THE RACING GROUNDS
The Chittentown racing grounds are abuzz with trolls of all kinds. There's so much to do! Why don't you check the bulletin board for possible ways you can help - and in helping, gain some valuable gerbcurrency!
This is the central hub for all events, including week-long contests, daily events and special events. Please make sure that you use the correct forms and keep track of all of your gerbcurrency between events, and post for events only when the events are scheduled.
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GERBIL STYLISTS WANTED!
NummCorp is looking for the next NEW LOOK in small mammalian style! Do you have what it takes to come up with a fashionable full-body look for a gerbil that will catch the public's eye?
Prompt: Branding is of absolute importance. The individuality of a gerbil can bring out its most characteristic traits that the audience will love. How will you market your gerbil to the masses? Their soft, sleek fur and winning natural sheen? Their racing-ready attitude? Dress up, style, and create the look you want for your favorite racer that could make it this sweep's super brand-able "IT" thing.
Prize: One handmade leather harness, the most up-to-date model for gerbil racing and gerbil fashion alike! This fantastic piece of craftsmanship is worth a whopping 8 gerbpoints! The winner of this prize may gift the harness to any gerbil in the running for the race. In addition to the first place prize, prizes of gerbcurrency will be granted to all participants as compensation. NummCorp claims all rights to designs created and submitted to this contest during the First Alternannual Great Gerbil Race.
How to Apply: Use any racing gerbil as a muse to design their fashion-shoot ready look, and submit the form below in this thread with your name included. You may also choose to submit a generic entry if you do not wish to represent a gerbil currently entered for the race. Your design may be created in any medium, and may be a visual representation, a written description, or a mixture of both. Entries will be based upon creativity and adherence to the prompt. The deadline is May 10th - late entries will be disqualified. The design contests can be entered once per user.
[color=pink][b]Primped and perfect![/b][/color]
Troll: your troll's name
Entry: Put your entry below.
Troll: your troll's name
Entry: Put your entry below.
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PITCH YOUR PRODUCT!
NummCorp is open to new ideas and advertising opportunities. Their image, however, is largely restricted to pet products, and with the need for a broader audience there is a great opportunity for new ideas to be pitched.
Prompt: We are open to anything related to gerbils -- gerbil brand soda, gerbil brand sneakers, gerbil brand gerbils! We want a good feel for how you've incorporated these creatures into a universally appealing product that will help our bottom line by expanding the compay.
Prize: One specially fitted collar with a carrot-on-a-stick attachment, worth a total of 8 gerbpoints. The winner of this prize may gift it to any gerbil in the running for the race. In addition to the first place prize, prizes of gerbcurrency will be granted to all participants as compensation. NummCorp claims all rights to ideas submitted to this contest during the First Alternannual Great Gerbil Race.
How to Apply: Submit the form below in this thread with your name included. Your design may be created in any medium, and may be a visual representation, written, or a mixture of both. Ideas for presenting your pitch may include but are not limited to: Screenshots from an advertising spot, a script for an infomercial, a graphic design of an advertisement, a blueprint of the product in question, and more! RP of the troll actually giving the speech to the representative for NummCorp in person is also acceptable. The sky is a limit! Entries will be based upon creativity and adherence to the prompt. The deadline is May 10th - late entries will be disqualified. The design contests can be entered once per user.
[color=limegreen][b]Picture this...[/b][/color]
Troll: your troll's name
Entry: Put your entry below.
Troll: your troll's name
Entry: Put your entry below.
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VOLUNTEER TODAY! AND TOMORROW! AND THE NEXT DAY!
Join us to make this the best Gerbil Race it can be! Each new day during the week from May 5th-9th there will be a new task posted upon the volunteer-work bulletin board. If you complete the task, you may get tips in the form of gerbcurrency in return!
Rules: This Volunteer-Work event takes the form of a choose-your-own-adventure. You are tasked with choosing the best outcome that will get you the most gerbcurrency for your trouble! Keep in mind that there is no penalty for joining late or missing days, and at no time will the options resulting from this CYOA cause you to subtract gerbcurrency. Please write out a roleplay post per choice and submit it with the code below, describing your troll’s actions! There is a 100 word minimum per post to count. As a reminder, if you have entered 2 trolls in this event, you may take part in daily events such as this with one troll per day.
