Creation's Treasure Island

[danakir]

Come here children, let me tell you a story...


Terror on the high sea once upon a time had many titles, each more colorful than the last, as shifting as the currents of the blue ocean itself.


The Laughing Devil.


The Blackstone Serpent.


The Drowning Storm.


But these are but titles, honorifics for an age gone by, now these days it is all about the name. There was one for this man.


The foul man who spilled blood and accrued an unspeakable fortune through vile acts of piracy.


The Western Typhoon himself, Dread Pirate Seven-Ropes Weishu.


There could be no haven safe from his terrible wrath and the wavecrest archipelago itself trembled in just as much helpless horror as the coast of the Blessed Isle, no one could be safe from the man's depredations. Not even the courts of Heaven, for even the Storm Mothers learned to fear his name as one might fear a force of nature.


This bestial man at the head of his savage crew of scavengers led many a rampage with no one bold enough to even dare attempt to stop him, for decades he ruled the trading routes of the West with an iron fist, demanding tribute and inflicting death as the penalty for defiance. The Pirate Lord Seven-Ropes Weifu however did not last long on his throne ewn from black corral and soon he was deposed from his pearl crown, his head unfortunately excised most swiftly from his neck.


However on his deathbed, they are rumors that he told one prison guard of all his exploits with such glee and depravity that the poor man went mad, running away screaming right after the fateful execution of the scourge of the sea, his words echoing still to this day...


"Weishu's treasure lives through him! Weishu's treasure lives through him! Oh Sol, the skulls and the gold and all the glittering gems, they stand in his grave that he built in his final day, the herald clad in the vestment of the crow and sitting in the House of Endings foretold it! SOMEONE MAKE IT STOP!"


The poor fool clawed his eyes out and died when the flow of his blood could give no more. Or so the story tells. To this day, none have found any sign of the portentous treasure, the fabled riches sealed away into the depths of the Western Ocean. Perhaps they are really still out there, or perhaps this is but a fancy.


Still, that is hardly what you and your crew believes. All of you are companions of the reincarnation of the legendary Solar dread pirate, the heir to his lost memories or so it seems. Together you have taken to sea in search of booty, wenches and adventure.


You say that you are all in it to find the truth behind the legend. To become wealthy beyond your wildest imaginings.


For some of you, that might even be true.


But my friends, a pirate life's is yours.


Now, what will you be?


-----------------------

Alright, so I got your interest here mate? That's good. That's very good.


I'm looking for specific types here. Either the mixed bloods of the Scroll of Heroes or Terrestrial Exalts. I am most certainly NOT looking for any Celestial Exalts. This is deliberately more fluffy and lighthearted, more high-adventure and less grand epic.


If at all possible, I'd love if everyone could keep their concept to some kind of pirate archetype. I will need at least one of you to play the legendary dread pirate's reincarnation, preferably as an half-caste of some sort. Regardless, I have a list of four crew members that I've roughly defined, those are only suggestions, but anyone going roughly with the basic premise of one of them will have a better chance of getting in.


- Dread Pirate with a heart of gold and no common sense. Think shonen but with less stupid. Clever but reckless.


- Casanova oozing charisma, definitely some sort of smooth rogue, perhaps even a dashing socialite? The group's speaker.


- Gruff but honest and proud warrior with a dark past. Preferably a bit older than everyone else. Competent but jaded. Loyal.


- Revenge and the hope of new life through the lost treasure. The odd man out and the wild card. Not a natural at piracy.


And now, for something very important. You are all female. This is an amazon brigade. This is the pink bishojo ghetto. You may not have a penis. I am sorry, the only way you're getting to have one is if you pretend to be female as your character concept.


Why do I want you all to be female? Because it's more fun for me that way. That's all the excuse I need. I hope you'll forgive me that one indulgence.


Keep in mind, as much as I love drama, this is about high adventure! Wenches and booty! Rum and dirty songs! Keep that in mind, the mood of this is a mixture of epic badassery and good ol' high sea adventure.

Dead men tell no tales... wait nonono, that's way too depressing! >_>

 

[Grey]

I am intrigued... But were I to play, I should like to do so as the charismatic rogue.


