Terracotta: Our Lost Kingdom General Board

[Quaddy]

A hard won skill, I assure you. Years of professors telling me 5 pages is not a summary...

[Aldersmaine]

Lol I always had one of two results in college:

1) A paragraph is not long enough to warrant reading!

or

2) Why is your brief summary 47 pages long!? I don't have the time to sift through this!

---

Needless to say I've always been good at talking circles until my professors gave me A's but I've never quite mastered how to truly present subject matter effectively in a moderate length.

I'm either far too brief or far too long winded.

[Mynt]

Okie dokie. I can do whatever needs doing since my character is just a freefloater. :3

[Zephyr Shenkiken]

That was an incredible display of summarizing. I'm in awe...

[Quaddy]

We really must work on figuring out how the other characters can get involved.

Let's see, we've got Wenston's old woman-type character and Kat's...geisha-spy.

Kat's little geisha is easy. Maybe she is hired by the Cult of Shade to spy on the whole cabal, that they know Shade is getting involved and they want to keep their power intact. So they hire Lux to spy and to take out Rei (once she figures out who Rei is working for...maybe a little subterfuge...maybe she actually thinks it's Kenaz or even Toire, since Shade is actually going to remove the geas so Rei can go on the expedition and she would appear entirely normal). Kat can decide if she turns against the Cult and joins Team Shade or not, but she is obviously not going to succeed in taking Rei out. That kinda ruins the plot.

That just leaves Wenston's old woman and a deeper plot for Mynt's character. His whole storyline can't be stumbling into the spell. That would be unfair to Mynt.

[Aldersmaine]

Very true, While he will be the stumbler, that can't be his only function as a character.

(I'm loving the Lux Plot BTW)

How about...

Well I'm not going to plan it all out without Mynt's approval but I have a few possible prompts:

A descendant of someone who got out of Denundhael? Though I'm not sure exactly how that would change the current predicament.

Is by the very cat-like nature so sensitive to such spells as the Terracotta that the Goddess has done her best to make sure Ailuro were outlawed in Dyne if not all of Rosmare in order to prevent the discovery of it's location period? This could provide Zeph's character to have a little subterfuge of his own as I'm sure the goddess would want him to both take the cat out as well as keep up appearances for the other threat's in the group.


Hey Mynty, Any thoughts?

[Matt]

Hmmm another thought on the Sera-story. Sera's a roamer, a street kid that's grown up in Dyne, right? And he's got the 'sigils that are something like a tattoo' on his shoulder. Maybe that tattoo (unless you have other ideas) is somehow connected to the Goddess, a marker that binds his natural Ailuro-ish abilities such as the ability to discover the Terracotta etc. Instead of outlawed, he's marked and secretly monitored by those in-the-know.

If that was the case, then perhaps
a) he could be caught up in the crossfire when Kenaz calls on the Wild and frees a bundle of slaves, plus Toire.
b) set off a chain reaction - in being unbound, Shade's movements are detected causing Lux to be hired, Rei stalked, Aeon guided more closely etc.
c) furthermore, he could then fall into the Terracotta and realise what's going on, thus setting out to find the Ring (perhaps a memory of the ring exists or something) and helping Embry to trigger it and similarly discover the truth.

In terms of long term commitments - Beastie's second comments could come into play.

All speculation but it could get everything rolling and people bumping into each other at least.

[Mynt]

I did have other ideas for the tattoo but I don't remember what they were. lol. So this idea seems as likely as any. I kind of like the idea that my cat is existing in a place that he's not supposed to be and no one knows he's there because he's just some punk thief. Any use he might have, be, or do is entirely on accident. Haha.

[Quaddy]

I like your idea, Matt. It makes sense that Kenaz would break any sort of binding Sera would have, as well as Toire (as his capture could very well be a sort of long-term chess move on the part of Elysia and/or the Cult of Shade, who are not necessarily working together, they just have similar outcomes in mind), and this would cause the Cult to recognize that Shade is moving against them.

Now, here's a question. I'm assuming that the Terracotta City is somewhat distanced from Dyne. So Sera wouldn't sense the Terracotta spell until they get to Denundhael. Any plans to remove him from the cabal (I'd say Lux is more probable--hired by the Cult to remove Shade's avatar or, failing that, the Ailuro that would find the spell in the first place) would then happen once it's been determined that Sera will join the expedition.

