Fantasy The Underworld Breathes: A Monster Fantasy

[Avouleance]

This looks pretty damn cool and I always relish a chance to join in with world building? Is there a place where what's already been added from other people is collected?

 

[Auren]

I make excellent, interesting races. *tags in*

 

[Auren]

I can PM you, Frederick I don't think the restriction keeps new users from replying!

Yep... I know that one is true unless things have been altered. I'll discuss stuff over discord.

 

[simj26]

@Trust that's an...interesting avatar you have there.

 

[Hell Diver]

Well. I'd say you're all quite well accepted. I shall make the main thread most likely tomorrow?

 

[Trust]

@Trust that's an...interesting avatar you have there.

I only found out what it was after .i had set it >~<


What worries me is that you are like The fifth/sixth person to tell me

 

[Trust]

I'm thinking (if there aren't too many people for me to join) I might make an alcoholic axe-wielding barbarian and live with the Irish stereotype

 

[Killigrew]

This looks pretty damn cool and I always relish a chance to join in with world building? Is there a place where what's already been added from other people is collected?

You're quite welcome to join! Once the rp is posted, we'll open up a thread where user-created lore will be posted. As of yet, @Durandal is making giants, @Frederick has made those cursed remnants of the six cities, @Syrenrei has made cute little forest dwelling Sylphs, @Auren is making cute little murderous pixies. As for me, once I'm free I'll be drawing up three chivalric orders.


Please do start a conversation with Mycoid and me if you have a culture, species, or even just a cool geographical formation to suggest. We'd love to hear you


Welcome also, @Trust . An Irish barbarian sounds cool, methinks. I hope her people take good care of their potatoes though.

 

[Trust]

You're quite welcome to join! Once the rp is posted, we'll open up a thread where user-created lore will be posted. As of yet, @Durandal is making giants, @Frederick has made those cursed remnants of the six cities, @Syrenrei has made cute little forest dwelling Sylphs, @Auren is making cute little murderous pixies. As for me, once I'm free I'll be drawing up three chivalric orders.
Please do start a conversation with Mycoid and I if you have a culture, species, or even just a cool geographical formation to suggest. We'd love to hear you ou


Welcome also, @Trust . An Irish barbarian sounds cool, methinks. I hope his people take good care of their potatoes though.

Her**

 

[Avouleance]

You're quite welcome to join! Once the rp is posted, we'll open up a thread where user-created lore will be posted. As of yet, @Durandal is making giants, @Frederick has made those cursed remnants of the six cities, @Syrenrei has made cute little forest dwelling Sylphs, @Auren is making cute little murderous pixies. As for me, once I'm free I'll be drawing up three chivalric orders.
Please do start a conversation with Mycoid and I if you have a culture, species, or even just a cool geographical formation to suggest. We'd love to hear you ou


Welcome also, @Trust . An Irish barbarian sounds cool, methinks. I hope his people take good care of their potatoes though.

Will see what I can work on later today.

 

[forgefan]

Well. I'd say you're all quite well accepted. I shall make the main thread most likely tomorrow?

Yay, can't wait.

 

[Syrenrei]

I made sylphs inspired by a more tribal forest community of hunters and herbologists... not to be cute. Also because I don't like elves that much. =/

 

[Frederick]

I made sylphs inspired by a more tribal forest community of hunters and herbologists... not to be cute. Also because I don't like elves that much. =/

Someone else who doesn't like elves, thank god.

 

[Trust]

I made sylphs inspired by a more tribal forest community of hunters and herbologists... not to be cute. Also because I don't like elves that much. =/

Elves are just pointy-eared humans that are just "slightly better" than them in everyway, a rather boring concept in my opinion >~<

 

[Durandal]

Elves are just pointy-eared humans that are just "slightly better" than them in everyway, a rather boring concept in my opinion >~<

That's not true of every setting. It sounds more like you have a problem with the way some settings have portrayed elves, than with the concept of an elf race itself. Which is a bit silly considering that this is a world-building activity wherein you could take it upon yourself to create a race of elves that is interesting and engaging and not just pointy-eared humans that are just "slightly better" in every way.

 

[Trust]

That's not true of every setting. It sounds more like you have a problem with the way some settings have portrayed elves, than with the concept of an elf race itself. Which is a bit silly considering that this is a world-building activity wherein you could take it upon yourself to create a race of elves that is interesting and engaging and not just pointy-eared humans that are just "slightly better" in every way.

Eh, in almost every setting I've seen, elves are humans, that are either better at one thing immensely or better at a bit of everything,

 

[Durandal]

Eh, in almost every setting I've seen, elves are humans, that are either better at one thing immensely or better at a bit of everything,

That doesn't disprove what I said nor does it address the point that I raised.

 

[Syrenrei]

I think elves as a concept can be okay if executed well, but I simply see them overdone I think is my issue. I've seen elves that are quite balanced and "not better at everything" and even played elven hybrids because it was fun to do.


