring a cooldown between uses, or weak and easily used many times in succession? If you are not the first person applying for your class, make sure you've doublechecked that you aren't overlapping previously established abilities! Remember that you have access to ALL established abilities for your class. >>

[color=color3][align=center][size=16][color=color1]「[/color] S P E C I A L T Y [color=white]_[/color] I N F O [color=color1]」[/color][/size][/align][/color]
[color=color1]❣[/color] [color=color3]A SPECIALTY DETAIL [i]is[/i] . . .[/color] << What is a notable detail about this specialty and how it functions? Draw on fantasy and MMORPG tropes to think about what sorts of strengths and weaknesses you'd like to see. Suggestions include resistances or vulnerabilities to certain attack types, armor or weaponry bonuses and restrictions, rare drops for this specialty, etc. >>

[color=color1]❣[/color] [color=color3]A SPECIALTY ABILITY [i]is[/i] . . .[/color] << Give a power that this specialty uses. Both magic-focused and weapons-focused specialties have powers; paladins/frostmages/etc. use their powers as direct offense/defense/support moves, while barbarians/bombardiers/etc. bring indirect boosts to their own marital prowess or debuffs of their opponents' abilities. This doesn't need to be an essay, but you are expected to include details like: is it AoE or does it need a specific target? Is it powerful, requiring a cooldown between uses, or weak and easily used many times in succession? If you are not the first person applying for your specialty, make sure you've doublechecked that you aren't overlapping previously established abilities! Remember that you have access to ALL established abilities for your specialty. >>

[color=color3][align=center][size=16][color=color1]「[/color] M I S C E L L A N E O U S [color=color1]」[/color][/size][/align][/color]
[color=color1]❣[/color] [color=color3]WEAPON PREFERENCE [i]is[/i] . . .[/color] << Swords, bows, etc. are all fair game, along with primitive gunpowder weapons like muskets and bombs (especially for Bombardiers). >>

[color=color1]❣[/color] [color=color3]PET [i]is[/i] . . .[/color] << Optional. Pets are small animals Adventurers carry around as companions. They may or may not have small buffs associated with them, and can serve minor combat roles. >>

[color=color1]❣[/color] [color=color3]MOUNT [i]is[/i] . . .[/color] << Optional. Mounts are large animals Adventurers use to move more quickly around the terrain. They may or may not have buffs associated with them, generally more significant than those of pets, and can serve minor combat roles. >>


So where's that usable post layout?
Right below. Any FG member is free to use this as is, modify it to their tastes, or (of course) make their own from scratch. It's deliberately a fairly simple layout, using three colors, same as with the profile -- and as with the profile, color1 is purely decorative, but color2 and color3 are used for text, so please be kind and don't pick squint-worthy colors. You can see an example of what the layout looks in action here.


[imgright]IMAGE GOES HERE -- no more than 350 pixels wide, please! As a courtesy to Firefox users, if using Photobucket please modify the url to include an 'o', as in 'http://oi300.photobucket.com/longassurltofollow.png[/imgright]
[size=20][color=color1]❣ ❣[/color][color=color2]「[/color][color=color3] F I R S T N A M E [color=white]_[/color] L A S T N A M E [/color][color=color2]」[/color][/size]
[color=color2][align=center][size=15][i]◆ RACE ◆ CLASS ◆ SPECIALTY ◆ [size=20] PERSONAL TROPE[/size][/color][color=color2]
[color=color1][align=center]◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆[/align][/color]

[color=color2][size=11]Text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text.

[color=color3][b]"Speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech speech."[/b][/color]

[size=30][color=color1]»»»[/color][/size]
[list][list][list][size=11][color=color2]location: location they're at
with: with whom?
next tagged: next person tagged[/color][/size][/list][/list][/list]

[velociraptor screech]

Writing is a highly personal art, and every writer develops their own style by dint of experience. Therefore, the purpose of this guide is not to dictate exactly how you should approach putting together your posts, but to provide some input into some roleplay-specific tips and tricks. Like the worldbuilding section, this section is always under construction. Roleplay members who have a particular trick they'd like to bring up are more than welcome to talk to me about writing a section!