[color=darkgrey][b]Much Ado...[/b][/color]
Troll: your troll's name
I chose option: Option here
My volunteering total: Total gerbcurrency from CYOA only
My current grand total: Current gerbcurrency value (all events - purchases)
Troll: your troll's name
I chose option: Option here
My volunteering total: Total gerbcurrency from CYOA only
My current grand total: Current gerbcurrency value (all events - purchases)
TODAY'S TASK:
PARTICIPATE IN THE GERBIL SHOW!
"Thanks for participating! NummCorp is sponsoring a gerbil show tonight. I'd love to see you there!" She beams and waves you farewell.
If you participated in the CYOA every day: The yellowblood gives you a pat on the back and leans in. "We've really appreciated everything you've done. I was told not to give these away to just anyone who volunteered this week, so mum's the word! Good luck in the race!" She winks and slips you a set of flame decals, worth 2 gerbpoints!
Results and a new task will be posted tomorrow!
"Thanks for participating! NummCorp is sponsoring a gerbil show tonight. I'd love to see you there!" She beams and waves you farewell.
If you participated in the CYOA every day: The yellowblood gives you a pat on the back and leans in. "We've really appreciated everything you've done. I was told not to give these away to just anyone who volunteered this week, so mum's the word! Good luck in the race!" She winks and slips you a set of flame decals, worth 2 gerbpoints!
Results and a new task will be posted tomorrow!
PREVIOUS TASKS:
ADVERTISE THE RACES
1. Put flyers everywhere. No lightpost will be untouched, no front door, no scuttlebuggy window. The interiors of buildings will be positively wallpapered in the stuff!
2. Door-to-door gerbil marketing! Handing out flyers and talking up potential volunteers and audience members is sure to get the most results.
3. Word of mouth. If Johnny tells Saally, then Saally's sure to tell her horde of friends, yes? Maybe, you think, if you try a social hotspot in Chittentown, then the word will get around.
If you picked 1...
What luck! Due to the WACKY and Chittentown's unfortunate flooding issue, everything's just slightly damp enough that your flyers are practically papier mache'd to every surface in town. Who knew? Whether they like it or not, you soon hear mutterings about the "damn Great Gerbil Race" from disgruntled trolls trying to get out of their hives, into their cars and walk a yard without kicking up a huge spitball of flyers. For your trouble, the event organizers have given you 4 gerbcurrency!
If you picked 2...
While most of the doors in Chittentown get slammed in your face, you manage to slip the flyers under a choice number of doors. Sneaky? Very much so. Effective? Who knows! At least you ran out of flyers and returned to get 3 gerbcurrency from the event organizers!
If you picked 3...
When you waltzed into a seedy bar in the pit of Chittentown, you expected a friendlier response. Turns out they're not fond of your advertising solicitations, and instead of positive word of mouth for the race, bothering the patrons seems to have had the opposite effect. Oops. At least you got the word out! The event organizers have given you 1 gerbcurrency for your effort.
2. Door-to-door gerbil marketing! Handing out flyers and talking up potential volunteers and audience members is sure to get the most results.
3. Word of mouth. If Johnny tells Saally, then Saally's sure to tell her horde of friends, yes? Maybe, you think, if you try a social hotspot in Chittentown, then the word will get around.
If you picked 1...
What luck! Due to the WACKY and Chittentown's unfortunate flooding issue, everything's just slightly damp enough that your flyers are practically papier mache'd to every surface in town. Who knew? Whether they like it or not, you soon hear mutterings about the "damn Great Gerbil Race" from disgruntled trolls trying to get out of their hives, into their cars and walk a yard without kicking up a huge spitball of flyers. For your trouble, the event organizers have given you 4 gerbcurrency!
If you picked 2...