Who, for hilarity's sake, is male and disguised as a woman in a foolish attempt to seduce the crew. The entire crew.


Of course, that is assuming the idea is suitably amusing to you. Otherwise I'll cheerfully stand back.

 

[danakir]

It's a fairly amusing idea, I'll give you that. ^^


Though I must ask, is there no way you could play this idea as a female character? The dashing rogue need not be male.


Nevertheless, if you simply cannot, then I'll give consideration to your request. Honestly, the idea is very much hilarious and if no one else wants the position of the charismatic rogue, then I'll give it to you.

 

[Grey]

Consider my inclusion a last resort, in that case. I've never been able to play female characters - I always feel like they're not as believable when I play them. And the admittedly rather tired gag here is that the character is a man, possibly rejected or denied a job by the rest of the party, who returns in female guise in the hopes that maybe, with time and guile, he can secure himself both booty that glitters and booty that does not.


With tsundere results!


Which is another reason I'm rather set about it.

 

[danakir]

Yes, this does sound pretty awesome.


Also...


WHY HALLO THAR LOUIE


As I said, I'm willing to consider your offer, it's not even close to a bad concept. But if possible, I'd prefer keeping the position open for a bit, until I can see how much interest I can gather.


Still, I'm grateful for your interest and will let you know promptly once I've made my decision.

 

[Luck1]

I envision a clueless girl who doesn't know the first thing about sailing, let alone piracy.


A real daddy's girl. She's lived a rather sheltered life and wants a chance to make her own mistakes for once (though if she needs help, daddy better come running or he'll never hear the end of it.) Even though she knows she has a safety net, she's fairly reluctant to use it, because the thing she hates most is being lectured at or scolded by her father. She'll do whatever it takes to not let him say "I told you so."


Which brings us to her current predicament. She met a guy, a strapping young stud of a sailor who knew all the right things to say and do. She was convinced they'd be married and live happily ever after in no time. They spent a week together, and she totally fell for him.


Wanting to say "I told you so" to her father, she went so far as to brag to him about how well she was doing, and how she met this great guy and that they were getting married. Needless to say, Fakharu, thinking that no mortal man would be good enough for his daughter, asked(demanded) to meet her fiance at once.


Unfortunately, over the course of that week, the "fiance" discovered just how high maintenance and crazy she was. Knowing how berserk she'd get if he broke it off with her, he choose to just leave without saying anything. He signed up with a crew setting out and didn't look back.


When she found out he left, she was crushed, humiliated, and furious. There was no way she was about to let her father be right about him. She would hunt him down and make him pay.


If he happened to have an unfortunate run-in with pirates and ended up dead, well that would be just awful :twisted:. If that were the case, not only would she deny her father the satisfaction, but she would earn his pity simultaneously. Plus, as an added bonus she'd definitely get some revenge on him too.


While she may not be a good sailor, she's no slouch in the water or with a weapon in hand. After her mom got kidnapped that one time he tried to make sure his daughter knew how to protect herself. "There won't always be Solar exalted around to save you if you get into trouble." he would say.


Final-ish sheet

Spoiler

Name: Eocel


Age: 17


Sex: F


Height: 5’ 4â€


Weight: 109


Type: God-Blooded


Motivation: Make her father proud, eventually


Physical


Str â—â—


Dex â—â—â—â—


Sta â—â—


Mental


Per â—â—


Int â—â—


Wit â—â—


Social


Cha â—â—


Man â—â—â—â—


App â—â—â—â—


Archery â—â—â—


Martial Arts


Melee â—â—â—â—â—


Thrown


War


Athletics* â—â—â—â—â— (Swimming +2)


Awareness â—â—


Dodge


Larceny â—â—


Stealth


Integrity â—â—â—


Performance â—


Presence â—â—


Resistance


Survival


Bureaucracy


Linguistics â—


Ride


Sail


Socialize â—â—â—


Craft


Investigation


Lore â—


Medicine


Occult â—


Backgrounds:


Patron â—â—â—â—â— (Fakharu)