And, thus, we come to the crux of things. We know the long-term outcome, but we have no idea how 1) Embry will come across the map and 2) All of our characters will join the expedition.

Embry does like to treasure hunt, to him coming across the map is easy. Shade working it so that Embry comes across it is easy and it's something he could do almost entirely unnoticed. Especially as it was bound to happen on its own, which is what makes it so subtle. Now...why would he bring our rag tag group of misfits?

Rei has a tendency to disguise herself and her weapons' skill behind the mask of the mercenary, so her joining is easy, as Embry would probably want a few mercs to guide his expedition. Aeon is similarly explained. It makes sense that Embry would sponsor this expedition out of his own pocket--this is a hobby he is not particularly keen to share, and who wants to tell people he has a real-life treasure map--but how do we get a cat, a rook slave, a dragon-man dude sir, a geisha spy, an old woman (well, I suppose every expedition needs a cook), etc into the group?

And WHAT are we going to do for Wenny's character. She's an excellent writer and we need to give her a chance to be awesome.

[Aldersmaine]

Well several fantasy games tend to just "Ooh a falling floor/city street into old ruins, yay! WEEEEEEeeeeee"

[Matt]

I'm trying to think back to my days as a Belgariad geek. That was a slow collection though and sort of spread over a series of books.

The only thing I can think of if Sera's not the one that really brings them all together would be Hel.

So we have this old woman who likes Stews. She's ancient. She's a storyteller. Maybe she's talking to one of the kids and they tell her about delivering a ring to a posh man and when the kid describes the ring she recognises it from some descriptions she's heard told in stories - about the legend of Denundhael.

Plus there's the alchemist thing. Maybe that's going to be important for unravelling the spell - a sort of compote of sacrifice, magics, faith and mother/lover stuff.

If Rei's somewhat meeting Kenaz when we rescue Toire then maybe Shade communicates with her somehow or with him (I imagine her as the go-between) and so where Rei goes, Kenaz ends up following her. Hmmm... In fact, Toire's meant to sort of end up under her Wing right? Anything we can play with there?

Dang, we can do this. We're just all squinty eyed.

[Quaddy]

OK, so the kids tell Hel about the ring and she's all old lady and cryptic-like and stuff, knowing that this means something big is going to happen. If we can convince Wenston that her character also has some sort of divination skill (like cards, or something), she could perhaps read the cards and understand that this means a huge convergence that she might want to be a part of.

Now, maybe Embry finds the map and doesn't know what to do with it, but he goes searching and ends up coming to Hel, who knows all the old stories (and that he's coming, of course). She tells him all about the map and convinces him that there is a great treasure to be found in the great city. And that he needs to get together a group and go to Denundhael posthaste, being both the bearer of the map and the key.

Hel promises that she can get a group together for him--the right people for the group--and insists that she go with them, as a cook/healer/alchemist-type. She sends the children for Kenaz, who brings Rei and Toire with him (Rei as a merc/guard, Toire as her assistant-type, Kenaz as a scholarly type). She herself tracks down Sera, knowing that he is necessary to work the ring and bring everyone into the Terracotta world. Aeon signs on as another guard (per Elysia's prodding), as does Lux (at the behest of the Cult, to find Rei or, barring that, take out Sera).

Then we go Lord of the Rings for a while. And then we have to bring the spell to an end. Once they manage to get the support of the Emperor, I think Hel will have to work some sort of magick...to bring balance, I think. Hel represents *their* realm, the Emperor works from the Terracotta realm to bring the spirits from the pocket realm into their realm and then into Shade's realm. I think Sera has to act as an intermediary here.He is BOTH realms, being a cat, so he channels for Hel and the Emperor. This frees the spirits to go into Shade's realm.

Now, Shade and Elysia battle. Shade has to be reborn *after* the battle, or else he won't be strong enough to defeat Elysia until he has settled somewhat. Keep in mind that the weakness he experiences after a rebirth is what caused all this business in the first place. So he fights a much-weakened Elysia using the boost in strength he garnered from the end of the spell. Shade wins (perhaps through help from Aeon and Rei, being the representatives of the gods, with Hel showing them what they can do, or something), trapping Elysia in her own realm, and then he attempts to be reborn.