While most of the doors in Chittentown get slammed in your face, you manage to slip the flyers under a choice number of doors. Sneaky? Very much so. Effective? Who knows! At least you ran out of flyers and returned to get 3 gerbcurrency from the event organizers!
If you picked 3...
When you waltzed into a seedy bar in the pit of Chittentown, you expected a friendlier response. Turns out they're not fond of your advertising solicitations, and instead of positive word of mouth for the race, bothering the patrons seems to have had the opposite effect. Oops. At least you got the word out! The event organizers have given you 1 gerbcurrency for your effort.
VOLUNTEER AT THE TRACK:
1. Help carve out the gerbil track! The most important part of a race is to have a track, after all. Without it, there's no race! Or, a few little rodents trying to run up a ditch, which is just sad.
2. Prepare tiny cups and towels for gerbils. Like in a troll marathon runners need refreshments, and why should gerbils be the exception?
3. Set up star-studded trailers for the gerbils! These gerbils deserve to feel like superstars too!
If you picked 1...
The event organizers are very grateful for construction help on the track. It was by far the most efficient way to improve the fairgrounds. The track is ready for the race! You worked hard and have been rewarded with 4 gerbcurrency.
If you picked 2...
You put together tiny towels and water cups, forgetting a number of things. First, these gerbils have a nasty habit of tearing small fabric apart for bedding. Second, these gerbils aren't in the habit of sweating. And, not to mention other small details, you totally missed the opportunity for gerbil water bottles! What were you thinking? But at least the event organizers appreciate your effort, and give you 1 gerbcurrency.
If you picked 3...
You finish setting up a tiny trailer and already are attracting attention. Trolls wander over to see your little curiosities, asking about which gerbil resides inside of which trailer and cooing over their miniature living spaces. Greatly amused, the event organizers reward you with 2 gerbcurrency. If you have purchased a sponsorship: NummCorp is greatly impressed! They suggest you slap some little ads onto the bumpers of the trailers and immediately make plans to air your hard work as a draw for the race. You generate 3 extra gerbcurrency from their approval.
GERBIL RACING EQUIPMENT
1. Time for tiny shoes! These gerbils will look great in little pairs of shoes running down that track. You figure it's a race, and the most straight-forward answer is footwear. Now if you can just figure out a way to get them to stop chewing the laces...
2. Tiny harnesses for gerbils! Some of these gerbils aren't particularly... Aerodynamic. Cinching up some of their extra girth and allowing their little legs to go seems like a good shot!
3. Tiny sports sunglasses is clearly the way to go. There's no way any elements are getting in these gerbils' eyes! You scoff at the thought and start fashioning little pairs of glasses, which look super cool.
If you picked 1...
The tiny shoes are a relative success! You opted for a velcro option, and the gerbils look pretty swell in their new get-ups. It's hard to tell if they run faster, but fortunately the extra lift allows the particularly chubby ones to reach the ground with their little legs and scuttle around. The events organizers shrug and hand you 2 gerbcurrency.
If you picked 2...
A cascade of ooh's and aah's comes from the helping hands as you reveal your idea. The tiny harnesses are actually fairly practical -- and after someone jokingly suggests putting a tiny toy jockey on one of them, you know that NummCorp wouldn't pass up this opportune gimmick. You're rewarded 4 gerbcurrency for your creativity.
If you picked 3...
Well, tiny sunglasses look pretty cute, but you can't help but wonder if it wasn't the best idea to put relative blindfolds on racing animals. It's gerbil bumper cars out there. The event organizers shrug as intensely as you've ever seen a shrug, and 1 gerbcurrency lands in your palm. If you have purchased a sponsorship: Practical or not, NummCorp representatives quickly fax you a letter of praise for your work with the tiny sunglasses. They'll redefine the world of gerbil races, just you see! An addendum lets you know that they'll be casting a survey to test people's interest in "bumper gerbil destruction derby", but mum's the word. You receive a handy bonus of 4 gerbcurrency from your sponsors!
PUBLICITY PHOTOS
1. Pose the gerbils on tiny couches. There's some plush chaise lounges, an armchair or two... Is that a miniature fireplace? The art of posing small animals like regular trolls is truly a special one. Perhaps you can put a riding crop in one of the gerbil's little paws...