Resources â—â—â—


Inheritance â—â—


Virtues:


Compassion â—â—


Conviction â—â—â—


Temperance â—â—


Valor â—â—


Intimacies:


Her father (Love)


Her fiancé (Hatred)


Money


Merits:


Mutations:


Night Eyes 1


Deceptive Frailty 1


Child of the Waters 4


Essence Attack (jet of superheated steam breath) 6


Elemental Rejuvenation (water) 6


Flaws:


Charms:


Essence 1


WP: 5


Pool: 24


Health Levels:


~0 [ ]


~1 [ ] [ ]


~2 [ ] [ ]


~4 [ ]


Incapacitated [ ]


Dodge DV: 3


Dodge MDV:


Parry MDV:


Slashing Sword: Speed 4, Accuracy 10, Damage 5L, Defense 4, Rate 3. Tags:


Punch: Speed 5, Accuracy 5, Damage 2B, Defense 3, Rate 3 Tags: N.


Kick: Speed 5, Accuracy 4, Damage 5B, Defense 1, Rate 2 Tags: N.


Clinch: Speed 6, Accuracy 4, Damage 2B, Defense (NA), Rate 1 Tags: C, N, P.


BP: 21+12


18 Mutations


4 Patron


4 Appearance


2 Athletics


1 Athletics Specialties


4 Melee


New pic

Spoiler

 

[Haku1]

Why am I getting visions of One Piece, which is awesome manga that is also amusing. :lol:

 

[Luck1]

It's not just you. I was picturing One Piece when reading the game description too.

 

[Axelgear]

I'm reaching my limits for games by this point, but I've handled upwards of five in the past, so I can handle this.


I must admit, I LOVE Grey's concept, I really, really, really do, ESPECIALLY if the disguise is flimsy. A big, burly man with a five o'clock shadow so thick that it could be used as a whetstone wearing a fuchsia sun-dress and floppy hat...


"Miss Polly Oliver, raise the main sails!"


Now, to think of a concept for myself...


Edit: Got one. I will be going as the Dread Pirate with more (metaphorical) balls than brains.

Spoiler

Concept image above. Cookies to those who figure out who it is and what my character's motto will be. :mrgreen:

 

[errant12345]

I must say I like the idea. I'm thinking of a crazy, rum-fueled brawler of a pirate lady.

 

[Crasical]

Concept image above. Cookies to those who figure out who it is and what my character's motto will be. :mrgreen:

. . . Is that a gender-flipped Kamina? :shock: *boggles*

 

[errant12345]

Hm, upon further thought I think I could do the gruff, jaded warrior with a dark past. A Water Aspect ex-navy officer, maybe?

 

[danakir]

To be bluntly honest, since most everyone is going with mixed-blood as is, I'm starting to think it might be best to just forget about the Terrestrials. I'm willing to hear otherwise though, if you all think it'd be great to have one or two in the crew.


Edit: It's especially important since I plan to forbid the Manse and Artifact backgrounds.

 

[errant12345]

If that's the way it's headed, I don't object. It's not difficult to modify the idea. However, are there any other houserules you have in mind aside from no Artifact/Manse Backgrounds?

 

[danakir]

At the moment, none I can think of. I'll probably give you all Inheritance 2 and I might sprinkle in some freebies I think are appropriate depending on your character role. But that's about it. If there's anything that seems egregiously unbalanced, just bring it to my attention.

 

[Atrius Night]

Well, I think I'll chime in for the 'Elder' gruff character,


I'm thinking lunar half caste, visible manifestation of a selkie like heritage are minimal/concealable.


Character inspiration being the mother/inn keeper from Treasure Island (in particular the muppet version) though younger of course.


But since most of the rest of the crew is probably going to be in their teens or tweens, late 30s to mid 40s should cover it.


More to come...

 

[Persell]

...Darn it, Grey. Now I'm going to have to join this too.


Any guess at how long you'll be accepting applications, or how many players you'll take?

