It’s high time we had ourselves a story. To that end, I’ve made this thread to launch an entertaining romp to capture the imaginations of our readers. It’s my intention for this thread to serve as a launch pad for this and maybe more story threads down the line.
As a classic play by post roleplaying thread the premise is deceptively simple; we make up characters to pursue a story, each posting theirs in turn to act and react. I’ll manage the main narrative in an adaptive, branching way so as not to railroad and drive the story onward. Onto the tale:
Elias Richter, a patron of considerable wealth has contacted the Explorer’s League about an opportunity. His brother, one Thomas Richter has recently vanished during an expedition to Northrend and as per his expressed will, bequeathed onto the League a map and a preposterously large collection of research confirming the existence of a powerful magical amulet that he called the kiss of the blood queen. Created by the infamous san’layn Lana’thel in the waning months of the Lich King’s reign, it is said to give its bearer the power of the san’layn without the miserable drawbacks of undeath and eternal hunger for blood. Thomas pursued the wicked object hoping to destroy it but anticipated the risk, crafting a will accordingly.
Naturally, some within the league want the amulet found and recovered and the surviving Richter is driven to find out more of his brother’s fate but the resources of this venerable institution have been stretched thin after the latest war. Thomas’ expedition was lost in Northrend and recognising the necessity of his recovery as well as the amulet he pursued, Elias and his sympathisers within the League extend an offer to their rivals in the Reliquary; add your numbers to an expedition of recovery and the explorer’s league promises exclusive rights to non-titan, non-necromantic artifacts recovered in the process. Coin from Richter’s coffers is also offered freely to independent contractors, as he calls them. So does he value his brother’s return.
Soon, the designated expedition camp at the Borean coast teems with prospectors, adventurers, mercenaries and more as word spreads of gold, objects of power and more, be it exaggeration or fabrication and soon faces from all over the known world gather in a windswept tent to apply for the new expedition.
To play, you offer up a brief character description along with a special skill that you can offer the expedition.
A shame the roleplaying forums are not too active since this seems really cool! If you wanted to make something like this happen in WoW, I’d definitely be in.
We can make it work. RP threads don’t need that many people.
Name: Tathram Evensong
Age: Night Elf.
Class: Druid
Backstory: Born to a stable, loving family and a full life, in some ways Tathram doesn’t seem to fit the adventurer mold at all. The truth is, though, that from a young age he had a deep curiosity, always poking at things, venturing out into the wilderness, and occasionally befriending large, carnivorous beasts. His parents hoped the training of the Cenarion Circle would calm him down, but it only served to enable his wanderlust. When the Explorers’ League began hiring the new races of the Alliance, he found a natural fit.
Equipment: This druid comes dressed in a short, thick, fur-lined robe, only about knee-length, over practical, durable pants and sturdy, leather boots. At his side are a knife and sickle, along with pouches of herbs and seeds for his druidic workings, and he carries a well-worn walking stick. His backpack holds a few days’ water and a bedroll, but no tent or food - a druid can always find food and shelter in the wild.
Reason for joining: Curiosity, mainly. Tathram loves to explore, it’s why he joined the League, and has never been to Northrend before. He jumped at the chance.
Area of expertise: A practiced druid, Tathram is adept at shapeshifting and communing with beasts, which is especially useful for scouting and gathering information.
The low rumble of a coming storm builds on the borean coast as the fortune seekers gather. The camp growing around Richter’s own opulent tent pavillion is a motley affair of makeshift shelters from all around the known world; richly embroidered thalassian fare mingling with hide huts and furs, pandaren noodle carts, gambling corners and goblin burger shacks seeming to sprout overnight to accomodate and exploit the gathered masses. Most aren’t even there for the assignment but rather drawn by the noise, opportunity and entertainment.
By midday, a stunted lad in a thick oversized coat hops up on a near empty keg, a long scroll unfurling in his hand. He hesitates only a moment before speaking up in a surprisingly strong, loud, clear voice that soon has a fair few heads turned.
“Hear ye! Lord Elias Richter requests your attentive ear!”
A brief grumble and a couple of laughs are heard with a raspy shout of protest from the direction of a gaggle of goblins. The messenger boy straightens up and speaks even louder.
“Adventurers, your time has come! Gather at the lord’s pavillion in an orderly, yes orderly line within ten minutes one by one for evaluation and assignment! Your employer wishes to inspect you in person as you are called.”
Reading the names of the registered aloud, the boy ushers the people forward with the aid of four guards, spears in hand. The summons lead the mixed lot of fortune seekers along to a simple table set up outside the central tent, the nobleman seated behind it. Elias Richter is a thinning man with a thick but well tended beard that almost makes his head look square. He is dressed in a rich brown coat, fur trimming keeping him warm. Small, round lenses aid his sight as he reads his copy of the messenger’s list, nodding with a bob to his silvery hair, his voice an affected but friendly tone.
“Firstly, I thank you for coming and the esteemed explorer’s league for arranging this opportunity on my brother’s and my behalf. I should hope we all know the risks of this sort of endevour but rest assured that success bring with it all that has been promised. There will be riches, and no doubt fame to be had, the esteem of collegues, peers and strangers alike. Follow through and you shall be heroes in the hearts of many and the firmest of allies to my family line with all that this entails.”
Squinting at the list, he raises a gloved hand to beckon the crowd, reading the names.
“Tathran Evensong of the explorer’s league and Baron Nathaniel Atwater the Third of Gilneas, step forth.”