2. A spread of photos with the gerbil racers and their respective owners! That would really tug at the heartstrings. Maybe having the gerbils' owners around would also stop them from trying to escape so frequently...
3. Macro close-ups. What do your gerbils' eyes see? These photos are part art and part science. You can't really tell what's going on in this picture, but you promise that it's probably the gerbil's nose.
If you chose 1...
Work it, baby. The gerbils, after some coaxing, lounge on the couches and chairs like they were born models. You find some scarves, little racing helmets, and even a pair of tiny boots and a ten gallon hat. Pay dirt. The event organizers are so thrilled with your work that they can't stop laughing! They give you 4 gerbcurrency. If you have purchased a sponsorship: As hilarious as the photoshoot is to the organizers, it's very serious to the talent recruiters that you just so happen to have purchased a sponsorship from. They immediately go to work fashioning publicity posters, sure that your fine work will gain some serious revenue for the company. It's a win-win-win! You get a huge bonus of 7 extra gerbcurrency.
If you chose 2...
Your very quaint and professional photoshoot goes over well. It reads a little bit like a sweepbook photo, but as long as everyone has gerbils, no one is the weirdo that brought their pet to schoolfeeding for picture day. It helps when you change backgrounds to the track instead of plain colored backdrops, too. Much better. The event organizers seem relieved at your safe choice and give you 2 gerbcurrency for the shoot. If you have purchased a sponsorship: The corporate sponsorship comes in handy yet again with your photoshoot! A masterful turn of words and your spread turns into quite the page-turner, with biographies of the trolls and their gerbils, accumulating in heart-wrenching tales of the weather disaster. The marketing team makes sure to word the story ambiguously to seem like a loyalist- and rebel-friendly article, and the beetles start coming in. You are rewarded with 4 extra gerbcurrency.
If you chose 3...
Well, at least it's something! The artistic director seems to really like your super close-up shots, but no one else seems to get it. Also, in some of the pictures you can see some things that the organizers would prefer you to have left alone... Is that a flea? They pay you 1 gerbcurrency to get rid of that particular image, forever. If you have purchased a sponsorship: Using your corporate connections, you manage to find a high-brow collector who's willing to take those prints off of your hands at the conclusion of the race. Marketing them as art? Genius. You're compensated with 4 additional gerbcurrency.
LAST MINUTE RACE PREP
1. Sabotage some other gerbils! There's nothing like finishing off a week of volunteering like ruining some other chump's chances. You want your favorites to reign victorious, after all!
2. Give your favorite gerbils a pep-talk. They have a big day on Sunday. You know that they've overcome a lot to be here. But you know their gerbmoms and gerbdads would be proud.
3. Give your gerbil a super special energy drink! You swap out your favorite gerbil's water bottle with one filled with a bright liquid ooze and head out of the racing grounds, whistling inconspicuously.
If you chose 1...
Success! You poked holes in the gerbil's equipment, scuffed their racing lines just so, and have thoroughly unnerved the competition. You're probably not going to get praised by the event coordinators for this though, so you decide to compensate on your way out by pinching 3 gerbcurrency. If you have purchased a sponsorship: Oops. There are cameras in here, you know. And your sponsors are not happy. They demand that you give the gerbcurency back and work on your PR as the sabotage scandal wreaks havoc on your favorite gerbil's public opinions. You do not gain any gerbcurrency this round.
If you chose 2...
The gerbils seem somewhat responsive to your chatter! If anything, you feel pretty good about yourself having helped out this week (not to mention making a fair amount of dough)! The main event coordinator spotted your inspirational speech and gives you 4 gerbcurrency as a parting gift.
If you chose 3...
