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 Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 10:18 am
The minor types of Noctua are called "minor" precisely because of their lesser numbers when compared to the five "main" types. When competing for food, space and mates with so many other, more successful types, a too-small number could very well mean extinction. Other minor types in the past have dwindled into oblivion, or become so diluted with the blood of other types that they were eventually indistinguishable from Wildtypes. The minor types that are around today try their best to keep their bloodlines pure, and retain their own special characteristics. However, there are certain hazards involved with only mating "within the family" as well, so sometimes a fresh infusion of new blood is absolutely neccessary. The Chestnuts, for example, have been able to stay strong and healthy thanks to regular cross-breedings with Deep Woods. The other side of that coin is of course that almost all breedings have to be more or less coordinated. Especially those involving the "new blood". In other words, arranged matings are not unusual within the minor types, and the elders of that type will most likely always have some say in every pairing. On the flip side, abberrants who are spawned through one of these "breeding programs" are not treated with the same sort of prejudice that the more "unplanned" mixed-type abberrants have to deal with. Or, well, at least not as much. Many, if not most Sentinels trust the elders of the Clan, and if they have arranged for a mixed-type mating, then that has to be in the best interest of the Clan, right? Still, prejudice can be a difficult thing to overcome, and since it is a somewhat common occurrence for mixed-types to be weak and/or sickly, personal bias does appear even in the behaviour of the most loyal Sentinels. Sad but true. However, since these planned matings are so important to the survival of the minor types, there can be a lot of honor at stake in them as well. An unsuccessful breeding could mean a setback of the grand scheme by several years. Those involved in the arranging of such a mishap could suffer not only scorn, but be forbidden from more arrangements until they have proven themselves worthy again. On the other hand, a successful mating could earn those involved in the arranging a significant boost of respect. One has to wonder, with so much hanging in the balance, and so many other people involved, can there really be any room for true romance? And what of the two actually involved in the mating itself? Do they matter at all, beyond their genetic disposition? Does it even matter if they like each other or not? As the time draws near for a dedicated Apothecary and a Bard with romantic dreams, these two will soon come to learn just how much is expected of them, and just how much they have to work out on their own. Event specific rules- All the usual RP rules apply
- The risk for death or permanent injury is small in this plot, but actions do have consequences.
- In order to earn their character the cast players will have to complete five roleplays (three roleplays will be part of the plot, they must plan the other two by themselves)..
- At least one of those roleplays should be with non-plot characters.
- Roleplay with characters that cast players already own doesn't count towards their roleplay quota.
- These two extra RPs must be completed within one month of the end of the scripted RPs.
- You will get some required meetings, and some suggestions, but you will ultimately decide what happens, and which way the story will go. The Herald will be available as needed for NPCs.
- Players with existing characters can apply to have a pre-established relationship with one of the plot Sentinels, or to meet them.
- All roleplay with these characters during the plot will take place in the Gathering place subforum.
- We'd appreciate if cast players try to start the five required plot RPs during the month of June to give you plenty of time to play them out. We DO NOT want a last minute scramble to start RPs if it can be avoided.
- But we do know that unforeseen things might turn up. Please communicate if there is a problem! We can try to help you, but only if we know you're having troubles.LinksInterest thread for players | Audition | Tentative timeframeJune 30th - Three scripted roleplays finished, all five roleplays at least started. July 31th - The two remaining roleplays finished
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Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 10:20 am
The Cast--The Bachelor--Part I – The Sentinel
Player: Pearlyblue
Name: Drywood
Nicknames: None, really.
Species: Sentinel of Noctua
Age: Adult
Hatch Date: 3/4
Type: Chestnut
Task: Apothecary
Personality: Drywood is an aberrant, even if the coloration of his feathers isn't. Though very open and charming in his first impression, those who converse with Drywood for a while will start to get the creeping impression that not all is right with this sentinel. There’s something off about the gleam in his eye, and his sense of humour is definitely lacking – if not downright inappropriate. He has been known to tell Minders that has had to visit him on behalf of a hatchling that: “I admire you for being able to put up with the little critters. Personally, I never really took to them. My companion enjoys them all the more, though! Ah-hahaha!” and then be utterly surprised by the Minder’s shocked/outraged reaction. He never seems to get angry himself, and no one can remember ever seeing him sad – he is perpetually amiable, but reacts to the distress of others with some nervous twitchiness. That, and his excitement for the work he does, is about it as far as visible emotions go for this odd bird.
History: Drywood has always been a bit of an outsider. As a fledgling he was gentle and likable, and took very well to being taught and educated and shown what to do, but when trying to interact with his peers he never seemed able to get it quite right. He usually ended up either excluded from the game or unintentionally hurting his playmates, either emotionally or physically.