Only he can't, because the Cult has perverted his power, killing people in his name so Shade was trapped in this cycle. They knew that if he were ever reborn, it would reaffirm his strength over theirs, so they made it so that he couldn't be reborn. This is Kenaz and Rei's big moment. Kenaz releases himself to the Wild in order to unbind Shade and Rei performs her role as lover/mother to bring him back into the world (not through literally being born, of course). Shade, as promised, brings Kenaz into his realm to save his Will and allow him to bring balance to himself. Now, this brings me to a question: is Kenaz bound to stay in Shade's realm lest he lose control over his Will, or does Shade's gift allow him to travel freely?

Anyway, um...Shade takes down the Cult. I was thinking this is another role for Lux. She wants to get out of the "bad guy" business, so perhaps Shade sets her free to take down the Cult and she can join the Cult herself. Toire will take over as High Priest, but perhaps Lux can have a role as something else that a Cult would need. I totally just blanked. Hel and Sera go home--I think, perhaps, Hel and Sera become a family of sorts, if that's what Mynt and Wenny want--and Embry takes over the city.

Have I taken over enough now?

[Aldersmaine]

/stares up at the Berlin wall of text/

/smiles/

/nods/ ;D

I think you've taken over JUST enough. Though I do hope you allow me to take back control when I make another, of course, that is, if this CF does what I'm hoping and restarts my own story control center.

[Quaddy]

Oh, definitely. I am sitting back next time. Just gonna create a character and show up.

[Aldersmaine]

Hopefully it won't fail lol

[Matt]

So in answer to your question Quaddy, when Kenaz frees Shade he doesn't just lose himself to the Wild in the sense that he goes wild or crazy - he literally becomes a dragon. His body is torn apart, he ruptures into scales and wings and inhuman Wildness and irrationality. Kenaz sees the loss of that humanity/reason/sanity as the greatest loss he can experience. Nothing can reason with a dragon, nothing can negotiate or calm or rely on a dragon. He might want to rescue a friend but destroy an entire city in the blind focus of wildness. Similarly, he's been around for a long long time, he's been fighting his nature the whole time. He's tired and he sees this as a means to end the cycle. So when he helps Shade, he's after death as freedom, complete oblivion. At least at the start he will be.

I can't imagine him wanting to stick around - unless he fell in love but I'm not sure I can see a relationship for Kenaz the 'dragon-man dude sir', or he was entirely free of his Wildness. But then he wouldn't be himself either. So unless someone wants to give him a disney style pep talk about living and returning and such, he's going to die and stay dead.

I could always right for a bad guy afterwards or something.

[Aldersmaine]

Lol, maybe I'll have Toire give him a big ole kiss and he'll have reason to live again! j/k lol

Toire's Kisses are powerful things! lol they wake up evil dreamers and make dragons want to live lol.

[Matt]

ha ha ha yeah I read that bit you plan with Aeon - sounds like it'll be fun. Not sure that Kiss will work on Kenaz even if he is a gender fluid pansexual. He's a crotchety old dragon, after all, and he'd probably think your Toire was taking the piss. ha ha. So all the same - he'll probably die and won't that be a fun plot twist. lol.

[Quaddy]

So, die and go into Shade's realm, then, unless you imagine dragons having no souls/spirits to enter that realm. Maybe Shade's gift to him, then, is that Kenaz' spirit is able to remain "aware" so-to-speak in Death (as a realm, not as an event)? Because I think Shade would see death as a reward for help, but not necessarily oblivion. So Kenaz gets to remain aware and stuff, he's just dead and has to stay in Shade's realm. Or something.

It's not like Rei is going to have tons of friends when she's in Shade's realm. Just Shade, after all. At least until the group starts dying off. And she'll only be able to enter the human realm on certain days.

Matt--if you wanted to help me write for Shade once in a while, that would give you something to do after Kenaz dies. Shade will be quite active once he's free to go destroy his cult, so it would give you a few rounds of stuff to do.

[Matt]

Hey that could be a plan Quad, though you'll have to give me more information on what you envisage for Shade's realm and such. Kenaz would definitely be pleased as pie if he was able to stay rational in death. The thing that scares him most is that when he becomes the dragon and lives forever when there is nothing left of him, the man and wanderer. So to die instead of dragoning up and to maintain his reason would be great. Your character and mine can go for tea in the underworld and I'll help you out with Shade.

Unless we come up with some other plot twist and he doesn't die. But we'll see how that one roles from here right?