You get a funny look from the event coordinator as you replace the bottle, but head out of the area feeling accomplished. The next day you hear tell of a gerbil bouncing off the walls and gain an exceptional swelling of pride, but then you realize that the poor thing is probably on a sugar crash right now. Hopefully it left some over for the race... You gain 1 gerbcurrency. If you have purchased a sponsorship: A recipe for a new energy drink is just what needs to be in the public eye! Hip! Fresh! You send off the recipe for your super-juice to your sponsor, and soon receive decals advertising the drink. Are you supposed to put this on your gerbil? You're compensated with10 extra gerbcurrency.
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VISIT THE ATHLETICS CENTER!
The training center is in the middle of everything -- a simple gymnasium with athletics tests and gerbil toys of all kinds, sponsored by NummCorp and its affiliates. A large, gentle blueblood is assisting clueless trolls on how to exercise their small white rodents and not squish or break them. He spots you as you enter and gestures over to the daily sign-up sheet on a nearby desk.
Rules: If you entered 2 trolls in the event, only 1 per day may train at the athletics center. At least 2 sentences of RP is the minimum per post for this event (not including reroll posts when using "the wheel"), though there is no minimum word count. Choose your training regimen between the three below! You can only do a training regimen once per day. Resulting numbers are number of gerbcurrency gained from gerbil training. As always, do not delete posts with botched rolls. This is considered cheating and is grounds for disqualification.
1. The wheel: Roll 1d4 repeatedly and add the sum until you roll a 4! Do not add the number 4 into your sum.
....example: rolled 1, 2, 3, 4 -> total gerbpoints = 6
NEW AS OF WEDNESDAY: After the first roll, each consecutive success begins to accumulate a combo score that increases with every reroll. The first successful combo gets 1 extra gerbcurrency, the second gets 2 extra gerb currency, etc. Cap on the combo is 4 extra gerbcurrency per roll.
2. The ball: Roll 2d6!
...example: rolled 2, 3 -> total gerbpoints = 5
NEW AS OF WEDNESDAY: Roll 3d6!
3. The tubes: Roll 2d20 and choose the lower number!
...example: rolled 4, 15 -> total gerbpoints = 4
NEW AS OF WEDNESDAY: If you roll a 20, add 20 to your gerbcurrency score!
[b]This gerbil's gonna get RIPPED...[/b]
Troll: your troll's name
Today's training regimen: the wheel/the ball/the tubes
My training total: Total gerbcurrency from training only
My current grand total: Current gerbcurrency value (all events - purchases)
Troll: your troll's name
Today's training regimen: the wheel/the ball/the tubes
My training total: Total gerbcurrency from training only
My current grand total: Current gerbcurrency value (all events - purchases)
BACKSTAGE
Backstage, there is an open area where contestants and the racing gerbils are free to prepare. The room itself is fit for royalty, and is the perfect place for trolls to mingle and attempt to get sponsors for their gerbils, as well as check out the competition.
This is an Open Roleplay for all registered trolls to take part in! It will be open from May 1st onward. During the event, posts that are at least 100 words long will earn the user 1 gerbcurrency per post. Please attempt to roleplay with other trolls; this ORP is not intended for solo RPs.
SPECIAL EVENTS
What special events are going on? Backstage, there's a buzz of excitement for the gerbil show, and of course -- The Great Gerbil Race! Check back here on the dates of the events for Gerbil Show and Gerbil Race rules and regulations.
NUMMCORP GERBIL PAGEANT:
Saturday, May 10th
7:00 PM PST
NUMMCORP PEDIGREE GERBIL SHOW
There is a hushed conversation amongst the crowd at the NummCorp Pedigree Gerbil Show. Gerbil competitors are lined up on pedestals, some chittering nervously as the lights dim for the main events. Their owners stand by, ready to present and attempt to calm the anxious little rodents. In the audience, seating is sectioned off per competitor. The show is about to begin!
Every troll participating in this event can commit to supporting one gerbil each. If your troll is supporting a gerbil that they did not enter, they will be seated in their gerbil's cheering section rather than next to the gerbil itself (this does not affect the game mechanics, only RP flavor text!) No more than three trolls can support the same gerbil. This does not mean committing to a gerbil in the race; it's simply meant to increase simplicity of game mechanics.
How to Play:
The game starts at 7:00 PM PST (Gaia time!)