 

[danakir]

I'll probably be accepting applications for a bit longer, say one more day. I'm not interested in taking any more than five players. And that fifth one is a big 'if'. ^^

 

[Persell]

Ah. That'll be a bit difficult... I'd definitely take at until tomorrow night (About 24 hours from now, that is) to submit a full character. How much do you want?

 

[danakir]

I'm more interesting in your concept than in your character sheet, to be perfectly honest. A character sheet is a nice plus but I'm all about the kind of character you intend to play. Let me know what's going on in your head and if I like what I hear, then I let you in. It's pretty simple, I just want to have players who's character I find compelling. ^^ I think it's fair enough.


So yeah, no need to fully stat out everything.

 

[Persell]

All right. I'll have to give it some thought and have something for you tomorrow... it's getting late, and at the moment I have no idea what to play. All the roles seem pretty well filled as it is...

 

[errant12345]

Okay, here goes... I'm going to go with an Elemental God-Blood who goes by the name of Tempest, child of a water elemental to be precise. She's an ex-mercenary marine in her mid 30s who's seen a lot of action and isn't easily intimidated. She's seen a lot of action and can fight as well as she can sail. However, she's got a bit of a grouchy streak and has a taste for alcohol that sometimes puts people off. But for all her abrasiveness, she'd sooner die than let her friends down.


Her dark secret is that when she was young, she was captured by a particularly cruel shikari from the Immaculate Order who forced her to betray her adoptive guardian, a Lunar Exalt, in order to save her own life.(Perhaps the resolution for this could be that she learned he knew she was being coerced, and freely sacrificed himself for her. I'm open to whatever the ST thinks would be cool, however). She feels great guilt over this, and it's from this that she developed her strong desire to never betray or let anyone down ever again.


She's tall, has blue hair, brown eyes, and a muscular but still very feminine figure. Her skin is tanned from a life spent under the sun at sea, and she typically wears rugged, practical clothes.

 

[Persell]

My current idea is something a swashbuckling adventurer with a bit too much of a flair for the dramatic and not enough common sense to go with it. Maybe the unknowing daughter of the god of adventure, or something of that sort, and something of a female Casanova out to impress the ladies and make a name for herself while steadfastly ignoring how often she just looks like a fool.


One problem with this is that it doesn't fit too clearly into the roles you listed... she'd probably be mostly like the charismatic rogue you mentioned in personality, but her skills would be more focused on general swashbuckling and adventuring talents than social abilities (which she'd still have a good level of, she'd just be more generally talented).

 

[Norts]

I love the idea of this game. Never played anything less than a Celestial level, though. Not sure how it would work out, given that i play Exalted to be over-the-top awesome/crazy/badass, but I'm willing to give it a shot.


Given my predilections, I would go most for the Dread Pirate's reincarnation.


Character: Hmmm...


Lily of the Isle grew up the daughter of a poor fisherman in the West. Times were often bleak for her family, and many were the nights that they went to sleep barely fed, or hungry. It was these nights that her father would spin tales on, to take their minds from their growling bellies. From around their beach campfire, he would weave grand tales of the high seas: pirates with hearts of gold, Imperial navy expeditions, mermaids and sirens, selkies, the Fae of the far West, and most especially the legends of Seven-Ropes Weishu. Imbued with a never-ending sense of adventure, Lily left her island home when she came of age, searching for her own adventure on the Western oceans. Though her life to this point has led her down many paths, some of them dark indeed, she has always persevered, turning to her father's tales for inspiration. Striving to be like the gold-hearted pirates of her father's old stories, Lily has found a new motivation: Find the treasure of the Dread Pirate!

 

[Axelgear]

It's time for Artemis's fluff!


The Dread Pirate Artemis, Baddest of Asses

Spoiler

Chapter 1:


Listen now to the tale of Artemis, Dread Pirate and terror of the sea! From the day she was born, Artemis was said to have steel between her teeth and a finger held to the sky, a fact that the physician thought a sign of palsy until the infant kicked him in the jaw when he slapped her backside to make her take her first breath. The less mentioned about the steel, the better.