[Aldersmaine]

Kenaz would make a great guardian for the realm of death, as he'd have his awareness set he could finally go full force with his will and dragon form without worrying about losing his mind.

[Quaddy]

Shade's realm is a lot like Hades in my mind, I guess. I envision a Gate--a bit of a one-way street for most people, obviously. I don't really see Heaven or Hell, so much. I mean...I guess I don't really want it to be exactly like Hades, which is a gloomy, unhappy place (for most people). I suppose Shade's realm reflects what people think it should be. For most, it's peace, stability, an end to pain and worry. Dissolution of the identity for all but the strongest (or most beloved) of souls. A select few get oblivion, some get suffering, most just get dissolution. It's meant to be the eternal rest of the soul. Some souls actually dissolute (I know that's not the right word) to a point of oneness with the energies of the universe (this is very Circle of Life, yo).

I mean, this is not the case for Shade, obviously. But he is quite lonely, I suppose. His rebirths have always involved a human channel, but they are typically consumed by the process--he's never concerned himself with a companion before. Now, though, he...well, he is intrigued by Rei and his time tied to her actually causes him to fall for her. The cold, unfeeling Death god who falls for the orphan girl ballsy enough to stand up to him (and see him as a creature worth loving). I suppose I should come up with a physical description, too...

I actually kind of pictured him as much softer and more compassionate than people give him credit for. I think a lot of people picture him as shadowy and gaunt and whatnot, but he's not really. I do see tall and pale, but I see him as far more human-looking than people give him credit for. Dark hair, soft eyes (grey, I think), handsome, regular features. More Zachary Levi-meets-Chris Evans than Brad Pitt or Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

I really think Kenaz has to die. I mean, Shade's gift would almost have to include death. In his own realm, Shade is an immutable power, so he could totally work it that Kenaz would have complete control over himself. If Kenaz were ever to leave Shade's realm...it's quite likely that he would revert to the state he was in when Shade brought Kenaz through the gate.

But that doesn't have to suck. Death is not a place, it's a state. It's quite likely that it is a huge realm and could be its own world with its own adventures for Kenaz and Rei. I mean, there is a lot of work to do in Shade's realm. He was a very "hands off" kind of God for a long time, and Rei and Kenaz don't seem like they're particularly hands off...

I, of course, welcome any input you have on Shade and/or his realm. You and I seem to be writing a romance once again, man...

[Aldersmaine]

I never imagine afterlife as a dark and dreary place unless the person going is dark and dreary. So I can completely jump on the bandwagon with your view of Shade's realm.

[Matt]

Hey your job is still to get the Shade/Rei bandwagon rolling, Kenaz and I still have aways to go before I can start really chatting to Shade but I do like your points. Those two are your bairns too so once you're going I'll follow your lead.

I feel like I almost imagine the underworld/Shade's realm as like the one in the Odyssey/Aeneid - so the immediate experience of a living, waking person is of a dream-like, dullness and quietness and such. But then in death, once you're able to truly engage with death, you can step through further and see the colours and find the peace in death.

Beastie's idea about being a sort of guardian could be interesting too. Maybe he could die but then at the end, when the final motions are coming into play, maybe Shade adds a layer to his agreement, so Kenaz becomes a sort of guardian, able to leave that realm as a dragon with a level of intelligence in order to fight with them all. He could only be himself in Shade's realm but to protect the interests of Death and such he might be able to leave in some spirity dragony formy thingy.

This has dissovled into a wibblywobblytimeywimey thing in my hangover.

I think you meant dissolve btw.

[Quaddy]

I know it's dissolve, I was just tired of typing dissolution so many times...

And, yes, the Odyssey/Aeneid was definitely what I had in mind. Like Hades, yeah? Only Hades from the dead person's POV and NOT the one from Disney's Hercules, where they transform Hades into James Woods. (I do love that movie, though...the music is boss.)

I like the guardian bit, as well. I was just thinking of the most beautifully tragic ending, so that Kenaz' sacrifice seems all the more grand and awesome.

IT'S SATURDAY! THAT MEANS IT'S DOCTOR WHO DAY!

(...I have really, really got to go to some sort of DW twelve step program...preferably with David Tennant as my sponsor, as Matt is quite busy being the Doctor these days...)

((And David Tennant is kinda sexy, so that's cool, too...))