Each round, trolls can roll 1D6 as many times as they choose to cheer, calm, and support their favorite gerbil. The resulting numbers from the 1D6 roll represent the appeal of the gerbil's performance in gerbcurrency.
Example: Bardox rolls a 2, 4, and 3 to support his gerbil for a total of 9 gerbcurrency after 3 rolls.
.....On a 1 your gerbil panics, and you lose all of your gained gerbcurrency this round.
.....On a 6, the poster’s gerbil above you (not including your own posts) panics, and makes your gerbil look so much better. They lose 6 gerbcurrency, you gain 6 gerbcurrency. If the poster above you has less than 6 gerbcurrency, this effect does not apply and you gain 0 gerbcurrency. If you are entering more than one troll in this event, their gerbcurrency pools are considered to be separate, and you cannot post directly below your other trolls' posts.
Example: Banana rolls a 6 to support her gerbil. She gains 6 gerbcurrency, while Bardox loses 6. She now has 6 gerbcurrency, and Bardox has 3.
The mule will post a new round every 20 minutes. At this time, all gerbcurrency gained in the previous round lock in and cannot be lost.
Example: The mule posts a new round! Bardox rolls a 2, and then a 1. He gains 2 gerbcurrency, but then loses all of his gained gerbcurrency this round. He still has 3 gerbcurrency from last round.
At the end of the show, each gerbil's scores will be tallied and averaged (in the case of multiple supporters); the gerbils with the highest gerbcurrency values will win 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize! Backers will walk away with the gerbcurrency that they have earned!
Use this form to let me know which gerbil you're representing, as well as keeping track of your currency from round to round.
[b]Gerbil Kennel Club[/b]
Troll: your troll's name
I am representing: gerbil's name
Score this round: Total score from this round
My total score: Total gerbcurrency from gerbil show only
Troll: your troll's name
I am representing: gerbil's name
Score this round: Total score from this round
My total score: Total gerbcurrency from gerbil show only
THE GREAT GERBIL RACE:
Sunday, May 11th
6:00 PM PST
THE GREAT GERBIL RACE
This is it. The racers are lined up on the starting lines -- noses snuffling for snacks and tasting the fresh air. Many gerbils begin to wander to their owners in the stands, only to be picked up and put back on the track where they belong. Some gerbils can't stand the pressure -- and begin to nap. And, of course, there are some gerbils so filled with NummCorp gerbil snacks that their little legs can barely reach the ground. It truly is a beautiful sight.
Trolls have one last chance to support their favorites before the gerbils cross the finish line!
Trolls must commit to supporting one gerbil for this show. No more than three trolls can support the same gerbil. You do not need to support a gerbil that you have in the past or used your betting token on!
Every 15 minutes, the mule will post a lap of the race. There will be four laps total, and at 7:00 the event will be over. The mule will calculate the total number of gerbpoints among ALL racers, and will then roll to determine 1st place, 2nd place, and so on.
EVERY LAP: At the beginning of the lap, the mule will post a writing prompt describing the type of cheer or action your troll can employ to win over the hearts of the public and give your gerbil some last oomph as the race goes on. If you successfully meet the requirements of the writing prompt within the 15 minute period, your gerbil will receive 1 gerbpoint! The writing tasks will be simple so as to fit into the 15 minute window per lap, but creativity and quick thinking may be rewarded!
Example prompt: The gerbil race is mayhem! Gerbils are bumping into each other every which way, and a dirt cloud has formed that surely obscures their vision! What can your troll say or do (while staying out of the gerbil track area as per NummCorp rules) to lead your gerbil back on track? This prompt requires two sentences minimum and should be in third person past tense.
Example entry: Ganyma barreled through children and more children to reach the stands directly behind the finish line. "FOLLOW MY VOICE!" he shouted while waving his arms above his head. "YOU CAN DO IT, ROCKY!"
[b]Fire the starting gun![/b]
Troll: your troll's name
I am representing: gerbil's name
[/spoiler]
Troll: your troll's name
I am representing: gerbil's name
[/spoiler]