About cinematic posting



Cinematic POV is rarely used in Gaia roleplays, which is unfortunate -- the style is actually ideal for producing interesting, exciting roleplay. Cinematic is a form of writing where you write as if playing the part of a camera in a movie, observing character behavior without delving into their innermost thoughts or revealing any information that an observer couldn't witness. It's the ultimate in showing, not telling.

Rather than revealing character thought patterns, you only hint at them by showing the outward signs: what the character says, what expression they have on their face, what they do. The reader learns character feelings and motives only when they reveal them by their actions. This style is traditionally a hallmark of action and mystery novels, because it allows the writer to keep the reader in suspense about character motive. It also helps the roleplayer ensure that they're providing plenty of meat for their fellow players to react to: thoughts are completely useless from a roleplaying perspective unless you're playing a telepath, but conveyed emotions through facial expressions? Those people can work with.

By way of example, here's a short post written in traditional third person, (snagged, as this guide in general was, from Revolution Maiden):


Sparkle Baro chewed anxiously on her lip, watching the demon move below. She could see her teammate prone on the ground behind a pile of rubble, but she wasn't sure what to do. Oh, she thought, anxiously, wincing as she tapped her injured fingers against steel, I wish we had listened to the others' advice about looking where we leap! The monster suddenly paused and sniffed the air, scenting out the unconscious girl in the collapsed building. Moving on instinct, Baro dropped from her hidden position, gathering a ball of pressure in her hands even as she did so. No way was she allowing some demon to eat her friend! "PRESSURE BLAST!"

And here's that same post, written in cinematic:


Sparkle Baro chewed anxiously on her lip, her green eyes gleaming in the shadowed gloom as she tracked the movements over the monster below. Occasionally her gaze flicked, mouth twitching in a tense line, down towards a particular spot in the rubble below: the prone form of another bright-clad young woman was just visible amongst the collapsed brickwork and support beams, half covered by the pink fluff of insulation. A deep 'v' of worry formed between Baro's brows, deepening into a wince as she drummed her bloodied fingers on the steel support of her hiding place. The monster suddenly paused and sniffed the air, its jagged skull turning slowly towards the sheltering ruins. Just as suddenly, the red and blue figure of Sparkle Baro burst from her hiding place, dropping down towards the ruinous battlefield. Even as she fell, pretty young face marred by a fierce snarl of defiance, she drew into her injured hands an ethereal white glow. "PRESSURE BLAST!"

Learning how to do this can be a little challenging, if you're used to the third person limited perspective that almost every Gaia roleplay uses. Don't worry -- you won't be penalized for mistakes. Think of this as a way to flex your writing muscles and improve your descriptive powers.



About posting orders



These are not strictly required, but they're strongly encouraged. Most roleplays fall into these, anyway, just by the natural human desire to make sure everyone in the group gets a fair chance to contribute. A posting order is the rotation in which members post: Player A goes, then Player B responds to Player A, then Player C responds to A and B, then Player A goes again and responds to B and C, etc. etc. It can be helpful to agree upon an official posting order, because this lets you know for sure when your turn is.

Posting orders become impossible to maintain if a lot of characters are in the same place (I'd say six+ is the cutoff point). When this happens, the best thing to do is pick a posting partner or two -- characters in the crowd your character is primarily interacting with. After your posting partner(s) post, it's your turn -- you don't have to wait on EVERYONE in the group to respond before you do. (Although if you and your partner(s) are making up the majority of the scene, you may be asked to slow down and let other people post.) Don't feel obliged to respond to everyone, just those your character is interacting with.



About writing action scenes



For most people, writing conversation is easy, and writing action is HARD. But it's also a lot of fun, and allows characters opportunities to show off their skills. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

❣ Communication is key. You should really always be talking to the people you're roleplaying with, but during action scenes it's especially important. Yes, this a roleplay about secrets, and we don't plan most things out in advance (aside from Raptor's general plot plans, anyway -- and even those are on no set timeline). But don't be afraid to talk to people and find out if they want to plan out parts of action scenes in advance, or even co-write action scene posts together. Having some level of 'script' can make the process smoother, and let you focus on the fun bits of writing about character attacks.

❣ Keep it quick. Unless a post is a collaboration between multiple players, action posts are best kept to very few paragraphs. No, really -- keep it quick. An action post might well cover five seconds of actual time. Don't write a ton of character moves, because action scenes are all about action/reaction. Make sure you aren't being unkind to those who have to react to you, by giving them TOO MANY things to react to.