He has had a lifelong obsession with different poisons, which most other Sentinels find slightly disturbing. Certain Keepers refuses to sell him any more mus or parus, because of the rumours of the very painful deaths that he puts them through during his experiments. However, there’s no getting around the fact that if you are in need of an antidote of any kind, Drywood is your bird. He claims to have found certain beneficial effects in some of his poisons, but so far nobody has volunteered to try them out.
Territory: Far to the west, almost at the very edge of the Great Western Open, there’s a gnarled, hollow and very, very dead chestnut tree, that marks the centre of Drywood’s territory.
Mate: None, and he doesn’t seem to be looking.
Companions: Yes
Certificate:
Part II – Companions
Name: Longtail, nicknamed Tails
Species: Serpe
Age: Adult
Speech Ability: 1
Intelligence: 4
Skill: Considering the occupation and the very special interest of her master, most Sentinels expect Longtail to be horribly venomous. However, as strange as it may seem, she is a type of serpe that is not venomous at all. In reality her most valuable contribution to Drywood is her company - He gets along much better with his very nearly non-verbal serpe than he does with any Sentinel, and they almost seem to have some sort of kinship with each other. (What Drywood does not know is that Tails is actually guarding him jealously at all times, sometimes spooking his visitors intentionally. She would not hesitate to constrict anyone who would threaten the life of her master – whether he wanted her to or not.) When Drywood has to leave home, Tails usually stays behind to stand guard – or, well, laze about lethargically, while looking generally intimidating.
--The Perfect Match--Part I – The Sentinel
Player: harpsdesire
Name: Willowbreeze
Nicknames: Willow
Species: Sentinel of Noctua
Age: Young Adult
Hatch Date: 5/12/????
Type: Aberrant (Chestnutx(ChestnutxDeep Woods))
Task: Bard
Personality: Ladylike and well-spoken, it is obvious that Willowbreeze was raised with extreme care and strict discipline. She generally appears cool-headed and unruffled (both figuratively and literally), but secretly harbors the heart of a true romantic and idealist. It is this quality which allows her to succeed as a Bard. She tends to favor clan history, the romantic and dramatic in the stories and songs she performs, starkly in contrast to her own life, which has so far been relatively devoid of drama.
History: She have been taught that diversity is essential for the Clan to survive, and that the minor types are too important to be lost. It has never been a secret that she was born to help the Chestnut type stay strong and healthy.
Meeting her intended mate has been a strong focus in her life, and she has been deeply indoctrinated with the superiority of the “pure” bloodlines.
At a young age, she discovered she had a very pleasing voice. Further training has shaped her into a very respectable, although not exceptional, bard. Although she enjoys her task, Willowbreeze always strives to improve, leading her to practice, and practice... Until someone yells at her to shut up.
Territory: She maintains a quite small territory adjoining her Grandmother's and nearby the rest of her family. It centers on a medium sized tree of about average desirability, quite suitable for a single Sentinel, probably not spacious enough to raise a family.
Mate: None
Companions: yes
Certificate:
Part II – Companions
Name: Zephyr
Species: Parus
Age: Adult
Speech Ability: 2
Intelligence: 4
Skill: He does a lot of singing, and he does it well. Zephyr likes to accompany Willowbreeze when she sings, or even harmonize. He can also be entertaining in his own right, whistling a variety of pleasant tunes and fluttering about. Beyond that, he's not much more than an attractive and colorful living accessory to enhance Willow's beauty.
--The Grandmother--Part I – The Sentinel
Player: Dark Fire Angel
Name: Hazel
Nicknames: N/A
Species: Sentinel of Noctua
Age: Adult
Hatch Date: 31/12/??
Type: Deep Woods
Task: Teacher
Personality: Stubborn as a mule and horribly persistent once she gets an idea stuck in her head. Hazel is known for never giving up. She believes that hope and willpower is something that no one can take away from, no matter how hard they try. If someone pushes, she pushes right back. In her younger days she was a Huntress, but later switched tasks when age began to deter her reflexes and movements, causing her to make mistakes she otherwise wouldn't have. Her fierce nature and mildly abrasive personality seem to mirror the fact she held a combatant task in her youth, and while her body is tired and her reflexes are not what they used to be... she's still beautiful and the spark of life and strength in her heart has come nowhere near dieing. If anything, it's burning with greater force than ever now that her granddaughter is finally nearing the time when she'll be courted.
History: In her youth she was courted by a Chestnut gentleman and was offered a rather unique opportunity. Unfortunately her position as the mother of a new family of Chestnuts did not protect her from being frowned at for willingly creating aberrants.