On the island of Stromboli, in the Coral Archipelago, Artemis was always different. Stromboli, a small island primarily used as a pleasant hideaway by a few wealthy upper-classes, was the home to a thriving sub-group of lower- and middle-class families who made their living off the patronage of these upper-class visitors. They tended their estates, provided food, acted as entertainment and made their living off the various services that cater to such services in turn. Shortly before Artemis's conception, Balthazar, Golden Lion of the Western Ocean, a Solar pirate king, sailed into Stromboli's harbour, seeking supplies and pleasant company. So wooed by his presence, Mariana, Artemis's mother, fell into his arms and engaged in a brief, passionate romance. A month later, Balthazar was gone, and Mariana was left with child. Disowned by her family, looked down upon by society, cast to the place of the lowest of the low, Mariana birthed her daughter into a life of desperate poverty.


Of course, as the child of a Solar, Artemis always was hot-blooded. No challenge was too great, no threat too terrifying, no obstacle too high. From when she could walk, she could swim, and from when she could swim, she could sail. If anyone cautioned her that something was too dangerous, she laughed and did it anyway. Many times, she suffered a few nasty cuts and scrapes on the first try, occasionally a broken bone or punctured organ, but she never stopped until she overcame whatever stood in her way. Everyone who saw her knew the intent in her eyes, the courage in her voice and the power of her fierce heart.


For the first eleven years of her life, Artemis lived in a shack by the sea and couldn't have been happier. She swam in the ocean, fished, played on the beaches, collected coconuts, sailed with others... The local immigrants from the Neck said that, if she was not a Tya, she would be one day. She surfed the waves, raised sails and generally started her training for her future path as, every night, she listened to stories by campfires about buried treasure and swashed buckles.


In Artemis's twelfth year, Mariana married Golgran. A gruff man almost twice Mariana's age, Golgran was a merchant who, while being by no means a part of the upper class, was certainly close to them. With a square jaw and thick beard, he was a distant and cold man, who showed little love for anyone in public. It was obvious that he understood how much power he held over the mother and daughter whom he had adopted, and that he expected them to fall into line for him, which was something Mariana easily accepted. Artemis was not so easily cowed. Even with a new estate on which to live, new clothes to wear, a new life and opportunities to enjoy, Artemis was still, more often than not, found on the water, enjoying stories with her old friends, brawling or otherwise doing things that were most certainly not feminine. The Neck-natives she sailed with called her Reo'Mimmi-Matika; She Pees Standing, roughly translated.


By the time Artemis was nineteen, and still unmarried, her parents became worried. Too much talk of the girl who fought like a man, sailed like a man, acted like a man... They were terrible for the social status of the family, and she was becoming a liability. Though she made an occasional concession for Mariana, Artemis proved unwilling to accept even the idea of playing at that idea of femininity. It came a shock to both her parents when she returned from one trip to the beach tattooed like an islander, yet had not joined the brotherhood of the Tya. She refused to give up her womanhood or join that mystic cult. She was not a man, after all, nor did she pretend to be. She just happened to kick ass in a culture where women weren't even supposed to raise their leg past a certain height, lest someone see the ruffles of their under-dress.


Drastic measures had to be taken. Golgran, knowing of a formal cotillion coming up, "advised" Mariana to pressure Artemis into donning a formal dress and attending the occasion. Reluctantly, Artemis attended the occasion, stunned by the staggering array of puffed shirts and popinjays who flitted about like social butterflies. She endured, however, in a way few could ever understand.


Then, she was pushed too far.


A daring young man, covered in an amount of frills and lace that would make the parlor of even the most ostentatious lady of the evening seem tasteful and modest, approached the woman in a simple sun-dress. Followed by a pack of foppish toadies, they watched as their leader offered Artemis an idle invitation to converse with him on how magnificent a soiree this was. She scoffed at the offer and the idea. Taken aback, he insulted her, calling her an Amazon awaiting her Hercules, to which she replied with a roll of her eyes and a reminder of how pathetic a man he had to be to think of such an idea.