❣ Raptor is not the only person who can play DM. Obviously, I have the most pressing DM role in the roleplay. But you are ABSOLUTELY welcome to play DM for each other, if you want to take a few characters out for a jaunt against a demon, or some other adventure. You don't need my permission for it -- go ahead and do it!

❣ Don't obsess about winning. I've known many, many roleplayers who were hampered from greatness by this flaw. These are the players who compulsively play Too Cool characters, and ALWAYS think they deserve to win in a fight scene. And these are the players that tend to find themselves ignored, or avoided, as others figure this out! The truth of the matter is, letting your character fail is more interesting than letting them achieve flawless win after flawless win. Not only is it more interesting from a character reaction standpoint, it makes it more impressive when they do succeed. Plus, it sets you up as a good sport, if you're willing to let others have a place in the sun!

[velociraptor screech]

While the roleplay will likely include travel between all sorts of locations in Marchen, the initial opening scenes will mostly be in or near Marchen's heart: the capital city of Straugburg. Thus, here are a few details about it!






S T R A U G B U R G

Straugburg is called the City of Six Names (Straugburg, the Jewel of Marchen, the Flower of Adventure, the Woodbeam Jungle, the City of Three Gates, and the Guild of Guilds) -- much to the great annoyance of pedants, who point out that 'City of Six Names' is itself actually the seventh name. Pedants are missing the point, though. And the point is: Straugburg is great.

Built largely of wood and plaster (with fires quite regularly set as a context for quests -- don't worry, the commoners are given time to get out of the way, at least sometimes), the city has a pleasing Ren Faire quality to it. Merchants hawking goods on every corner, musicians playing for polka dancing throngs, more public drinking than you could shake a stick at.

Though Straugburg is of course above all else the capital city of the guilds, it is also the capital city of the country (palace and all), and the economic center as well. Unbeknownst to your average Adventurer, Straugburg is an excellent city to get rich in if you're a commoner willing to hawk merchandise to Adventurers: there are large networks of wealthy merchants who go unnoticed, sprawling workshops of laborers producing goods for the Adventurer market, and networks of (non-Adventurer) thieves who filch goods for turnaround in the Adventurer trade. Not that you really care about that -- that's all boring commoner stuff.

The Fools' Guild is located in the Poor Quarter, which, as the name implies, is the seediest part of the city. It is very nearly the only guild in the entire area, and thus sometimes approached by the poor folk in the area with minor quests of their own.

[velociraptor screech]

Naturally, Foolsgold features quests as its roleplay mainstay. Outside of the intro getting-to-know-you quest, all quests will take place within context of a broader 'frame' quest: the mysterious crippling of all other Adventurers in Marchen, and the consequences that follow for the hapless Fools' Guild.


F E T C H & C A R R Y

The most classic newbie quest of all -- and the one several members of the Fools' Guild are currently embarked on. Found at the Outside Inn, located fifteen minutes outside Straugburg's gates and a favorite Fool hangout due to its unpopularity with most Adventurers, this quest involves placating Innkeeper Olga... who is a trifle upset over the size of the unpaid bar tab certain Fools have been building up over the past few months. To pay her off, the Fools have agreed to collect the following:


Five (5) Giganticus, raticus skins from the Inn's basement
Ten (10) Exploding Flameflowers from the Straugburg meadows (the only flowers already in bloom -- but they explode if handled poorly, so that's an issue)
Twenty (20) buckets of water
Two (2) bars of soap from the meanest merchant in the nearby village of Geilenkirchen
One (1) unicorn hair

[velociraptor screech]

This information is updated periodically. This is not the kind of roleplay that stays on the same hour of the same day for ten pages, although timeskips will be discussed and forewarned before they occur.

❣ Current Date: Freitag, 1 März. (Friday, March 1st.)

❣ Current Time: Around 11 in the morning.

❣ Current Weather: Lightly overcast, with a slight chance of a drizzle throughout the afternoon. It's late winter, with a few patches of snow clinging here and there, though otherwise quite warm and green for the season. Still, though: wear a sweater.

❣ Current Events: Marchen Madness season is upon us! The roadways are bustling with travelers heading for the Brute Arena.

[velociraptor screech]