There are a lot of character archetypes that get a lot more of the spotlight than others and that makes me dislike them not because they themselves are poor, but because I crave something different. I like when not every hero is pale and beautiful beyond words, when they aren't absolutely perfect at a skill, when they have dislikes beyond 'mean people,' or when they don't bounce back and forth between absolute success and being on the verge of death/breakdown with each challenge. You know what I mean. You see a bunch of perfectly perfect elves (because people enjoy them) and after a while you don't like elves because people ruined it for you for a bit.


So I wanted to make something slightly different from elves because I had the opportunity and because I didn't want to fall into, "Oh, it's an elf." I urge someone else to make an elf, though, and redeem it just a little bit.

 

[Durandal]

-snip-

Hear, hear! That's a fantastic attitude. :3

 

[Jays]

@Durandal Are you a sword?


A sphere?


Symbol?


What are you?

 

[Durandal]

@Durandal Are you a sword?
A sphere?


Symbol?


What are you?

I have been called a hundred names and will be called a thousand more before the world goes dim and cold.


Escape will make me God.

 

[StoneWolf18]

Mmmm, I'm rather intrigued by this idea. ^^

 

[Avouleance]

I urge someone else to make an elf, though, and redeem it just a little bit.

Challenge accepted


Thought I don't see why being better than lesser races in every way is bad


The Quephnari aren’t exactly their own race anymore. They used to be, long ago. They say a single Queph city would have dwarfed any built since, if they were still standing. But things change, now the Queph mostly exist as hybrids with other races, easy to see with all colour either bone white or charcoal black. Queph are known for their ability to mate with most of the flesh races both sentient and feral, without this they’d likely be extinct. Queph are naturally extremely hostile to each other cannibalistic even if you believe the stories, as such new pure breeds are very rare and usually with even less of a viable family than the half-bloods.


The majority of pure Queph are from way back when, the few scattered survivors of whatever turned the race as a whole in on itself. While violent to the point of dismemberment or death to each other Queph are often seen special by other races. Though this also brings with it suspicions that the Queph have ways of getting into a hosts head (it’s not entirely untrue, Queph have a natural sensitivity to the emotions of other and extremely potent pheromones) leading to what you could call charisma. They have a tendency to want to dominate other, to ascend to potions of power, which goes some of the way to explaining the extreme competition and natural distrust of other members of their own species.


The real problem, more so that violence between the few individual Queph in civilised populations, is the Queph who integrate with feral populations. A Queph was a harem of simple beasts, hooked on his/her milks can be extremely dangerous. The milk is a key part of indoctrination, a mix of steroids and amphetamines designed to foster devotion and make the recipient more physically able and aggressive.


They often live nomadically, to reduce the chance of running into other Queph, it’s unclear how many of the old pure bloods are even still alive, a small number but not exactly 0. The trouble is that they tend to go mad, life expectancy is so long and their bodies are good at healing so all the mind erodes but the body doesn't easily die with it.


Their role in other cultures is largely up to the cultures that foster them, or don’t. They’re capable of extreme violence and aggression as well as being big meet eaters. The fangs are a dead giveaway as well.

 

[Syrenrei]

Thought I don't see why being better than lesser races in every way is bad

When you get into a race that is "better than all the rest" I find it hard to suspend the disbelief I already have with fantasy. I like fantastical things, sure, but I want characters/races/species to have boons and drawbacks. If I wanted to have a character that was superior in every way and great at everything I'd just make a deity. And if I wanted that in another character/race/species I'd likewise play with someone who wanted to god-mode in the most literal sense. That's not to say I haven't role-played a deity in any capacity, but even then I give them flaws because the perfectly perfect awesome isn't fun to me.


I guess when it comes down to it I truly admire the characters that you see struggle, that persevere, and that have failings like we do. When someone isn't better than me in every way I can empathize with them and relate to the plot of the storyline. I become invested. If Alistair the Amazing can hear for miles, is super strong, can withstand any attack, and is charming with everyone everywhere, I am not worried when he's met with challenge. Of course he'll win in some way! But who cares? Alistair the Amazing doesn't feel real. Have we ever met Alistair the Amazing? Would we even want to be his friend?


The 'lesser races' are only lesser to me if we let them be. I've played a load of tabletop games with all sorts of cool races and I've seen some amazing ones built here on RPN, but the ones who (like certain crafted characters) are superior in every way lose that something special to me. I want to see a hubris, a failing, a weakness even if they aren't in a modern realistic setting. I want to see a version of elves that doesn't make them just better. I want them better in some ways, worse in some ways, and not an overpowered dude who overshadows the effort of the rest.


P.S. I am making a healer sort for this RP who, if pulled in melee, will have the strategy of "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES, THIS LOOKS LIKE IT WILL HURT." She won't be exceptionally pretty either, her hearing is likely to be poor, but she'll be keen of sight and decent at ranged attacks with her bow. I hope she fits in!

 

[Frederick]

I agree with @Syrenrei . My problem with elves is that nothing like a supreme being could have naturally evolved. None of their characteristics have any particular drawbacks. Humans, who are the closest thing to superior on earth, are completely useless and vulnerable for years after their birth, actively bleed, and are in constant danger of choking. All creatures on earth have these stupid complications that make some things way harder, but the principle of evolution is that "if it ain't broke don't fix it", so something that seems designed for perfection just doesn't mesh with the way nature works.