It was the dandiprat who drew steel first. In fact, he was the only one who drew steel, for Artemis was not allowed to carry her sword with her. Instead, she tore her dress to the knee, pounced, and had to be pulled off a pile of bruises and swelling before she could perform an improvised circumcision with his own sword. Had it been two men brawling, their fathers would have slapped them across the head and made each apologize for their pig-headedness after the party, but this... This was a woman assaulting a man. Regardless of whom was at fault, she was the one who was ordered to crawl back to him and apologize, especially after having to be forcefully hurled out of the party by no less than four men.


The worst insult came when her own parents demanded her apology. It was overwhelmingly Golgran who made the demand, Mariana certainly was understanding but did not in any way disagree with him, and, with threat of being disowned should she say no, Artemis laughed, slipped her sword into its sheath and wandered off into the night without looking back.


Chapter 2:


Artemis could not stay on Stromboli, nor had she any intention of ever staying. The sea had always called to her and society be damned if it said she was not to embrace its call. Somewhere out there was her real father. He was a man,a hero, with a fighting spirit and a brave soul, who had said that, if the world told him to stop, then the world be damned. He was amazing, and she would be the same. No! She would be better! Without hesitation, therefore, she headed down to the docks and challenged a captain of a small sloop to hand to hand combat for control of his ship.


Amused by the challenge, the captain accepted, if she would spend a night with him should she lose. He expected to bed a beautiful woman, but he got a broken jaw instead and hurled over the side of the deck onto the dock below. With a roar, Artemis scared off the rest of the crew, pulled up lines, raised the sails and went out to sea. She didn't know where she was going. All she knew was that she would sail until she reached land.


As balls-out badass as this was, however, one woman, determined though she may be, cannot pilot a ship with a minimum crew compliment of six through a storm with no training on the high seas. It is a credit to the sheer bloody-minded willpower demanded for this venture that she made it as far as she did before the ship was broken on the rocks and her with it. Smashed against a rocky outcropping, the sloop broke to splinters and Artemis suffered several broken ribs before drifting out onto the choppy waters of the night clinging to a few planks.


Now, for most people, this would be the end; a culmination of bad decisions finally catching up with them in a long, drawn-out demise. Artemis, however, was not enough of a weakling to give in like that and clinged to the wood for days, drifting in the baking sun, before being saved by the pirate Bluebrow. Pulled onto the ship, she spent over a week unconscious in the captain's care. Bluebrow, fancying himself a gentleman, did nothing while she slept, instead hoping to woo the young woman whom he had rescued. He, like so many poor fools before her, made the mistake of expecting a girl with no personality who bowed down (or assumed another position) for any man who showed the slightest sign of being suave or sophisticated. This was his first mistake.


When Artemis woke up, she was fully better fairly quickly, far faster than any mortal should have been, and immediately surprised the crew with her stamina and endurance, both for ship life and for the captain's advances. The captain insisted that Artemis wear dresses, and she complied as thanks for his saving her life and keeping her on his ship, but insisted she be allowed to work. With her tattoos, she was soon suspected of being a Tya but denied any such association. The captain pursued his advances further, despite no amiable response. This was his second mistake.


Finally, when Artemis's patience ran out, she bluntly informed Bluebrow that, before she would do something one simply does not discuss in polite company, with him, she would do something that was so vile as to make Bluebrow himself blush a bit. Angered by this rejection, he used surprise to overpower the woman, bent her over and pinned her to the railing on the edge of the ship. This was his third mistake.


For a normal woman, this would have resulted in a painful violation, but Artemis is not a normal woman. Kicking for the groin, clawing at the eyes and kneeing for the stomach, she successfully turned the tables and pinned Bluebrow to the mast with his own blade at his throat. She threatened to slit his neck if he so much as moved. He didn't believe her and moved. This was his final mistake.


As Bluebrow's blood coated the deck, the crew agreed to serve Artemis but, when they next took port, she gave them gold from the ship's stores and sent them on their way. That done, she claimed the bounty on Bluebrow's head and set out ads for needing another crew for a life of high adventure and booty. Since that time, she has grown increasingly obsessed with dreams she has of a strange treasure, vaster than any other, which is blocked by the most dangerous of obstacles, and she knows that only by doing amazing things can she ever hope to rival and then exceed the glory her father has already achieved.