Territory: Holds a decent sized territory near the heart of Deep Woods, which she defends fiercely, even despite her age.
Mate: N/A
Companions: N/ACertificate: --The Storyteller--
Part I – The Sentinel
Player: Mogami
Name: Hollysong
Nicknames: Holly. He secretly dislikes being addressed as Song even though some sentinels do.
Species: Sentinel of Noctua
Age: Middle-aged adult
Hatch Date: 04/07
Type: Chestnut
Task: Storyteller
Personality: Holly is a gentleman, thoughtful and rational. He is not a witty sentinel. In fact, he is often described as having no sense of humor at all and while one can’t honestly say that assessment is entirely correct, it is not without some foundation of truth. Holly takes his task very seriously and can be very frustrated when things don’t go exactly as he plans them. He deeply understands concepts such as consanguinity, fertility and genetic potential and yet he is clueless on matters like attraction and love. He is somewhat distant even towards his family (with the possible exception of his mate, Senna) and when he is not researching or teaching the youngsters at the enclaves, he can be usually found on some secluded place, alone, lost in his own thoughts.
History: Holly followed his father’s footsteps and became a Storyteller. He started out as a bard, researching stories of the Clan (especially those relating to his type) in order to pass them on to the younger generation. Slowly his interest in the Chestnut history grew deeper and he took interest in every Chestnut’s lineage as he began to memorize the complex family tree of this type. Knowing how important it was to maintain the health and prosperity of the small Chestnut minority, he joined others in the study and understanding of the thin balance between purity and health. Pretty soon, he was offering advice on who should be mated with whom and whose youngsters should never be joined. Even though it was an interest he had to pursue at first, in his latest years it became common for other sentinels (and not just those of the Chestnut type) to be the ones to seek him out to ask for his advice.
As most Chestnuts, Holly grew up with the notion that he wouldn’t have the option to choose his mate. With the survival and strength of his type hanging in the balance, such choice has always seemed trivial to him. He was paired up with a lovely female, slightly younger than himself and even though there is obviously no passionate flame between them, they’ve developed a solid relationship based on trust, respect and companionship. There is love there, one might say, just not the type that Holly tends to associate with hopeless fools. He has fathered 6 daughters (2 separate clutches).
Territory: Three trees in the deep woods close to several young Chestnut families.
Mate: Yes. Senna.
Companions: A very clever Chirop with very good memorizing abilities who delivers messages for Holly. He is brightly dyed and easily recognized in the neighborhood.
Certificate:
Part II - Companions
Name: Flut
Species: Chirop
Age: Adult
Speech Ability: 5
Intelligence: 4
Skill: Not the most clever of chirops but he’s still a good messenger. He only knows a few long sentences like “You’re late for your appointment” and “Hollysong the Storyteller requests the pleasure of your company”. During a conversion between sentinels he also memorizes what they say (for a very short period of time of course) which makes him rather useful in an argument.
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Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 10:43 am
Roleplay Timeline-X- - The ball gets rolling as Hazel takes charge and invites the matchmaker to evaluate her granddaughter. (Hazel, Hollysong, Willowbreeze) DONE-X- - With her long wait finally over, Willowbreeze decides that some styling is in order before she meets the male she was made for. (Willowbreeze, Honeysuckle) -X- - Taking into careful account what would be the best thing for his Type, Hollysong approaches his top candidate. (Drywood, Hollysong) DONE-X- - Hazel decides to check out the male that will soon be her granddaughters mate. (Drywood, Hazel) -X- - What do girls want, really? Drywood has never courted anyone before, but an old friend might hopefully give him some insights to the elusive female mind. Or... something. (Drywood, Craneberry) DONE-X- - It's time for a first meeting. Under close supervision of course! (Hollysong, Drywood, Willowbreeze) DONE-X- - Hollysong finds himself an interesting specimen instead of a meal, and Sly is not sure how to feel about the attention. (Hollysong, Sly) DONE-X- - Hazel meets one of her old colleagues. (Hazel, Granny) -X- - The two plotting old birds evaluate the progress so far (Hazel, Hollysong) -X- - Willowbreeze seems pleased with the mate that was chosen for her, but there's still regular old bard-work to do. (Willowbreeze, Fjord) -X- - Ah yes, Hollysong is not only pairing up matching Sentinels. Sometimes duty calls elsewhere (Hollysong, Lilydove, Winterfern) -X- - Who sent the mysterious Chirop? But never mind that, the two lovebirds are meeting on their own, without their elders monitoring each step... (Drywood, Willowbreeze) -X- -
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